VEE 3.2 Introduction Notes (feb 96)

last update 28 aug 98 / greg goebel / public domain / vwv_3_2

* This document provides introduction notes for the VEE 3.2 release in early 1996.

[1] OVERVIEW

* The VEE 3.2 release offers the following enhancements over previous versions of VEE:

• True 32-bit operation under Win95 and WinNT with enhanced performance. (Note that this version is not supported under Win3.) This -- and HP-UX 10 support -- were the major motivations for VEE 3.2.

• Programs now load several times faster.

• Several useful user-interface enhancements, such as a Toolbar and an improved Undo capability.

• Improved support for Plug&Play drivers.

With an improved operating environment, many facilities once restricted to VEE-UX are now available on VEE for Windows, such as VEE-to-VEE remote procedure calls, support of the E2050A LAN-HPIB bridge, and a new facility known as "callable VEE" that extends RPC support to C programs.

Note that there are a number of cautions when buying or upgrading to this version:

• SICL (and VISA/VTL) are no longer installed with the product; they are shipped with the product but must be installed separately before installing VEE.

• While VEE 3.2 can load and run programs in earlier versions of VEE, that is not true in reverse: the VEE 3.2 program file format is not compatible with earlier versions of VEE.

• The directory structure for the VEE installation has changed.

[2] USER INTERFACE ENHANCEMENTS

* The most prominent new feature in VEE 3.2 is the revised toolbar, which now resembles that of most modern MSWin applications; the "Panel" / "Detail" buttons and the "Run" / "Stop" / "Cont" / "Step" buttons are gone, replaced by a strip of cutesy little icons:

• New (a sheet of paper).
• Open (an opened folder).
• Save (a floppy disk).
• Print Screen (a printer).

• Run/Resume (like the Run button on a CD player).
• Pause (like the Pause button on a CD player).
• Stop (like the Stop button on a CD player).
• Step (like the Step-Track button on a CD player).

• View Panel (a graph in a window).
• View Detail (three objects in a window).
• Edit Default Preferences (a finger pointing to an entry on a sheet).
• Cut (scissors).
• Copy (two overlapping pieces of paper).
• Paste (a clipboard with a piece of paper).
• Add to Panel (adding an object to a panel).
• Delete Line (scissors cutting a wire between two objects).
• View Line (magnifying glass on wire between two objects).
• Show Execution Flow (arrow over wire between two objects).
• Show Data Flow (arrow over box on wire between two objects).
• Toggle Breakpoints (upraised hand).
• View Globals (small globe).

Debugging functions have been consolidated on a new "Debug" menu that has the following entries:

      Flow   Device   I/O   Data 
  --+------------------------+-----
    |  Run            Ctrl+G |
    |  Pause          Ctrl+C |
    |  Stop                  |
    +------------------------+
    |  Resume         Ctrl+V |
    +------------------------+
    |  Step           Ctrl+T |
    +------------------------+
    |  Line Probe   Shift+LB |
    |  View Globals...       |
    +------------------------+
    |  Toggle Breakpoints    |
    |  Clear All Breakpoints |
    |  Activate Breakpoints  |
    +------------------------+
    |  Show Data Flow        |
    |  Show Execution Flow   |
    +------------------------+  

As is apparent, this in general echoes the Toolbar. (There have also been a number of other small modifications in existing menus to accommodate new or modified functions.)

* It is now easier to "undo" a deletion than in earlier versions of VEE; if you "Cut" an object with a number of connections and then decide that was an error, when you "Paste" it back all the lines are restored.

You can also "Replace" an object. Suppose you have an Until Break wired to a number of other objects and want to replace it with a For Count object. You leave the Until Break in place -- don't delete it! -- and get a For Count from the VEE menu. Place the For Count near the Until Break; pull down the object menu on the Until Break, select the (new) "Replace" entry, and then click on the For Count; the Until Break disappears, to be replaced by the For Count.

* Wiring objects is also easier in this version of VEE; for example, you can connect a wire to another wire, instead of having to trace the line back to the pin of an object off the screen.

[3] NEW FUNCTIONS

* There are four new objects to support control of pop-up User Function panels:

• lockPosition( <User_Function_name> );

  This function locks a specified User Function in a specified place on the display so a user cannot move it around with a mouse.

• unlockPosition( <User_Function_name> );

  Allows users to move the panel again.

• panelPosition( <User_Function_name> );

  Returns the X and Y pixel coordinates of the upper left corner of a panel (disregarding title and border area), with the 0,0 reference location at the upper left corner of the display.

• panelSize( <User_Function_name> );

  Returns the width and height of the panel in pixels.

* There is a new Selection Control type called "Slider List":

   +-----------------+
   |   Slider List   |
   +-----------------+
   |             +-+ |
   |      item 1 |H| |
   |      item 2 | | |
   |      item 3 | | |
   |             +-+ |
   +-----------------+  

* A new Delete Global object allows you to delete global variables individually or collectively:

   +-------------------+
   |   Delete Global   |
   +-------------------+
   |                   |
   |  < > All Globals  |
   |  <*> By Name:     |
   |                   |
   |       [ globalA ] |
   +-------------------+  

Other new function include "errorInfo()", which returns a description of the last error trapped on an error output pin, and "whichVersion()", which returns the current VEE revision number.

