Patent ID: 6405145
Filing Date: 2002-06-11
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
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 instrument comprises a plurality of attributes, the method comprising:a user application making a call to a function in a class driver to control the instrument, wherein the class driver is common to a plurality of instruments of the first class; the class driver receiving the call; the class driver performing instrument interchangeability checking to ensure that the instrument is in an interchangeable state, wherein said performing instrument interchangeability checking comprises determining if one or more of said attributes which will affect instrument behavior in the current configuration are in a user-specified state; executing the function to control the instrument after said performing instrument interchangeability checking.