Software interoperability-the challenge in VXIbus systems

The author describes some of the issues, as well as some proposed solutions, which can help to make VXIbus-based test systems as open on the software level as on the hardware level. A significant problem is that VXIbus instruments no longer have a front panel, and the user interface must therefore be implemented using an external graphics software package. Packages available are often mutually exclusive of each other and necessitate the creation of customized drivers for each instrument. An attractive solution lies in defining a set of VXIbus services and interfaces to VXIbus instruments so that each manufacturer only has to write the front panel interface software once, thus saving significant development efforts. Additional advantages of this will be that multiple vendors´ front panels can coexist on standardized multitasking workstations, and the standardized interfaces to the instruments make it easy to interface these to programs written in high-level languages. The proposed interfaces are based on existing local area network technologies and, as a by-product, give all instruments access to the client/server capabilities of the network