Using the Keysight IO Libraries Suite with Other Vendors' I/O Software

This section contains information specific to the Windows product.

Keysight IO Libraries Suite can coexist with most other software packages without any problems. However, IO Libraries Suite includes an implementation of VISA (Virtual Instrument Software Architecture), and there are issues involved with installing any two implementations of VISA together. In addition, IO Libraries Suite includes the Keysight 488 library, designed for compatibility with National Instruments' NI-488.2; to make the two libraries work correctly together, you must pay attention to certain compatibility issues.

With IO Libraries Suite 2024 Update 1 onwards, you will not get the option to choose a primary VISA during installation, if another VISA is already present, the installer configures Keysight VISA as a secondary VISA. If no VISA exists, it configures Keysight VISA as the primary VISA. IO Libraries 2024 Update 1 provides a CLI utility that lets you choose a primary VISA anytime. You can access this utility by navigating to the IO Libraries desktop icon, selecting Utilities, and then choosing Set 32-Bit Primary VISA.

The utility is for Windows 64-bit OS.
It is a CLI application that lists all installed VISA(s) and allows the user to choose the primary VISA interactively or via parameters.
The utility should run as admin.
The utility handles cases where visa32.dll is used by other applications, prompting userd to close or forcibly terminate them if necessary.
New Directory for VISA DLLs
The utility will use a pre-created folder to store the visa32.dll files from each VISA vendor. Place them at the following location:
```
C:\Program Files (x86)\IVI Foundation\VISA\WinNT\visa32Store
```

Using Keysight 488 with NI-488.2

The Keysight 488 library is provided in the Keysight IO Libraries Suite to allow you to use and extend existing test & measurement programs that were developed to use National Instruments' NI-488.2 API. With Keysight 488, you can use Keysight interface hardware (PC cards and converters) with programs that were developed to use NI's or other vendors' interfaces; you can also use multiple vendors' interfaces transparently in the same program. To allow your NI-488.2 programs to run with Keysight 488 and without recompiling your program, you must be careful to correctly install and configure Keysight 488.

See the Keysight 488 Help for detailed information on configuration and use of these two libraries together.

Using the Keysight IO Libraries Suite with Other Vendors' I/O Software

Using Keysight 488 with NI-488.2

See Also