What is VXI-11?

VXI-11 is a TCP/IP instrument protocol specification defined by the VXIbus Consortium. Since LXI instruments are based on Ethernet, the TCP/IP interface allows you to communicate with an LXI instrument using the VXI-11 interface.

LXI instrument communication

Many LXI instruments communicate via the LAN through one of two protocols, VXI-11 and HiSLIP. These protocols both provide mechanisms to send ASCII commands, such as Standard Commands for Programmable Instrumentation (SCPI), along with other familiar GPIB operations.

HiSLIP extends features of VXI-11

The HiSLIP Extended Function leverages the HiSLIP standard created by the IVI Foundation to create a fast control interface, extend the features provided by VXI-11, and emulate the capabilities of GPIB devices.

Programmatic control of LXI instruments

To write programs to control LXI instruments that support HiSLIP or VXI-11, you can use the VISA API. VISA implementations and debugging tools for diagnosing network communications problems with LXI devices are available from several vendors.