catman ActiveX interface Jens Boersch

Transcription

1 catman ActiveX interface Jens Boersch

2 ActiveX technology - introduction Where the name ActiveX comes from ActiveX is a marketing name for a technology based on COM (Component Object Model) What is ActiveX / COM An open software interface, which allows the communication and data exchange between two PC applications Extension of catman by AddIn technology Development tool for system integrators. 4/23/2004, Page 2 Hottinger Baldwin Messtechnik GmbH Jens Boersch

3 ActiveX technology - block diagram 4/23/2004, Page 3 Hottinger Baldwin Messtechnik GmbH Jens Boersch

4 Basics of catman I/O definition: Defines connected device type and interface Create I/O channels (connection to device channels) Read buffer: Buffer for the data read from the device Read buffer has to be used before reading the next data block into it Database: Temporary store for measured or calculated channels Possibility to transfer read buffer into database (append) Visualizes or export data base at the end of the measurement 4/23/2004, Page 5 Hottinger Baldwin Messtechnik GmbH Jens Boersch

5 Structure of catman s data acquisition Create or load an I/O definition (connect devices and channels) Initialize the device Start measurement (number of samples, sample rate, trigger etc.) Read measured values from device into catman IO buffer Get values from IO buffer for online visualization or analysis Store values (IO buffer) to catman database Stop data acquisition Export data, analyze, visualize... 4/23/2004, Page 6 Hottinger Baldwin Messtechnik GmbH Jens Boersch

6 Survey over catman objects catinterface (catman windows, error handling, toolbar, script calls) IO DB ACQ MATH FILEMGR OL (Connect device & channels [IOD], setup, get read block) (Read/write from/to data base, export & import) (Data acquisition [initialize, start, stop, store], trigger) (Mathematics [algebraic, ESA, signal analysis, filter]) (File handling [create. Delete, read, write]) (Access to catman online document) 4/23/2004, Page 7 Hottinger Baldwin Messtechnik GmbH Jens Boersch

7 Documentation of catman s ActiveX interface Open ActiveX reference (catman program folder) Introduction (ActiveX library and AddIn) Peculiarities of the different programming languages Base concepts of catman (Structure of catman DAQ) Examples (mainly for Visual Basic) Reference (syntax and explanation of all functions) 4/23/2004, Page 8 Hottinger Baldwin Messtechnik GmbH Jens Boersch

8 ActiveX reference (syntax of the functions) 4/23/2004, Page 9 Hottinger Baldwin Messtechnik GmbH Jens Boersch

9 Missing functions in the library Functions of ActiveX library are missing: If this function exists in catman script language, the script command can be executed by ExecuteScriptCommand With the function IO.WriteCommand a low-level command can be sent directly to the amplifier Example: catman.executescriptcommand ACQCAL 2 10 to run an auto calibration of IO channels /23/2004, Page 10 Hottinger Baldwin Messtechnik GmbH Jens Boersch

10 Early binding late binding Binding means the translation of the function call into an address (internal address in catman s ActiveX library) Early binding: Early binding defines addresses while the programming Late binding: Translate addresses when the program runs No problems when changing to another catman version A little bit worse performance compared with early binding 4/23/2004, Page 11 Hottinger Baldwin Messtechnik GmbH Jens Boersch

11 Peculiarity with Visual Basic / VBA 1.) Create a catman object with late binding Uses registered catman DLL or EXE Dim catman Set catman = CreateObject( catman.catinterface ) 2.) Create a catman Object with early binding Make a reference to an installed catman Use IntelliSense (offers possible functions while programming) Add Reference (menu project resp. extra ) Dim catman as catinterface Set catman = New catinterface 4/23/2004, Page 12 Hottinger Baldwin Messtechnik GmbH Jens Boersch

12 Peculiarity with Visual Studio C++ To create a catman object refer to code below Hand over of different data types (variants and strings) - Arrays as SafeArrays - Strings as BSTR #include <stdio.h> #include <windows.h> #include <io.h> #import "c:\programme\catman32\activex\catman.tlb" no_namespace const char name[] = "c:\\programme\\catman\\script\\gg.iod\0"; void main() { BSTR bstrdesc; try { CoInitialize(NULL); // Declare the Interface Pointer for your catman object _catinterfaceptr ptr; _XDBInterfacePtr DB; _ACQInterfacePtr ACQ; _XIOInterfacePtr IO; _FileClass F MGR _OLInterface OL _ MathInterface MATH // Create an instance of your catman object ptr.createinstance( uuidof(catinterface)); DB = ptr->getdb(); ACQ = ptr->getacq();; IO = ptr->getio(); IO->LoadDefinition(name); 4/23/2004, Page 13 Hottinger Baldwin Messtechnik GmbH Jens Boersch

13 Peculiarity with LabView - functions nodes 1.) Create a catman object with Automation Open and select ActiveX class (right mouse click) with Browse catman DLL resp. EXE and catinterface 2.) Call a function with Property Node (properties) and Invoke Node (methods) with right mouse click 3.) Terminate catman object with Automation Close Tip: All mentioned LabView functions can be found in the function palette Communication / ActiveX 4/23/2004, Page 14 Hottinger Baldwin Messtechnik GmbH Jens Boersch

14 Peculiarity with LabView - data type Variant If a parameter from data type variant has to be handed over to a catman function, it must be converted first ( TO_Variant ) If a catman function delivers an output of data type variant, it has to be converted to integer, float, string etc. before using it in LabView 4/23/2004, Page 15 Hottinger Baldwin Messtechnik GmbH Jens Boersch

15 Peculiarity with LabView - Tips LabView works with early binding only, therefore following steps have to be done when updating to another catman version or testing the LabView example on the demo CD: 1.) Select ActiveX Class again 2.) All methods calls have to be assigned again 4/23/2004, Page 16 Hottinger Baldwin Messtechnik GmbH Jens Boersch

16 General tips & tricks In catman 4.5 Rel. 1 and 2 the function DB.ReadData does not work (part of LabView example) Install patch or use DB.ReadData64 instead With the new product 1-CATMAN-ACTIVEX there is no access to the interactive functions of catman (catmodules, Measurement Wizard...), only using ActiveX library of catman DLL When connecting a MGCplus via LPT with function IO.CreateDevice, the mode must be set to interlink by IO.SetDeviceProperty 1, 3, 95 When connecting a device via USB with unknown address with the function CreateDevice, a zero string ( vbnullstring ) can be used for the address to get the first amplifier connected via USB 4/23/2004, Page 17 Hottinger Baldwin Messtechnik GmbH Jens Boersch