Instrumentation system and method having instrument interchangeability

An instrumentation system which allows instrument interchangeability, the instrumentation system comprising:

• a computer system comprising a CPU and memory;
• a first instrument coupled to the computer system, wherein first the instrument is of a first class, wherein the instrument is interchangeable with other instruments of the first class;
• wherein the memory of the computer system stores:
• an initialization file which includes information regarding the first instrument;
• a user application which is operable to make a call to a function to control the first instrument;
• a class driver which is operable to receive the call, wherein the class driver is common to a plurality of instruments of the first class, wherein the class driver performs functions to control the first instrument in response to the call;
• wherein the first instrument of the first class is replaceable with a second instrument of said first class, wherein said replacement comprises changing at least a portion of said initialization file to include information regarding said second instrument.

A computer-implemented method for controlling an instrument in an instrumentation system, wherein the method allows instrument interchangeability, wherein the instrumentation system includes a computer system comprising a CPU and memory, wherein the instrumentation system also includes at least one first instrument coupled to the computer system, wherein the first instrument is of a first class, wherein the first instrument is interchangeable with other instruments of the first class, the method comprising:

• creating an initialization file which includes information regarding the first instrument;
• configuring the instrumentation system according to said initialization file;
• a user application making a call to a function in a class driver to control the first instrument, wherein the class driver is common to a plurality of instruments of the first class;
• the class driver performing said function to control the first instrument in response to the call;
• wherein said first instrument is replaceable with a second instrument of said first class, wherein said replacement includes changing at least a portion of said initialization file to include information regarding said second instrument;
• wherein the user application is executable to control the second instrument after said replacement without modification to said user application.

A computer-implemented method for controlling an instrument in an instrumentation system, wherein the method allows instrument interchangeability, wherein the instrumentation system includes a computer system comprising a CPU and memory, wherein the instrumentation system also includes at least one first instrument coupled to the computer system, wherein the first instrument is of a first class, wherein the first instrument is interchangeable with other instruments of the first class, the method comprising:

• creating an initialization file which includes information regarding the first instrument, wherein the first instrument includes generic attributes which are generic to the class and instrument-specific attributes which are not generic to the first class, wherein the information includes default values of one or more of said instrument-specific attributes;
• a user application making a call to an initialization function in a first class driver to control the first instrument, wherein the first class driver is common to a plurality of instruments of the first class;
• the first class driver initializing the first instrument in response to the call, wherein said initializing includes setting said one or more of said instrument-specific attributes to said default values according to said information in said initialization file;
• replacing said first instrument with a second instrument of said first class, wherein said replacing does not require any modifications to said user application.

An instrumentation system which allows instrument interchangeability, wherein the instrumentation system comprises:

• a computer system comprising a CPU and memory;
• at least one first instrument coupled to the computer system, wherein the first instrument is of a first class, wherein the first instrument is interchangeable with other instruments of the first class, wherein the first instrument includes generic attributes which are generic to the class and instrument-specific attributes which are not generic to the first class;
• wherein the computer system memory stores:
• an initialization file which includes information regarding the first instrument, wherein the information includes default values of one or more of said instrument-specific attributes;
• a first class driver for controlling the instrument, wherein the first class driver is common to a plurality of instruments of the first class;
• user application which is operable to make a call to an initialization function in the first class driver;
• wherein the first class driver is operable to initialize the first instrument in response to the call, including setting said one or more of said instrument-specific attributes to said default values according to said information in said initialization file;
• wherein said first instrument is replaceable with a second instrument of said first class, wherein said replacement does not require any modifications to said user application.

A computer-implemented method for controlling an instrument in an instrumentation system, wherein the instrumentation system includes a computer system comprising a CPU and memory, wherein the instrumentation system also includes at least one instrument coupled to the computer system, wherein the instrument is of a first class, wherein the instrument is interchangeable with other instruments of the first class, wherein the computer stores a class driver which is common to a plurality of instruments of the first class and a specific driver which is specific to the instrument, the method comprising:

• a user application making a call to a function in a class driver to control the instrument;
• the class driver receiving the call;
• determining if one or more extension capabilities are not used in said user application and are implemented in the specific driver;
• wherein said determining determines that a first one or more extension capabilities are not used in said user application and are implemented in the specific driver;
• setting attribute values which correspond to said first one or more extension capabilities to default values, wherein said setting operates to place the instrument in an interchangeable state;
• executing the function to control the instrument after said setting.