Things You Must Know Before Using the Measure Web Support Site
Primary Software: Other NI Software>>Measure
Primary Software Version: 2.0
Primary Software Fixed Version: N/A
Secondary Software: N/A
Problem: Before you use the National Instruments Web resources for Measure for Windows, you should be familiar with the ten topics listed below. The Web support resources for Measure require that you be familiar with all ten of these issues.
Solution:
- Familiarity with Manuals and Measure On-line Help
Make sure you have read the Measure User Manual(s) for the module(s) you’re using. There is a lot of helpful information in the manuals, including tips for parsing strings (for GPIB and Serial communication), and information on the Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) functions that Measure allows you to use. Here are links to each of the manuals:
GPIB User Manual
Serial Control User Manual
Data Acquisition User Manual
You should also consult the online help in Excel for Measure issues. You can get to this help by choosing the "Help" pull-down menu in Excel and choosing "Measure". For help in using the Measure-to-ComponentWorks Converter, go to the "Tools" pull-down menu, choose "Measure Task Converter", and click the "Help" button in the resulting window.
- Measure Tutorial
The Measure tutorial introduces the Measure environment and demonstrates how to get started using Measure. Do not start off using Measure without going through the tutorial first. It is included on the Measure CD, and is also available for download from our website:
Measure Tutorial Download Site
- Upgrade Issues
Measure 2.0 is the latest version of Measure. If you are using version 1.0, 1.1, or 1.2 of Measure, please upgrade to version 1.2c. This update is free, and includes bug fixes for many problems in all previous 1.x versions. The update is available from our Drivers and Updates site at the following link:
Measure upgrade Drivers and Updates site
- Use of Visual Basic for Applications (VBA)
VBA is the built-in programming language in Microsoft Excel. Many customers use VBA to enhance their spreadsheet acquisition with Measure. Since Measure is a turnkey application, National Instruments does not provide support for VBA programming issues. If you have any questions or issues with writing Excel macros using VBA, please consult the programming resources on the Microsoft Developer's Network.
- Working Knowledge of Excel
In order to successfully use the Measure acquisition tools, you must have a working knowledge of the Windows operating system and Microsoft Excel. Please do not attempt to use Measure for your applications if you are not familiar with the Excel environment. Consult Microsoft if you need some resources like tutorials or Getting Started manuals.
- Use of ComponentWorks
Many customers find that shortcomings in the functionality of Measure can be overcome by using ComponentWorks controls in their Excel applications. ComponentWorks is a set of ActiveX controls that National Instruments offers to aid in the design and implementation of measurement applications in a variety of environments. If you are finding that Measure doesn’t quite offer some functionality that you need, you have the option of using ComponentWorks controls instead. The ComponentWorks 2.0 Base package is included on the Measure 2.0 CD. If you have any questions about how to use ComponentWorks, please check out the ComponentWorks website.
- Example Programs
National Instruments engineers have written several Example Programs (mostly using VBA) to provide customers with helpful resources for their Measure applications. Please become familiar with the content of these examples, as they will undoubtedly help you when you’re developing your own applications.
Measure Examples
- DAQ, GPIB and Serial Errors
Since Measure interfaces with hardware, you may experience a problem when trying to communicate with the hardware through Measure in Excel. If you encounter a DAQ, GPIB, or Serial error in Measure, the problem is usually due to something wrong on the hardware level. Please use the NI-DAQ Test Panels, the GPIB Interactive Control, or the Windows HyperTerminal to troubleshoot DAQ, GPIB, and Serial problems, respectively. Don’t forget that we have web resources available for all of these hardware areas:
DAQ Support page
GPIB Support page
Serial Communication Starting Point
Also note that at the time of the creation of this document and the verification of driver versions, the most recent version of NI-DAQ was 6.8 and the most recent version of NI-488.2 was 1.7. Although Measure should not have any problems with later versions, we cannot absolutely guarantee that it will work.
- DOS Support
In the late 1980s National Instruments and the Lotus Corporation originally released the first version of Measure for the DOS operating system, and it worked with products like Lotus 1-2-3 and Lotus Symphony. National Instruments does not provide active support for these products, but here is a link to a support document that covers some of the main issues with Measure for DOS:
Measure for DOS FAQ
- Web Support for Measure
You should be able to find the answer to any question about Measure on the National Instruments Web Site - if not in this Top Ten list, then certainly by using the KnowledgeBase search options on the main Measure Support page. If, after a vigorous search of our Web resources, you do not find the answer to your question, then please let us know what your question was by using the feedback box below. We may not respond to you directly, but we will do our best to fine-tune, if necessary, the Measure Support pages to cover 100% of our customers’ questions regarding Measure.
Measure Support page
Related Links:
Attachments:
Report Date: 12/14/2000
Last Updated: 01/22/2008
Document ID: 24DESMDM
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