The General Purpose Interface Bus (GPIB) is a standard interface used for connecting and controlling multiple electronic instruments, such as oscilloscopes and multimeters. It allows devices to communicate with each other and with a computer, facilitating automated testing and data collection in laboratories and industrial settings. Originally developed by Hewlett-Packard in the 1960s, GPIB is also known as IEEE 488. It supports up to 15 devices on a single bus and enables fast data transfer rates. GPIB is widely used in research, manufacturing, and educational environments for its reliability and ease of use.