VISA Conflict Manager
This section contains information specific to the Windows product.
VISA Conflict Manager allows you to see and modify the VISA (64-bit only)/VISA COM and VISA.NET implementation settings on your system; it provides access to the IVI VISA Conflict Manager (see 64-bit VISA Architecture). It shows a combined view of your test system. This view shows only interfaces – individual instruments are not listed.
The VISA Conflict Manager affects only 64-bit VISA behavior (that is, the behavior of VISA in a 64-bit application running on a 64-bit system). VISA COM and VISA.NET settings are effective for both 32-bit and 64-bit applications.
To run the VISA Conflict Manager, select 
, Tools, then VISA Conflict Manager.
If you install or enable an interface while you are in the VISA Conflict Manager, you must change to another view (for example, click Instruments) and change back to the VISA Conflict Manager view to refresh the list of interfaces. If you connect a USB device while in this view, and had no USB device connected previously, you will need to change to another view and back again to display the USB interface.
General VISA Settings – Enabling Installed Implementations and Selecting the Preferred Implementations
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The VISA Conflict Manager lists only the interface types that exist in your system. Your screen may not list all of the interfaces shown in the screen above. The Refresh button reloads the VISA conflict data. |
VISA and VISA COM
The installed implementations of 64-bit VISA and the 32-bit and 64-bit VISA COM and the VISA.NET on your PC are listed in the right pane (see the graphic below). All installed VISA implementations are enabled by default. To disable a VISA implementation, clear (uncheck) the box; that VISA implementation will then be unavailable for assignment to individual interfaces and unavailable to be selected as the preferred implementation. This setting affects 64-bit VISA, and both 32-bit and 64-bit VISA COM.
Also shown is the installed implementation of Preferred 64-bit VISA / 32-bit and 64-bit VISA COM on your PC (default is No Preference). If you select a preferred implementation, that implementation will be matched with interfaces whenever possible.
The preferred VISA/VISA COM selection is taken into account only when a VISA/VISA COM implementation is being assigned to an interface; typically, that happens at two times:
- When an interface or a device on the interface is opened in VISA (in a 64-bit application) or VISA COM (32-bit or 64-bit)
- When you select the VISA/VISA COM implementation for a particular interface in the configuration tool (Connection Expert, National Instruments MAX, or another vendor's tool)
Once a VISA implementation has been assigned to an interface, changing the preferred VISA/VISA COM selection will not change that assignment; you will have to change the assignment manually by selecting the interface at the left and assigning a different implementation to that interface, as described below.
As you enable/disable implementations or change the preferred implementation, those changes are not actually implemented until you click OK.
The VISA/VISA COM settings do not affect VISA.NET. Make your VISA.NET selections separately, as described below.
VISA.NET
Also shown is the installed implementation of VISA.NET on your PC (default is No Preference). All installed VISA.NET implementations are enabled by default. To disable a VISA.NET implementation, clear (uncheck) the box; that VISA.NET implementation will then be unavailable for assignment to individual interfaces and unavailable to be selected as the preferred implementation.
Also shown is the preferred VISA.NET implementation (default is No Preference). If you select a preferred implementation, that implementation will be matched with interfaces whenever possible.
The preferred VISA.NET selection is taken into account only when a VISA.NET implementation is being assigned to an interface; typically, that happens at two times:
- When an interface or a device on the interface is opened in VISA.NET
- When you select the VISA.NET implementation for a particular interface in the configuration tool (Connection Expert, National Instruments MAX, or another vendor's tool)
Once a VISA.NET implementation has been assigned to an interface, changing the Preferred VISA.NET selection will not change that assignment; you will have to change the assignment manually by selecting the interface at the left and assigning a different implementation to that interface, as described below.
As you enable/disable VISA.NET implementations or change the preferred VISA.NET implementation, those changes are not actually implemented until you click OK.
The VISA.NET settings do not affect VISA nor VISA COM. Make your VISA/VISA COM selections separately, as described above.
Choosing the Implementations for an Interface
To view or select the implementations to be used with an individual interface, select the interface from the list on the left (see the graphic below).
The VISA/VISA COM and VISA.NET implementations currently matched with this interface are shown above the respective drop-down menus; in the example below, the VISA implementation matched with GPIB0 is Keysight VISA.
The drop-down menu includes all VISA/VISA COM and VISA.NET implementations that are enabled and available for this interface type. If an installed and enabled implementation does not appear in the menu for a given interface, it does not support that interface type. The VISA/VISA COM and VISA.NET options and selections are independent of each other. Note that the VISA/VISA COM setting affects 64-bit VISA, and both 32-bit and 64-bit VISA COM. The VISA.NET setting affects 32-bit and 64-bit VISA.NET.
You can select an implementation explicitly, or you can allow the system to use the default (this means the IVI VISA Conflict Manager will choose an implementation). When you choose the default, the actual match is shown above the drop-down menu; in the example below, the user has selected the default, and the arbitration has resulted in selection of Keysight VISA for GPIB0.
When you change the assigned VISA/VISA COM or VISA.NET implementation for a particular interface, that change is not actually implemented until you click OK.
See Also