About Keysight IO Libraries Suite

IOLS Suite is composed of several programs, utilities and libraries, outlined below.

This version of the IO Libraries Suite supports Windows and Linux. Available utilities, APIs, help files and features vary by operating system. Variations are flagged in help with these icons: for Windows, for Linux, and for Windows on ARM. If a help topic is not labeled with W, L, or WA icons, the information applies to all operating systems.

What programs and utilities are in IOLS Suite, and where can I find documentation?

The Keysight IO Libraries Suite is available for no extra charge with Keysight instruments, interface hardware, and software products, and is available on the Web (www.keysight.com/find/iosuite). This release includes support for Linux. See below for information on which products and utilities are supported in which operating system, and where to find help.

IOLS product or utility Windows Linux Windows On ARM Where do I find help?

Connection Expert — Displays the status of your instruments, chassis, and interfaces. In Connection Expert, you can change interface and instrument properties (such as addresses, timeouts, and baud rates); test and troubleshoot connections; and get access to software and online information for your specific instruments.

Start Connection Expert from IO Control.

Connection Expert is covered in the IO Libraries Suite Help (this help file).

Within Connection Expert, click ? in the top toolbar and select Help.

Or open IO Control > Documentation menu > IO Libraries Suite Help.

Instrument Discovery Service — Discovers many of the instruments physically connected to your PC (including GPIB, USB, and PXI). All these instruments are shown in Connection Expert's Instruments view automatically. Instruments connected via a serial (COM port) or if they are on the LAN must be added manually. (Runs in the background.) See the About Instrument Discovery and Identification topic in the Connection Expert help (this help file).

InteractiveIO — Lets you quickly send commands to instruments and read responses. Start InteractiveIO from IO Control > Utilities. Within Interactive IO, use the Help menu.

IOMonitor utility — Traces the I/O calls of targeted library layers. Start IOMonitor from IO Control > Utilities. Within IOMonitor, use the Help menu.

Command Expert — Free software that makes it easy to control instruments and retrieve measurement data in Visual Studio, LabVIEW, Excel, MATLAB, and SystemVue. While not technically part of the IO Libraries Suite, Command Expert runs within Connection Expert when installed. If the Start Command Expert link in the Connection Expert Instruments view is grayed out or does not appear, follow this Web link to install Command Expert.) Start Command Expert from Connection Expert > Instruments view. Then within Command Expert, open its help file.

Modular Driver Wizard utility — This wizard generates device-specific, .inf, and .sys files for a PXIe or AXIe device. These files enable the Keysight IO Libraries to communicate with the device. If needed, start this utility from the directory where the suite was installed. Installation path may vary. Default is /Keysight/IO Libraries Suite/bin/Modular Within the Modular Driver Wizard, use the Help menu.

PXI1Chassis Utility — Supports the connection between a legacy PXI-1 chassis and a PXI system. Launch this utility from the /Keysight/IO Libraries Suite directory where the suite was installed. (Drive and directory may vary.) Within the utility, use the Help menu.

VISA programming API / library — (Virtual Instrument Software Architecture) An industry-standard I/O API. It can be used to develop I/O applications and instrument drivers that are interoperable with many other VISA applications from many vendors, and that comply with IVI Foundation standards. IO Control > Documentation menu > VISA Help

VISA.Net programming API / library — Provides a programming interface designed specifically for .NET CLS-compliant languages such as C# and VB.NET. VISA.NET can be used to develop I/O applications and instrument drivers that are interoperable with VISA.NET implementations from other vendors, and that comply with www.ivifoundation.org standards. IO Control > Documentation menu > VISA.NET Help

VISA COM programming API / library — A COM (Microsoft Component Object Model) implementation based on the Keysight VISA architecture and conforming to IVI Foundation standards. IO Control > Documentation menu > VISA COM Help

SICL programming API / library — (Standard Instrument Control Library) An I/O library developed by Keysight that is portable across many I/O interfaces. It is included in the Keysight IO Libraries Suite for backwards compatibility; VISA and VISA COM are recommended for development of new test programs.
IO Control > Documentation menu > SICL Help

Keysight488 programming API / library — is compatible with the NI-488.2 application programming interface (API) from National Instruments, and is used for GPIB programming only. You can use Keysight 488 to modify or extend applications already written with NI-488.2, or for new development if you are already expert in this API. IO Control > Documentation menu > Keysight 488 Help

ViFind32 — Debug utility launched from IO Control > Utilities or a console window; used to find resources and 32-bit VISA implementations.
own section: The ViFind32 topic in this help file).

ViFind64 — (Windows) / ViFind (Linux) — Debug utility launched from IO Control > Utilities or a console window; used to find resources and 64-bit VISA implementations. The ViFind64 / ViFindtopic in this help file.

