DAQ from oscilloscope using ActiveX and LabVIEW

[flaterp]

I have a pair of strain gauges connected to a signal conditioning/DAQ card. I believe that it is a National Instruments' model. The DAQ card relays the information to a digital oscilloscope. In order to receive the information or control the o-scope within LabVIEW, I was told that ActiveX would be necessary. I am using a machine called the Win600 by Hi-Techniques. The two programs (LabVIEW and Win600) are essentially on the same PC; therefore the interface between the o-scope and PC will not be through GPIB.

My question is: How do I create the interface between the two programs on my PC? I have never used ActiveX and am a beginner with LabVIEW and DAQ. You input would be greatly appreciated regardless the level of
expertise, since I have no solutions at this time. Thanks.

Philip

[flaterp]

I guess I should add that I do not need to receive the data from the scope as it is acquired. It is acceptable to import the data into LabVIEW in an array and then write it to a x-y chart.

[DiegoF]

Hi,

I'm not understand the relationship between the components of your system (or even what they are!). You'll have to clear your system description a little bit.

1.- You have a DAQ board, what model?. This is important since it will determine what VIs you can use. Are you using the board for Analog input, anolog output ...?

2.- "The DAQ card relays the information to a digital oscilloscope", What do you mean by this?. Is the digital scope a hardware device or some sort of software component?.

3.- ActiveX is used to communicate different software components, not to communicate with external instruments. Again, what is the o-scope?.

4.- Initially you say that Win600 is a machine and then a program. Which one is it?.

I think once this quest
ions are cleared up we can start thinking of solutions.

DiegoF
National Instruments.

[flaterp]

1. I believe the board is HD6214-4D-S (2MSps) used for analog input. This card has the capability and will be used for signal conditioning.

2. The scope is software installed on a regular PC.

4. The Win600 IS a machine, but is called so because of the software installed. The Win600 software is the digital oscilloscope.

I realize my explaination is as limited as my knowledge of the Win600 system, software, and LabVIEW. The Hi-Techniques
website better explains the Win600. I hope this helps. Thanks.

[DiegoF]

Hi,

That model is not a NI DAQ board, so you will need a device driver to use it in LabVIEW. If the driver API is available on a dll you can use the Library function call node to call the dll C functions from LabVIEW. Search on the LabVIEW support site for more info.

Regarding the Win600 device. Is LabVIEW running on it or on a regular PC?. If you are using a regular PC, how is the communication with the Win600 machine acomplished?.

DiegoF
National Instruments.

[flaterp]

To answer my own question: I utilized received the necessary ActiveX drivers from Hi Techniques. From there it was simply a matter of getting familiar with the ActiveX commands and controls.

The VI essentially opens the digital oscilloscope, enters the scope setup file (time per point, sweep length, etc.), and then prompts the scope to wait for a trigger. While the scope is waiting for the trigger, LabVIEW is running in a while loop in the background. Once the scope is triggered and the while loop finishes, the data is sent to LabVIEW for manipulation. Once the VI terminates execution, the scope software closes as well.