Welcome to the Measurement Studio Evaluation CD!
This guide is intended to serve as a brief overview of Measurement Studio and get you on your way towards learning and using this powerful software tool.
This guide includes information on the following topics:
Learning to use Measurement Studio
Sources of Additional Information
Limitations of the Evaluation Version
Measurement Studio combines LabWindows/CVI
for C programmers, ComponentWorks for Microsoft Visual Basic programmers, and
ComponentWorks++ for Microsoft Visual C++ programmers. With these three
products, you can build measurement and automation applications regardless of
which text-based programming environment you choose.
LabWindows/CVI is a complete, interactive,
ANSI C integrated development environment. If you want to develop ANSI C
measurement and automation applications, National Instruments recommends that
you use LabWindows/CVI.
ComponentWorks and ComponentWorks++ are
add-on tools for the Microsoft Visual Basic and Microsoft Visual C++
programming environments that provide the acquisition, analysis, display, and
Internet connectivity components you need to develop your measurement and
automation applications.
If you use Visual Basic or any other ActiveX
control container, install and use ComponentWorks, a collection of measurement
and automation tools packaged as ActiveX controls.
If you use Visual C++, install and use
ComponentWorks++, which offers optimized C++ interfaces for the ComponentWorks
User Interface controls; Visual C++ libraries for analysis, networking, and
GPIB and VISA I/O; and the Measurement Studio MFC application wizard. . This
wizard creates a measurement ready
application that automatically includes all
the required components in your project.
The following table lists the components
included in ComponentWorks and ComponentWorks++. Use this information to decide
which product offers the best tools for your measurement and automation
application.
|
|
ComponentWorks |
ComponentWorks++ |
|
User Interface ActiveX Controls |
Yes |
Yes |
|
GPIB and VISA ActiveX Controls |
Yes |
No |
|
Data Acquisition ActiveX Controls |
Yes |
No |
|
IVI ActiveX Controls* |
Yes |
No |
|
Advanced Analysis ActiveX Controls* |
Yes |
No |
|
Visual C++ Interfaces for User Interface ActiveX Controls |
No |
Yes |
|
Visual C++ Libraries for GPIB and VISA |
No |
Yes |
|
Advanced Analysis C++ Library* |
No |
Yes |
|
Network Connectivity (DataSocket) Control |
Yes |
No |
|
Network Connectivity (DataSocket) C++
Library |
No |
Yes |
*
denotes the tools included only in the Measurement Studio Full Development
System.
LabWindows/CVI
To run LabWindows/CVI, you must have
the following:
§
Personal computer using
a Pentium 90 or higher microprocessor
§
Windows 2000, Windows NT
4.0 Service Pack 3, Windows 98, or Windows 95
§
800 by 600 resolution
(or higher) video adapter
§
Minimum of 16 MB of RAM
§
50 MB free hard disk
space
§
Microsoft-compatible
mouse
ComponentWorks
To use the ComponentWorks ActiveX controls, your computer must have the
following:
§
Microsoft Windows
2000/NT/9x operating system (NT users need Windows NT 4.0 for DAQ controls)
§
ActiveX control
container such as Visual Basic (32-bit version)
§
Appropriate hardware and
driver software if you are going to use a ComponentWorks I/O control, including
DAQ, Serial, GPIB, Visa, or IVI.
§ 33 MHz 80486 or higher microprocessor (66 MHz 80486 or higher microprocessor recommended)
§
VGA resolution (or
higher) video adapter
§
Minimum of 16 MB of
memory
§
Minimum of 85 MB of free
hard disk space for the Full Development System
§
Microsoft-compatible
mouse
ComponentWorks++
To use the ComponentWorks++ tools,
your computer must have the following:
§
Microsoft Windows
2000/NT/9x operating system (NT users need Windows NT 4.0 for DAQ controls)
§
32
MB RAM (64MB recommended)
§
30
MB free disk space
§
Windows
2000/NT/9x
§
Microsoft
Visual Studio/C++ 6.0 and Service Pack 3 or higher.
1.You can download Service Pack 3 from the following site: msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/sp/vs6sp3/default.asp
2.You must install Service Pack 3 before you install ComponentWorks++.
The first thing you’ll need to do is install the necessary software.
Follow the instructions below to install the Measurement Studio Evaluation Version onto your hard drive.
Note: You should uninstall the Measurement Studio Evaluation Versions before installing the full version of Measurement Studio on your computer.
Learning to use Measurement Studio
To learn to use Measurement Studio, it is
recommended that you go through the hands-on tutorial presented in the Getting
Started Manuals. The Getting Started Manuals can be viewed by selecting
LabWindows/CVI:
Start>>Programs>>National Instruments>>Measurement Studio
Demo>>Online Help>>LabWindows/CVI Manuals from the Windows Start bar.
ComponentWorks:
Start>>Programs>>National Instruments>>Measurement Studio
Demo>>Online Help>>Getting Started with ComponentWorks from the
Windows Start bar.
ComponentWorks++:
Start>>Programs>>National Instruments>>Measurement Studio
Demo>>Online Help>>ComponentWorks++ Reference for Visual C++
from the Windows Start bar.
If you have problems viewing the Getting Started Manual, make sure you have Adobe Acrobat Reader version 3.01 or later and that it is installed correctly. An installer for Adobe Acrobat Reader version 3.01 is located on the Measurement Studio Evaluation Version CD under the Adobe Acrobat directory.
Sources of Additional Information
More information on Measurement Studio is available through the following sources:
The Measurement Studio Manuals: located under Start>>Programs>>National Instruments>>Measurement Studio Demo>>Online Help
The National Instruments Measurement Studio Web Page: http://www.ni.com/mstudio
The National Instruments Measurement Studio Support Page: http://www.natinst.com/support/mstsupp.htm
LabWindows/CVI independent electronic users
forum: The LabWindows/CVI independent electronic users forum is a list server
for users of National Instruments LabWindows/. You can subscribe to the list
server by sending a note to listserv@listserv.tamu.edu with the following text
in the body of the note:
SUBSCRIBE info-lw <first name> <last name>
You can also post messages to the list-serv
by sending email to:
Info-lw@listserv.tamu.edu
There are newsgroups for the Measurement
Studio components. You can find a
listing of the newsgroups at:
http://newsgroups.ni.com/
Limitations of the Evaluation Version
The Measurement Studio Evaluation Version is
a fully functional version of the Measurement Studio Full Development System.
It differs from the Development system by:
ComponentWorks
The controls are limited in the following
manner:
· You will be prompted with a dialog box reminding you that these are evaluation-only controls the first time that you place the controls on a form.
·
For thirty days after
the first reminder screen, the controls behave as fully functional, licensed
controls.
· After the thirty-day trial period has expired, the same reminder screen is displayed each time you place a control or run an executable containing one of the controls. In runtime mode, the controls also will stop functioning and black out after 5 minutes of program execution.
ComponentWorks++
Applications
developed with ComponentWorks++ have the following restrictions:
· Your application will time-out after running for 5 minutes
· Your application will not execute after 30 days from the date that the evaluation version was installed.
LabWindows/CVI
Projects developed
in the evaluation version have the following restrictions:
· 30 Day Expiration
· 10 Minute Runtime timeout
·
No external compiler support
·
Disabled Create Distribution Kit
· Disabled Create Object File from C file
·
Disabled Create Import Library from Header file
· No IVI Wizard Support
· No Instrument Driver Only Support.