Secure Instrument Communication Expert — (Windows) — Configuration tool for secure instrument communication; used for configuration of both instruments and test stations with credentials and user authentication mechanism. Within Secure Instrument Communication Expert, use the Help menu under the ? button on the upper-right corner of the Graphical User Interface.

Not sure which programming library to use? See Which I/O API Library Should I Use?

IOLS product or utility	Windows	Linux	Windows On ARM	Where do I find help?
Connection Expert — Displays the status of your instruments, chassis, and interfaces. In Connection Expert, you can change interface and instrument properties (such as addresses, timeouts, and baud rates); test and troubleshoot connections; and get access to software and online information for your specific instruments. Start Connection Expert from IO Control.				Connection Expert is covered in the IO Libraries Suite Help (this help file). Within Connection Expert, click ? in the top toolbar and select Help. Or open IO Control > Documentation menu > IO Libraries Suite Help.
Instrument Discovery Service — Discovers many of the instruments physically connected to your PC (including GPIB, USB, and PXI). All these instruments are shown in Connection Expert's Instruments view automatically. Instruments connected via a serial (COM port) or if they are on the LAN must be added manually. (Runs in the background.)				See the About Instrument Discovery and Identification topic in the Connection Expert help (this help file).
InteractiveIO — Lets you quickly send commands to instruments and read responses. Start InteractiveIO from IO Control > Utilities.				Within Interactive IO, use the Help menu.
IOMonitor utility — Traces the I/O calls of targeted library layers. Start IOMonitor from IO Control > Utilities.				Within IOMonitor, use the Help menu.
Command Expert — Free software that makes it easy to control instruments and retrieve measurement data in Visual Studio, LabVIEW, Excel, MATLAB, and SystemVue. While not technically part of the IO Libraries Suite, Command Expert runs within Connection Expert when installed. If the Start Command Expert link in the Connection Expert Instruments view is grayed out or does not appear, follow this Web link to install Command Expert.)				Start Command Expert from Connection Expert > Instruments view. Then within Command Expert, open its help file.
Modular Driver Wizard utility — This wizard generates device-specific, .inf, and .sys files for a PXIe or AXIe device. These files enable the Keysight IO Libraries to communicate with the device. If needed, start this utility from the directory where the suite was installed. Installation path may vary. Default is /Keysight/IO Libraries Suite/bin/Modular				Within the Modular Driver Wizard, use the Help menu.
PXI1Chassis Utility — Supports the connection between a legacy PXI-1 chassis and a PXI system. Launch this utility from the /Keysight/IO Libraries Suite directory where the suite was installed. (Drive and directory may vary.)				Within the utility, use the Help menu.
VISA programming API / library — (Virtual Instrument Software Architecture) An industry-standard I/O API. It can be used to develop I/O applications and instrument drivers that are interoperable with many other VISA applications from many vendors, and that comply with IVI Foundation standards.				IO Control > Documentation menu > VISA Help
VISA.Net programming API / library — Provides a programming interface designed specifically for .NET CLS-compliant languages such as C# and VB.NET. VISA.NET can be used to develop I/O applications and instrument drivers that are interoperable with VISA.NET implementations from other vendors, and that comply with www.ivifoundation.org standards.				IO Control > Documentation menu > VISA.NET Help
VISA COM programming API / library — A COM (Microsoft Component Object Model) implementation based on the Keysight VISA architecture and conforming to IVI Foundation standards.				IO Control > Documentation menu > VISA COM Help
SICL programming API / library — (Standard Instrument Control Library) An I/O library developed by Keysight that is portable across many I/O interfaces. It is included in the Keysight IO Libraries Suite for backwards compatibility; VISA and VISA COM are recommended for development of new test programs.				IO Control > Documentation menu > SICL Help
Keysight488 programming API / library — is compatible with the NI-488.2 application programming interface (API) from National Instruments, and is used for GPIB programming only. You can use Keysight 488 to modify or extend applications already written with NI-488.2, or for new development if you are already expert in this API.				IO Control > Documentation menu > Keysight 488 Help
ViFind32 — Debug utility launched from IO Control > Utilities or a console window; used to find resources and 32-bit VISA implementations. own section:				The ViFind32 topic in this help file).
ViFind64 — (Windows) / ViFind (Linux) — Debug utility launched from IO Control > Utilities or a console window; used to find resources and 64-bit VISA implementations.				The ViFind64 / ViFindtopic in this help file.
Secure Instrument Communication Expert — (Windows) — Configuration tool for secure instrument communication; used for configuration of both instruments and test stations with credentials and user authentication mechanism.				Within Secure Instrument Communication Expert, use the Help menu under the ? button on the upper-right corner of the Graphical User Interface.