converting GPIB to VISA

[Erny123]

I downloaded a driver for an instrument and it is using GPIB instrumentation functions.
Since I have been working with other instruments, I have developed the controls for them using VISA.
Now I have to make a program that controls both the instruments that use GPIB and VISA. Is it good practice to convert the drivers of the instrument with GPIB to VISA? Or is it better to just leave it as is and use it as is.

[Dennis_Knutson]

Depends. VISA is portable in that it works with controllers from different vendors. You can also switch between GPIB, serial, USB, and Ethernet instruments. Typically, no code changes are required. The transition can be fairly simple. You can do a search and replace and then use a VISA Resource Name instead of the string address. Wiring the resource from VISA function to the next makes for a bit cleaner wiring as well. If you have the spare hour or so for a small driver, I'd say go for it.

[crossrulz]

Fully agree with everything Dennis said.  I would recommend changing to use VISA simply because of the portability.  I recently had a project that was largely based on a previous project I had done.  But we changed a lot of the connections from GPIB to Ethernet (LXI).  Because I used VISA, all I had to change was teh initialization (how the VISA session was defined) and nothing else had to change.  We're talking weeks of saved time.