understanding the webcam.dll file

[smercurio_fc]

According to DependencyWalker, that DLL seems to be for WinCE. It also depends on other DLLs which I do not have on my system. One of these is coredll.dll, which appears to be a Windows CE DLL.

[krispiekream]

you are right about that...

the DLL is written from Windows XP on Visual C++ and its for the PDA device and windows to communicate with it. 

the PDA is using Windows CE.

Should I ask the developer to create the DLL for windows XP?

i really dont know how this communication will work.

I just want to be able to control the PDA functionality from the labview through an USB port.

[smercurio_fc]

So now we begin to see the whole picture... It would have been helpful to know exactly what you were trying to do from the start. I have no idea what you need to ask the developer of the DLL, since I have no idea how that DLL is intended to be used. Clearly, it's intended to be used on a WinCE device. It doesn't say anything about USB, so it's not clear whether any of those functions even talk to the USB port (and I sincerely doubt it). I think you need to talk to the person who wrote the DLL as to how it's supposed to be used. Did you explain to them exactly what you're trying to do?

[krispiekream]

yes...there is another DLL file that I have, but i don't have the .h file for it yet. I am waiting on that. When i do..i'll upload it.

that DLL communicate with the board on the PDA and it talks to the PDA through the USB. 

then with that in mind...we will use the other DLL file that i have uploaded to execute the commands.

I don't know what to ask them. I told them that I need to communicate with this PDA and doing it through labview (which I have no clue how)

and they don't know how they can help me since they don't know labview and don't know what i need.

do you think you can help me since you might have better clue? hahaha. 

[rolfk]

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krispiekream wrote:

you are right about that...

the DLL is written from Windows XP on Visual C++ and its for the PDA device and windows to communicate with it. 

the PDA is using Windows CE.

Should I ask the developer to create the DLL for windows XP?

i really dont know how this communication will work.

I just want to be able to control the PDA functionality from the labview through an USB port.

---

This can't work. The WinCE DLL is meant for applications that sit directly on the PDA and need to access whatever your DLL provides access too. In order to access that hardware from a PC you would need some PDA application that works as a sort server on the PDA making the resource you are interested in, available over some communication link, and a host DLL (or the necessary (network) protocol documentation) to communicate with that server application on the PDA.

Or you use LabVIEW for PDA directly but that is an even steeper learning curve considering your current level of knowledge. So I hope you are not trying that for now.

Basically what you need to get from the developers is a Windows DLL that can communicate with the PDA resource by whatever means the developers can envision and the documentation of that DLL API. Then let the import Wizard have its way with the .h file and DLL and hope the developers made the API not to complicated. You can also tell them to make your life easier by providing a function API in the DLL that does not use complicated data structures as parameters. Skalars are fine, simple C strings too as well as simple 1D arrays of skalars. Structures (LabVIEW Clusters) only if they do not contain anything else but skalars.

Considering your level of experience, getting someone involved that knows really about this stuff in LabVIEW might decrease both your time you have to spend on this as well as your frustration you will experience very considerably.

Rolf Kalbermatter

[krispiekream]

thank you for all the great advices...

our developer of the DLL also installed a software on my desktop.

that software is able to communicate with the PDA?

and that software uses the same DLL file?

I personally don't mind asking for help..in fact..thats what i want, but do you guys think that's a good way to tell your manager..

"hey man, i can't do it..can we get someone else to do it"

hahaha. i dont know..i am fairly new to my job..i dont want to suggest that option just yet..

[krispiekream]

more information i gathered today is...

the desktop software the developer wrote calls for the RAPI.h and its part of microsoft Active Sync to communicate with the PDA using the DLLs.

hmmm...does that you guys any clue on how i would go forward on this issue?

[smercurio_fc]

Sorry, never had to do something like that. Maybe if you tell them that you're trying to write a C program they may be able to be of more help. If they tell you what you need to do for a C program then you can get a better idea of what you need to do for LabVIEW.

[Claire_Reid]

I am a bit confused. Are you no longer discussing how to use the call library function node with the webcam.dll?

[krispiekream]

The Remote API (RAPI) library enables applications that run on a desktop to perform actions on a remote Windows Embedded CE-based device. The functionality that RAPI provides includes the ability to manipulate the file system on the remote device, including the creation and deletion of files and directories. RAPI functions can be used to create and modify databases, either in the device's object store or in mounted database volumes. RAPI applications can also query and modify registry keys as well as launch applications and invoke methods on the remote device. Although most RAPI functions are duplicates of functions in the Windows Embedded CE API, a few new functions extend the API. Use these functions to initialize the RAPI subsystem and enhance performance of the communication link by compressing iterative operations into one RAPI call.

if anyyone have done anything like this before. please let me know?