"an error occurred saving the activex control"

[wawatts]

I'm trying to compile an executable in Labview 5.1. When I run the build app, it gets about half way done then pops up the error:

"an error occurred saving the activex control"

After clearing the error message, it proceeds to go through the motions of compling the app, but no exe is generated.

The design mode progam run operates fine, and it saves fine as well in design mode.

Thanks!

[Johnner]

I advise you to specify the ActiveX control (or controls) on the front panel of the VI you are trying to build into an EXE. That way, if someone else has some experience trying to work with that specific control, you stand a much better chance of getting some constructive help. If it's a common control that ships with Windows or an Office product, you could even post your VI here as an attachment and let others play around with it.

One other idea I have: consider updating your LabVIEW to the very latest patch that is available. The 5.1.1 update (Windows version) has a fairly high rating from other users, and is probably a good thing for you to try out. In the early days of ActiveX and LabVIEW, there were a number of ActiveX problems that were worked out over a series of patches and version updates.

Regards,
John

[wawatts]

Thanks for the reply.

A little history might be in order. I didn't design the original program, it was created long before I worked here. I just needed to make some spec limit changes. I didn't add or modify any controls. I've tried to compile an older version of the program, and got the same error. I even tried to compile on another system altogether with 5.1, same result. So I've ruled out a possible system issue.

First item: I wish I knew what activex control(s) are causing the problem, unfortunately the error give absolutely no details, nor does the compile log, that would point me to the problem control(s). I can't even imagine why there's an activex control problem because as far as I know all the controls are labview standard. Is there a why to specifically list/isolate controls, like in the vi hierarchy view?

Second item: Eventually the whole system will be upgraded to 7.1 with win2k. right now I'm using 5.1 on NT. So I'm stuck with using legacy labview for the moment.

I'll attach a zip with the pertinent files.

Thanks!

[Lycangeek]

The control looks to be an ActiveX HP Instrument driver (the HP54600ControlLib._HP54600Scope control) in the Xezgetsetup.vi.

[wawatts]

Thanks!

Just curious: How did you find it?

What would be the best course of corrective action?

[Lycangeek]

Follow the broken arrow - I don't have 5.1 on my system so I just loaded it up into 7.1. The Run arrow was broken so when I clicked on it, it told me that the setup vi was not runnable. So I opened that VI and it said it couldn't run because the reference was invalid. You can also look on the front panel and see "Could not load control". Again, this is with 7.1. I am not sure what 5.1 would tell you in this case.

The easiest thing is to see if anyone knows where the instrument driver can be found (either a collegue or someone at Agilent) and install it on the box. Since it is ActiveX, it will need to be installed not just dropped onto the drive.

If you can't do that, you can see if the native LabVIEW driver matches the functionality close enough to replace the calls to the ActiveX driver. Unfortunately it seems the earliest version of LV supported by the driver is 6.0. You can find it here...

http://sine.ni.com/apps/we/niid_web_display.drv_results?p_app_area=&p_man=&p_keywords=54600&p_inst_type=&p_env=&p_drv_type=&p_int=

[Johnner]

wawatts,

Though Brian and I got a broken arrow because we didn't have the necessary ActiveX component installed, I imagine you get no errors on the development system because you do have the component.

This problem would be much harder to pin down on your side given the lack of development-environment errors and the sprawling design of the main VI. One possible troubleshooting approach would be the LabVIEW Find functionality (Edit >> Find). ActiveX functionality typically involves the use of Property Nodes and Invoke Nodes, so if you search for any Invoke Nodes (Select Object, then Functions >> Communication >> ActiveX >> Invoke Node) in the scope of your main VI and its subVIs, you could perhaps have turned up some hits that take you to the subVI that has the control that is presumably causing the problem.

Unfortunately, I fear that finding the problem area doesn't solve the problem. It seems to me that either the LabVIEW app builder or the ActiveX component is doing something unexpected or nonstandard that is leading to the error message.

I'm going to stick to my "upgrade the software as much as possible" guns:

1. Install the LabVIEW 5.1.1 patch I linked to above, if it isn't already installed. There were fixes to the development environment and changes to the app builder that might resolve your problem. This is a free patch.

2. Consider upgrading the ActiveX control. I think that the latest version is called IntuiLink for 54600-series Oscilloscopes, Version 3.1, and it's available here on the Agilent site.

It was easy to do a simple test using your Xezgetsetup.vi on my system (LabVIEW 7.1.1, XP) with the updated ActiveX control. First, I installed the Agilent software. Then, I right-clicked inside the ActiveX control on the front panel of Xezgetsetup.vi, chose Insert ActiveX Object, and selected Agilent 54600 Scope Control from the list. Then I had to go to the block diagram and relink a few of the property and invoke nodes by just left-clicking on broken nodes and re-selecting the items that your code was already displaying. That fixed the VI so that it would run again.

Then I built that VI into an EXE and got no errors.

Perhaps all this proves is that you would have clear sailing if you upgraded to LabVIEW 7.1 and got the most recent Agilent ActiveX control--and maybe this is a good reason to bite the bullet and do that upgrade now--but it's certainly possible that you can do the same thing in 5.1 and solve your problem. Worth a shot.

Hope that helps,
John