Is there an example of using a LabVIEW executable as an Active X automation server?

[Lyn S]

I want to create a LabVIEW executable that is an Active X automation server. The documentation on the Active X VIs is mostly geared toward using LabVIEW as the client. Can anyone point me toward documentation that is pertinent to my question?

[OliviaC]

Hi Lyn S,

To LabVIEW as an ActiveX server, you'll need to first activate it.

You should be able to find an example of using LabVIEW as a server in the Example Finder under Communicating with External Applications»ActiveX»Excel»ActiveX Event Callback for Excel.vi.

[Lyn S]

Thanks for your reply Olivia.

I looked at the ActiveX Event Callback for Excel.vi and the subvi NewWorkbookCallback.vi in detail.

I have a few questions/observations about it:

1. The main program appears to open Excel so that LabVIEW is the ActiveX client and Excel is the ActiveX server. Is this correct?

2. When the user opens a new Excel workbook, LabVIEW fills some cells. Again LabVIEW is the client and Excel is the server. Is this correct?

I want to create a LabVIEW ActiveX server that receives and displays an array of booleans. Can anyone help me with this?

[Dennis_Knutson]

Have looked at the LabVIEW help on the subject? When you build an exe, you have to go to the Advanced section and select 'Enable ActiveX Server'.

[Chris_Megdanoff]

If I understand the question right, Dennis is correct.  By enabling the ActiveX Server in the options, you can access your LabVIEW application from another program.

I've used this with VBScript to allow users to create small programs to automate steps that users typically repeat.  It's pretty straight forward to setup, and you can add a great deal of flexibility.  When you create the EXE, you specify the server name. 

[Lyn S]

Thank you Dennis and Chris.

I am still working on this an will probably have a few more questions.

Message Edited by Lyn S on 02-10-2010 04:48 PM

[Chris_Megdanoff · Accepted solution]

It should be "BoolArrayDisplay"

[Lyn S]

It was actually 'BoolArrayDisplay.Application' in Matlab. Must be a Matlab quirk.

I am trying to send a data from Matlab to LabVIEW. I am stuck.

How do you set up an ActiveX data object in LabVIEW?

Lyn

[Dennis_Knutson]

Once you've enabled the ActiveX server, you would use the properties and methods described in the LabVIEW help. For example, there is the VI class and one of the methods is CtrlVal.Set. You specify the control name and the value as a variant. There are methods and properties for opening the front panel, running the VI. etc. You can probably get a good idea of what to use by looking at the example programs for VI Server where LabVIEW is used to control another VI.