How To Use This Chapter - Agilent Technologies 86038B User Manual

How to Use This Chapter

Depending on your familiarity with programming client/server
models, you will want to use this chapter differently. If the
subject is new to you, read the background material in this
chapter and then go through Example 1 step-by-step for a
complete introduction to creating a client application. If the
client/server model is familiar, you may wish to start with
"Complete Source Code" on page 195, then review the
"Recommended Control Sequence" on page 138. You will find
the "pdlaClient Front Panel Maps" on page 158 very useful for
identifying specific commands.
Note that "Example 1: Simple Application for Controlling the
PDLA 167" consists of the same simple program implemented
three times: once in VB 6.0, VB.NET and C# respectively. Choose
the version for the language you are most likely to use.
Example 1 is presented in a series of steps, meant to be
manually typed in (or pasted from the electronic version of this
manual). The example shows you how to create a project and all
the steps it takes to interface with the PDLA.
Example 2 demonstrates how to transfer data directly into
Microsoft Excel, using Excel 2000 or later. Example 2 uses a
VBA macro which is very similar to VB 6.0.
Example 3 provides a set of LabView vi's allowing you to easily
control the PDLA from LabView.
Example 4 is a complete application for taking PDLA
measurements at specific intervals over a period of time. It
demonstrates proper error handling and includes considerably
more safety checking than the other examples do.
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Agilent 86038B Photonic Dispersion and Loss Analyzer, Second Edition