©National Instruments Corp. 3-1 GPIB-PC User ManualSection Three - GPIB-PCFunctions — IntroductionThis section introduces you to the GPIB-PC handler functions and theircapabilities. They are described in the order you will most likely usethem.Application environments for which the functions are designed aredescribed. Short examples illustrate how the functions operate.Introduction to the GPIB-PC FunctionsThe GPIB-PC functions are high-level and low-level functions thatcommunicate with and control devices on the GPIB. The functions aredivided into six groups, and each group is distinguished by the type ofapplications it serves. The functions contained in the first three groupsare mostly high-level, while those of the last three are mostly low-level.High-Level FunctionsHigh-level functions are easy to learn and use. They automaticallyexecute sequences of commands that handle bus managementoperations required to perform activities such as reading from andwriting to devices and polling them for status. These functions free youfrom having to know the GPIB protocol or bus management detailsinvolved. Most device functions (functions that specify a device) arehigh-level functions.Low-Level FunctionsIn contrast, low-level functions perform rudimentary or primitiveoperations that require that you know something about GPIB protocol touse them effectively. They are needed because high-level functions donot always meet the requirements of applications. In such cases, low-level functions offer the flexibility you need to solve most of yourapplication problems. All board functions (functions that specify aboard) are low-level functions.Calling SyntaxThe calling syntax for GPIB-PC functions varies according to thelanguage used. In this section, a generic syntax is used to identify thefunction and its arguments.
