This page has links to all of the current IVI specifications, including specifications for drivers, protocols, SCPI, and VXIplug&play.
- IVI Operating Procedures
- IVI Driver Specifications
- IVI Protocol Specifications
- Standard Commands for Programmable Instruments (SCPI)
- VXIplug&play Specifications
IVI Operating Procedures
The IVI Operating Procedures describes IVI Foundation rules and practices for conducting business. All discussions and business conducted in any forum within the foundation follow these procedures.
| Specification | Document |
|---|---|
| IVI-1.2: Operating Procedures | github link |
IVI Driver Specifications
This section contains specifications related to instrument drivers.
IVI Specification Generations
The IVI Generation item specifies a set of minimum IVI specification versions with which a specific driver must comply in order to claim compliance with a specific IVI Generation. The following documents describe the IVI Generations and the minimum specification versions required to claim compliance with each.
| Document | Document | Printable PDF |
|---|---|---|
| What are IVI Generations? | github link | |
| IVI Generations Baseline Summary and Compliance Equivalence Tables | github link | |
| IVI-2026 | github link | |
| IVI-2014 | github link | |
| IVI-2003 | github link |
Generation 2026 Driver Specifications
In 2025 the IVI Foundation released new driver specifications that simplify the requirements for driver compliance. Although these new standards do not invalidate the earlier standards, they provide a streamlined path that aligns with common expectations for general purpose instrument drivers.
In keeping with the IVI policy of dating IVI Generations the year after new specifications are published, these specifications establish IVI Generation 2026. For additional details, see IVI Generation 2026
| Document | Specification | |
|---|---|---|
| IVI Driver Core | GitHub | |
| IVI Driver ANSI-C | GitHub | |
| IVI Driver .NET | GitHub | |
| IVI Driver Python | GitHub |
Generation 2014 Driver Architecture
| Document | Word | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| IVI-3.1: Driver Architecture Specification | Word | ||
| IVI-3.2: Inherent Capabilities Specification | Word | ||
| IVI-3.3: Standard Cross-Class Capabilities | Word | ||
| IVI-3.4: API Style Guide | Word | ||
| IVI-3.5: Configuration Server Specification | Word | ||
| IVI-3.6: COM Session Factory Specification | Word | ||
| IVI-3.9: C Shared Components Specification | Word | ||
| IVI-3.10: Measurement and Stimulus Subsystems (IVI-MSS) Specification | Word | ||
| IVI-3.12: Floating Point Services Specification | Word | ||
| IVI-3.14: Primary Interop Assembly Specification | Word | ||
| IVI-3.15: IviLxiSync Specification | Word | ||
| IVI-3.17: Installation Requirements Specification | Word | ||
| IVI-3.18: IVI.NET Utility Classes and Interfaces Specification | Word | ||
| IVI-5.0: Glossary | Word | ||
| IVI-3.7: IVI Event Server | Obsolete |
Generation 2014 Driver Instrument Classes
| Document | Word | |
|---|---|---|
| IVI-4.1: IviScope Class Specification | Word | |
| IVI-4.2: IviDmm Class Specification | Word | |
| IVI-4.3: IviFgen Class Specification | Word | |
| IVI-4.4: IviDCPwr Class Specification | Word | |
| IVI-4.5: IviACPwr Class Specification | Word | |
| IVI-4.6: IviSwtch Class Specification | Word | |
| IVI-4.7: IviPwrMeter Class Specification | Word | |
| IVI-4.8: IviSpecAn Class Specification | Word | |
| IVI-4.10: IviRFSigGen Class Specification | Word | |
| IVI-4.12: IviCounter Class Specification | Word | |
| IVI-4.13: IviDownconverter Class Specification | Word | |
| IVI-4.14: IviUpconverter Class Specification | Word | |
| IVI-4.15: IviDigitizer Class Specification | Word |
IVI Protocol Specifications
| Document | Word | |
|---|---|---|
| IVI-6.1: High-Speed LAN Instrument Protocol (HiSLIP) v2.0 April 23, 2020 | Word | |
| IVI-6.2: IVI Interoperability Requirements for USBTMC Specification | Word | |
| IVI-6.3: IVI VISA PXI Plug-in | Word | |
| IVI-6.4: IVI File Format Specification | Word | |
| IVI-6.5: SASL Mechanism Specification | Word |
Standard Commands for Programmable Instruments (SCPI)
The SCPI specifications, formerly maintained by the SCPI Consortium are now maintained by the IVI Foundation.
| Document | ||
|---|---|---|
| SCPI-99 |
VXIplug&play Specifications
The VXIplug&play specifications, formerly maintained by the VXIplug&play Systems Alliance are now maintained by the IVI Foundation.
VISA Specifications
| Document | Word | |
|---|---|---|
| VPP-4.3: The VISA Library | Word | |
| VPP-4.3.2: VISA Implementation Specification For Textual Languages | Word | |
| VPP-4.3.3: VISA Implementation Specification For The G Language | Word | |
| VPP-4.3.4: VISA Implementation Specification For COM | Word | |
| VPP-4.3.5: VISA Shared Components | Word | |
| VPP-4.3.6: VISA Implementation Specification for .NET | Word |
Other VXIplug&play Specifications:
| Document | Word | |
|---|---|---|
| VPP-1: Charter Document | Word | |
| VPP-2: System Frameworks Specification | Word | |
| VPP-3.1: Instrument Drivers Architecture and Design Specification | Word | |
| VPP-3.2: Instrument Driver Functional Body Specification | Word | |
| VPP-3.3: Instrument Driver Interactive Developer Interface Specification | Word | |
| VPP-3.4: Instrument Driver Programmatic Developer Interface Specification | Word | |
| VPP-6: Installation and Packaging Specification | Word | |
| VPP-7: Soft Front Panel Specification | Word | |
| VPP-8: VXI Module/Mainframe to Receiver Interconnection | Word | |
| VPP-9: Instrument Vendor Abbreviations | Word |
Note: More information can be found on the VXI specification at:http://vxibus.org/specifications.html