optional use of measurement studio controls in application

[ifisch]

I'm about to start adding some DAQ controls (for EEG) to a more general VB 2005 lab-station application. I'd like to treat those as an option, so that I can use the application for my EEG lab, but also be able to use it to run studies not using/invoking the DAQ controls. A previous version of this was written in Delphi (3.0!) with ComponentWorks. Then, I wasn't able to make the EEG/DAQ optional, and the compiled program would not run on machines without the DAQ hardware and NiDaq drivers, so I had two versions of the program, one with the DAQ controls and procedures, the other, without. I may be able to figure out how to do this, but what will I be facing? Is there a documented way to do this?

thanks!

[Patrick_P.]

Hi ifisch,

I guess I am not quite clear on what you are wanting to do. I believe your overall end goal is to somehow allow your application to run both with or without the DAQ driver and controls.  There are a couple of different options. The first is to again create two seperate applications, one using the controls and one not using the controls.  From your post it sounds like you want to avoid this is possible?  

Another option would be to use the new DAQmx .NET API and just encoporate all of your DAQ functions within their own assembly.  If the DAQmx driver is found then you can load that assembly and enable the DAQ controls on the front panel. If it isn't then you can leave them disabled. I would recommend searching microsoft or google for more information on loading assemblies dynamically if this is the method you would like to pursue. Hope this helps!

Just a quick note, the older Component Work controls are all ActiveX.  When I mention DAQ controls here, you could use Windows controls that would call the DAQmx code you had created when you press one of the buttons.