A GENERAL-PURPOSE INTERFACE SYSTEM FOR THE LABORATORY

A programmable microprocessor-based laboratory interface system is described. The system is based on the IEEE-488 Bus and provides a versatile interface to experimental instrumentation which can be configured by the user. The interface system combines hardware and low-level software to form a single interfacial layer separating the computer from the experiment. This layer assures low-level operations necessary to communicate with experimental instruments while presenting to the computer only the conceptual model of the function to be performed. A high-level language derived from FORTH is included in the interface system which allows interactive program development. The implementation of FORTH in an environment where multiple processors share a single controller is discussed as are the advantages of this type of language when available in scientific instrumentation.