ActiveX in LabVIEW NXG 5.1 for communicating with MKS/Orphir COM object

[Hypersoar]

Hi all,

I am trying to integrate some software that comes with a laser power meter available here https://www.ophiropt.com/laser--measurement/software/integrator-solutions, written in LabVIEW) into an experiment control program written in LabVIEW NXG 5.1. This software essentially relies on COM objects wrapped in LabVIEW which in theory should be fine but I cannot find a way to use this in LabVIEW NXG. Converting the code using the code converter simply fails. 

This suggests that we have no easy way of interacting with a COM object in LabVIEW NXG. I can't seem to find anything anywhere other than an NI forum post with no replies on ActiveX/COM support in LabVIEW NXG (https://forums.ni.com/t5/LabVIEW/Labview-NXG-ActiveX-Automation-Open/m-p/4007481). Do you guys know if it is supported and if so how does one go about using it?

Thanks 

Hypersoar

Kind Regards 

Thanks for all your help!

[Darren]

LabVIEW NXG does not include ActiveX support. A few alternatives I can think of:

1. Move the application to LabVIEW, which includes a fully supported ActiveX API.

2. See if there is a .NET interface you could use (LabVIEW NXG does include .NET support).

3. Build the ActiveX code you need in LabVIEW, then build that code into an EXE or DLL that you interface to in LabVIEW NXG (via System Exec for EXE, or SLI for DLL).

[Kyle97330]

Microsoft has a page on how to create COM wrappers in .NET framework.  Ophir doesn't have a .NET interface but you might be able to use this to wrap up their COM object, I haven't tried it though.

I have actually had to use this COM object before and it's not my favorite.  Different versions of their Starlab software install different versions of the COM object (that do not match 1:1, i.e. version 2.4 of StarLab might install version 9.2 of the COM object, I don't remember the exact numbers) so it's a pain to make sure that the version you use in your code matches the version your end users use on their PCs (assuming you run this on more than one PC).

I know you already likely have the hardware and it could be difficult to switch but at my company we use mostly their EA-1 Ethernet model just to avoid dealing with this issue.

Also consider that NXG is no longer being developed by NI so you likely want to pivot to developing for regular LabVIEW in any case.