HP E1432A User's Guide
The C-Language Host Interface Library
Introduction
The Host Interface Library for the HP E1432A is a set of functions that allow you to program the register-based HP E1432A at a higher level than register reads and writes. The library allows groups of HP E1432As to be set up and programmed as if they were one entity.
Two version of the Host Interface Library are available. One is the HP-UX C-Language Host Interface Library which uses SICL (the Standard Instrument Interface Library) to communicate to the HP E1432A hardware. The other is the VXIplug&play Library which communicates with the hardware using the VXIplug&play standard. This chapter covers the SICL version. If you are using the VXIplug&play version, you will not need this chapter. Instead, see the chapters titled “Getting Started With the HP E1432A” and “Using the HP E1432A”
The library includes routines to set up and query parameters, start and stop measurements, read and write data, and control interrupts. Routines to aid debugging and perform low-level I/O are also included.
For information on diagnostics see the chapter titled “Troubleshooting the HP E1432A.”
Almost all functions in this library return 0 if they complete successfully and a negative error number if there is a problem. The return value of the function should always be checked and appropriate action taken for non-zero values. See the on-line man pages for more information on error messages.