How do I export a global string via RS232 (PS: history of dasylab??)

[waddlingduck]

Hello out there,

I've been using LabVIEW for a while now, but I recently came to a new company working with (and quite attached to) DASYLab.

First, can somebody explain to me where DASYLab fits into everything, as I see that it is now, and perhaps always was, part of National Instruments. In my brief experience with it (version 8.0), LabVIEW, even older versions, seems infinitely more useful, and everything I find online says "migrate to labview" - I'm guessing DASYLab is dying? Thanks for clearing that up.

Onto the main problem, as I must at least for now work with DASYLab,

How do I turn a "Read Global Variable" module into a "Read Global String" module. I am trying to communicate via RS232 with some custom hardware that recieves its commands via ascii characters, namely "." "," "[" and "]". I try to change the {$VAR_xxx} to STR, but it keeps changing it back after I hit OK and does nothing. I have had some success sending just the "." or "," out with the RS232 out command directly, however I can only set up one output module, so I need to be able to change what command I sent with the relays. Also, just sending [ or "[" seems to have some syntax error, so those commands do not natively work.

Let me know if you have any ideas, thanks!

-WaddlingDuck

[CJ_Butler__DASYLab_Pro]

First, and most important, DASYLab is an actively developed product, with regular releases over the last 15 years. It is a National Instruments product, and has been since V5.5 shipped. It's now at V9.

This forum and the NI web sites do not promote or highlight the product, mostly because NI does not sell it directly. It is sold through subsidiaries and resellers worldwide. Any emphasis on the NI web sites would be to move all users to LabVIEW, simply because that's the key NI software offering.

LabVIEW is a more comprehensive package, much more flexible than DASYLab. That's because it is a PROGRAMMING environment, while DASYLab is not programming - it doesn't have a compiler. It runs in an application environment where you can configure the data flow. If you need to add on to DASYLab, you have to purchase an Extensions Toolkit and develop the add-on in C.

On the other hand, many DASYLab users find it easy to learn, easy to use, and much less complex than LabVIEW. It is a powerful package without all of the overhead of a programming environment.

My experience is that programmers, whether C, Basic, or LabVIEW, find that the DASYLab application is too constraining. You're already used to being able to do more.

Back to the problem:

I need a better example of what the ASCII strings look like, and what you want to do with them. DASYLab's RS232 module allows you to parse incoming data and convert it to internal numeric form. If you simply want to read the string, use the notation $1 to convert that to a string.

If you're trying to send a command, did you see that the RS232 Input module has the ability to send a command? You can't use a Global String there, but you can have a command per input channel. If you can't figure it out, let me know what device you're using?

If you really want to use a Global String, use the RS232 Output module, leave the [a] placeholder, and use the ACTION module to send the Global String. DASYLab will replace the [a] with the contents of the global string. See the attached worksheet.

[CJ_Butler__DASYLab_Pro]

Here's the worksheet that I mentioned.

[waddlingduck]

Hello CJ,

Whenever, I googled "dasylab vs. labview" for example I only got migration information, so my impression was it was possibly a legacy platform being retired, so a sincere thank you for helping me better understand where DasyLab fits in. As I get more acquainted with it, I definitely appreciate its niche, though you're right I miss LabVIEW.

Anyway, I am having some trouble with setting up "Action Modules," whenever I open the Options > Actions and hit "setup" the entire window just vanishes, but in searching the help files I came across the basic Key actions, which allowed me at least to use #'s 1-4 (if not the actual buttons corresponding to the ASCII values our device uses, say as in hyperterminal), to fully control it - and for my purposes I am happy with that. We are working with two devices actually. One is a custom device that continuously returns its status data and accepts commands as I described to change various settings. The second device, which I have not successfully hooked up yet, is a Mannix Digital Manometer (pressure sensor) that claims to have RS232 support, but that may only be with the company's proprietary cable and software. I would like to integrate that into DASYLab as well, as I will eventually need to compare and record in real time pressure sensing from that device with what our black box "thinks" it is doing for verification work.

Let me know if you know anything additional about that specific manometer, or mannix products, otherwise thanks again for the help thus far! Let me know also if I can provide any other information.

-WaddlingDuck  

[CJ_Butler__DASYLab_Pro]

Do you have DASYLab Full or Basic?

Look in the Module Menu, Special Group, for the Action module. DASYLab Full has the Action module, but DASYLab Basic does not - but, as you found, the Key Events is a keyboard way to do an Action. That will be pretty limiting.

I'll look at your devices. Generally, I prefer setting up the RS232 Input module to do all of the work (Start/Stop/Reset commands, as well as Data Request commands). The timing and coordination is better.