Keysight Technologies M9383A PXIe Programming Manual page 34

.NET Framework — The .NET Framework is an object-oriented API that
simplifies application development in a Windows environment. The .NET
Framework has two main components: the common language runtime and
the .NET Framework class library.
VISA (Virtual Instrument Software Architecture) — The VISA standard was
created by the VXIplug&play Foundation. Drivers that conform to the
VXIplug&play standards always perform I/O through the VISA library.
Therefore if you are using Plug and Play drivers, you will need the VISA I/O
library. The VISA standard was intended to provide a common set of
function calls that are similar across physical interfaces. In practice, VISA
libraries tend to be specific to the vendor's interface.
VISA-COM — The VISA-COM library is a COM interface for I/O that was
developed as a companion to the VISA specification. VISA-COM I/O provides
the services of VISA in a COM-based API. VISA-COM includes some higher-
level services that are not available in VISA, but in terms of low-level I/O
communication capabilities, VISA-COM is a subset of VISA. Agilent VISA-
COM is used by its IVI-Component drivers and requires that Agilent VISA
also be installed.
Keysight M9383A PXIe Vector Signal Generator 34