Abstract: A data acquisition system comprising a computer system, coupled to a data acquisition device, a data acquisition application executing on the computer system, and device interface software with an attribute-based API executing on the computer system. The attribute-based API enables the data acquisition application to perform steps to control the data acquisition device. The steps comprise creating a task for controlling the data acquisition device, setting values of the attributes of the task and device, starting the task acquiring data, and destroying said task. Creating the task comprises allocating an attribute database comprising a plurality of attribute objects corresponding to the attributes of the data acquisition device and an attribute table referencing the plurality of attribute objects. The attribute objects comprise environment data containing values of the attributes and a function for setting the values of the attributes. The attribute table comprises attribute table entries.