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Using Instrument Drivers/IVI in Visual Basic

Primary Software: Measurement Studio>>Visual Basic Support
Primary Software Version: 1.0
Primary Software Fixed Version: N/A
Secondary Software: Instrument Drivers/IVI>>IVI Driver Templates, Instrument Drivers/IVI>>IVI Compliance Package

Problem:
How do I use Instrument Drivers/IVI in Visual Basic?

Solution:
The Measurement Studio Base Package comes with the Instrument Driver Factory that, along with LabWindows/CVI, creates instrument driver DLLs from source code. You can download the source code for almost any instrument from the National Instruments Instrument Driver Network (IDNet), linked below.

To use the generated DLLs in Visual Basic, add a project reference to them. They come complete with context-sensitive Help files. With the Full Development System (FDS) you can also control instruments with IVIScope, IVISwitchScan, IVIFgen, IVIDmm, IVIDcPower compliant instrument drivers using the CWIviScope, CWIviSwitchScan, CWIviFgen, CWIviDmm, CWIviDcPower controls. These controls provide a more Visual Basic-friendly programming interface than using the standard instrument driver DLLs. These controls require version 2.0 of the IVI class specifications and will work with any instrument driver that is version 2.0 compliant. The Full Development System comes with two IVI-compliant instrument drivers, the HP34420a DMM and the HP456xx scope. Most, if not all, of the IVI drivers on the IDNet are version 2.0 compliant or higher.

To use IVI with Visual Basic:
  1. Launch Visual Basic and go to the Project menu.
  2. Choose References and click the Browse button.
  3. Under C:\Program Files\IVI Foundation\IVI\Bin, select a DLL (for example, iviscope.dll).
  4. Click the OK button and iviscope will show up under References with a checkmark next to it.
  5. Click the OK button.


Related Links:
IVI (Interchangeable Virtual Instruments)
Developer Zone: Instrument Driver Network

Attachments:





Report Date: 03/13/2000
Last Updated: 10/09/2008
Document ID: 1VCB6D8M

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