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Chapter 3
Developing Your Application
This chapter explains how to develop a GPIB application program using NI-488
functions and NI-488.2 routines.
Choosing a Programming Method
Programs that need to communicate across the GPIB can access the NI-488.2M
driver using either the NI-488.2 language interface or the OS/2 API calls.
Using the NI-488.2 Language Interface
One method of programming the NI-488.2M driver is with an NI-488.2
language interface using functions defined by National Instruments. The NI-488
functions and NI-488.2 routines are an industry standard and are portable across
many computer platforms and operating systems. In most cases, you should use
these functions and routines because they are designed to make GPIB
programming easier. You also should use them if you are already using other
National Instruments GPIB products, because the same format and syntax work
regardless of the GPIB hardware product. You can make NI-488 or NI-488.2
calls in the ibic interactive program or from your application program.
When using the NI-488.2 interface, your OS/2 application runs with both the
AT-GPIB driver for OS/2 and MC-GPIB driver for OS/2 without modification
or recompiling. Also, multiple applications can share the same library. The NI-
488.2M software for OS/2 includes language interface libraries for IBM CSet,
Borland C/C++ for OS/2, and Microsoft C 6.0. If you are not programming with
one of these languages, you should use the OS/2 API interface.
Your distribution disk contains two distinct sets of subroutines to meet your
application needs. Both of these sets, the NI-488 functions and the NI-488.2
routines, are compatible across computer platforms and operating systems, so
you can port programs to other platforms with little or no source code
© National Instruments Corp.
3-1
NI-488.2M SRM for OS/2
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