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Scientific Solutions ^® Inc.

LabPac32 ^® for Windows

Scientific Solutions was the first company to introduce the concept of device drivers and function libraries for data acquisition products.  The original LabPac for DOS and its companion Route-488 for IEEE cards were pioneers in the new PC based data acquisition industry in 1981.

The LabPac32 continues in this fine tradition.

Document Contents:

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

KEY FEATURES

APPLICATIONS

COMPATIBLE LANGUAGES

FUNCTIONAL DESCRIPTION

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

Product Description

Optimize your research and industrial applications in a PC using Scientific Solutions family of data acquisition and control products with LabPac32, a sophisticated full-featured function library.

LabPac32 is a full featured function library that is the Application Programming Interface (API) for all of the Scientific Solutions data acquisition products.  The LabPac32 library works with the Scientific Solutions 32-bit, Ring-0, Kernel-Mode Device Drivers to provide a fast, efficient and optimized software program environment.

Simple to use functions handle event counting, precision timing, analog input, analog output, digital input and digital output.  LabPac32 is implemented as a standard Dynamic Link Library (DLL) for open compatibility with programming languages and environments.

Repetitive functions, such as multiple sampling of analog inputs, can be done using hardware interrupts, external triggers, pacer clocks, or timed intervals. The routines are designed to utilize the full power of Scientific Solutions products.

Key Features

• Develop general or specialized Data Acquisition & Control applications
• Optimized for speed and flexibility
• Communicates directly with the 32-bit, Ring-0, Kernel-Mode Device Driver
• Multi-language support
• Timed interval processes
• Trigger functions on external events
• Supports hardware interrupts & DMA

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Applications

• Collect data from a background program
• Control loops (i.e., PID, valve adjustment)
• Integrate multiple hardware functions
• Count events/time intervals
• Customize real-time processing
• Collect data for later analysis

Compatible Languages

• Any Windows programming language that can call a standard DLL
• Examples: Visual Basic, Visual C/C++, Open C#
• Using these languages provide the most flexibility, power and speed for time critical applications.
• Graphical drag-and-connect environments
• Examples: LabView, HP-VEE

Functional Description

When you install the Scientific Solutions Device Drivers, the LabPac32 function library is also automatically installed.  The device driver handles all of the low-level control of the hardware and operates in the kernel-mode environment of the operating system - providing the fastest response available.  The LabPac32 library is the "interface" between the application software code and the device driver.  The library is implemented as a standard DLL, and as such is callable from any programming language or environment that makes DLL calls.  Applications access the LabPac32 functions directly thru the calling convention of the programming language.

The analog I/O, digital I/O, and timer/counter features of LabPac32 are modular in design. Each feature is initialized separately and has distinct subroutines to monitor parameters. If an application only requires analog input with timed intervals between conversions, then only the analog and timer/counter features will be initialized. This saves valuable time in program execution because unused features are not being serviced.

The simplest level of action is to sample one input channel or send data to an output channel. LabPac provides this level for all supported hardware. Additionally, digital routines will set/clear output lines without disturbing the other lines in an 8-bit port. Functions are available that monitor the state of analog inputs, digital inputs, and timer/counters.

Multiple Channels/Multiple Samples

Analog I/O and digital I/O can be processed in sets of channels. LabPac functions can be configured to manipulate the channel sets at pre-determined intervals under control of the timer/counters. One type of routine uses one 16-bit timer to initiate processing of the set of channels. A second type of routine is part of an interrupt service routine keyed to intervals between hardware interrupts. With the interrupt routines, multiple I/O features can be processed concurrently in time. Multiple channels for analog input and digital I/O can also be processed using routines geared to use hardware triggers. DMA and BusMaster features allow fast background sampling of analog input.

System Requirements

Scientific Solutions Data Acquisition Hardware
Windows 98, 2000 or XP