Rohde & Schwarz Standardizes on Agilent's VISA Library for Instrument I/O

Palo Alto, CA -- Agilent today announced Rohde & Schwarz has selected Agilent's Virtual Instrument Software Architecture (VISA) I/O instrument library for inclusion with its test and measurement instruments. Agilent's VISA was created to standardize I/O software across physical interfaces and between multiple vendors. The companies have worked together closely on standards for instrument communications.

Agilent's VISA was selected because its open approach allows standard connectivity through LAN and USB interfaces as well as conventional GPIB and RS-232 connectivity. Agilent's VISA also includes the VISA-COM library, which provides a COM interface for I/O. Based on PC software component technology, VISA-COM I/O provides instrument I/O services in a language-independent COM component architecture.

"We chose Agilent's VISA product because it provides outstanding performance and reliability to support our move to open standards for instrument I/O," said Roland Steffen, executive VP, T&M division, Rohde & Schwarz. "USB and LAN are ubiquitous interfaces in today's test and measurement world. With this library customers can transfer data with the new USB TMC protocol or over Ethernet at unprecedented high data rates."

"Our implementation is fully compliant with industry standards and meets Rohde & Schwarz's requirements for transfer speeds, reliability, robustness and price," said Mark Pierpoint, vice president of Agilent's Measurement and Analysis Software Group. "By agreeing to common PC standards we have the ability to deliver a consistent implementation that benefits the customer."

Source: Agilent Technologies