Manual

GPIB Program Examples
WM-RCM-E Rev D ISSUED: February 2005 273
Example Syntax:
Boolean controlName.WriteString
The WriteString method has the following arguments:
controlname The name of the ActiveDSO control object
textString String Text string to send to the device
EOI Boolean TRUE = terminate with EOI
Returns:
True on success, False on failure
Remarks:
This method sends a string command to the instrument.
If EOI is set to TRUE, the device will start to interpret the command immediately. This is normally the desired
behavior.
If EOI is set to FALSE, a command may be sent in several parts with the device starting to interpret the
command only when it receives the final part, which should have EOI set TRUE.
USING ACTIVEDSO
ActiveDSO is highly suitable for fast program development in the Microsoft environment. This program is a
control of ActiveX, the software technology developed by Microsoft as a subset of its COM model.
ActiveDSO facilitates programming with the X-Stream DSO by providing a ready interface between the
instrument and the host computer. Programs such as Visual C++, Visual Basic, or Visual Basic for
Applications (VBA) can be used under remote control without concern for interfacing complications.
ActiveDSO acts as the key design structure allowing effective integration of software from the different
manufacturers supporting ActiveX containment.
INSTANTIATION
This ActiveX component can be instantiated more than once by using the Visual Basic function CreateObject.
Once the object is created, invoking the connection method will initialize it. ActiveDSO enables control of the
X-Stream DSO from a variety of PC desktop applications. The complexities of programming with Ethernet
are fully encaspulated within this control. For example, with fewer than ten lines of VBA code in an Excel
Macro, the spreadsheet can recover pre-scaled waveform data from the X-Stream DSO. An example is
provided in this appendix.
ActiveDSO controls can be used in two fundamental ways:
• As a visible object embedded in an OLE automation compatible client (PowerPoint, for example)
showing a captured X-Stream DSO display image. See the Embedded Control example below for
more details.