National Instruments VXI-MIO Series - Manual (Page 17)

Chapter 1 Introduction
VXI-MIO Series User Manual 1-4  National Instruments Corporation
DAQ devices because it lets multiple devices operate at their peak
performance.
NI-DAQ also internally addresses many of the complex issues between
the computer and the DAQ hardware such as programming interrupts
and DMA controllers. NI-DAQ maintains a consistent software
interface between its different versions so that you can change
platforms with minimal modifications to your code.
VXI plug&play Instrument Drivers
National Instruments distributes VXI plug&play instrument drivers free
of charge. VXI plug&play instrument drivers are one level above the
NI-DAQ device driver and contain high-level software functions whose
architecture is specified by the VXI
plug&play Systems Alliance. The
VXI plug&play standards increase interoperability with other vendors,
and ensure that drivers are designed and presented in a consistent
fashion that facilitates ease of use. Refer to Figure 1-1 to see the
relationship between your software components.