[4] VXI P&P; DRIVER SUPPORT

* The updated VXI Plug&Play driver support in VEE 3.2 replaces the rudimentary Call-Function based scheme in VEE 3.12; the scheme is still very different from the traditional HPIB drivers in that Plug&Play drivers are essentially C function libraries -- and in that they are accessed through VTL/VISA rather than SICL.

A P&P driver comes as a set of four files:

• A .DLL file to provide the library.
• A .FP file to describe the front panel.
• A .H file to provide header information.
• A .HLP file to provide online help.

These are installed into the appropriate directories set up by the VISA installation utility.

This done, you can then go to "I/O->VXIplug&play Instruments->Configuration" to configure the instrument:

   +-----------------------------------------------------------------+
   |              VXIplug&play Instrument Configuration              |  
   +-----------------------------------------------------------------+
   |  Currently Configured Instruments:                              |
   | +-------------------------------------+  [  Add Instrument   ]  |
   | | newDevice(hpvisa@GPIB0::12::INSTR   |                         |
   | |                                     |  [ Delete Instrument ]  |
   | |                                     |                         |
   | |                                     |  [  Edit Instrument  ]  |
   | |                                     |                         |
   | |                                     |                         |
   | |                                     |                         |
   | |                                     |                         |
   | |                                     |                         |
   | +-------------------------------------+                         |
   +-----------------------------------------------------------------+
   |               [  OK    ]  [ Cancel ]  [  Help  ]                |
   +-----------------------------------------------------------------+  

This is very similar to the traditional instrument configuration box (if not exactly the same); if you want to add or edit an instrument you get:

   +---------------------------------------------------------+
   |            VXIplug&play Device Configuration            |
   +---------------------------------------------------------+
   |                                     +-----------------+ |
   |  HP VEE name (eg dvm):              | MyDriver        | |
   |                                     +-----------------+ |
   |                                     +---------------+-+ |
   |  VXIplug&play Driver Name:          | HPE1410       |v| |
   |                                     +---------------+-+ |
   | +- Parameters to init() call -------------------------+ |
   | |                                +------------------+ | |
   | | Address (eg GPIB0::12::INSTR): | GPIB0::12::INSTR | | |
   | |                                +------------------+ | |
   | | [*] Perform Identification Query                    | |
   | |                                                     | |
   | | [*] Perform Reset                                   | |
   | |                                                     | |
   | +-----------------------------------------------------+ |
   +---------------------------------------------------------+
   |            [  OK   ] [ Cancel ] [  Help  ]              |
   +---------------------------------------------------------+  

The "HP VEE Name" is an arbitrary string to designate the driver; spaces are significant but the name is not case-sensitive. The "VXIplug&play Driver Name" is, naturally, the name of the driver file.

The parameters are obvious: the address follows the VISA format rather than the standard VEE format. The two flags allow you to perform an ID query to confirm what the instrument really is and to reset the instrument on driver initialization.

* Once you have configured a driver, you can then select a To/From VXIplug&play object from the "I/O->VXIplug&play->To/From VXIplug&play"; it looks just like any other transaction box:

   +---+-------------------------------------------+---+
   | = |             To/From NewDevice             | X |  
   +---+--+-------------------------------------+--+---|
   |      |                                     |      |
   |      |                                     |      |
   |      |                                     |      |
   |      |                                     |      |
   |      |                                     |      |
   +------+-------------------------------------+------+  

However, when you select a transaction you get something very different from the usual transaction-configuration dialogue ... something that more looks like a "browser" into the VXIp&p library:

   +-------------------------------------------------+
   |            Select A Function Panel              |  
   +-------------------------------------------------+
   | [ ] HPE1410                                     |
   |  |                                              |
   |  +-[-] High Level Control                       |
   |  |  |                                           |
   |  |  +-[+] Measure                               |
   |  |  +-[ ] Configure Current Settings            |
   |  |  +-[f] Read Using Current Settings <--       |
   |  |                                              |
   |  +-[-] Low Level Control                        |
   |  |  |                                           |
   |  |  +-[f] Initiate Measurement                  |
   |  |  +-[f] Abort Measurement                     |
   |  |  +-[f] Fetch Data from Instrument            |
   |  |  +-[f] Execute Immediate Trigger             |
   |  |  +-[ ] Configure                             |
   |  |  +-[ ] Calibration                           |
   |  |                                              |
   +-----------------------------------------------+-+
   | Places the multimeter in the wait-for-trigger |^|
   | state and transfers readings directly to the  | |
   | output buffer after receiving a trigger.      |v|
   +-----------------------------------------------+-+
   |            [   OK   ]  [ Cancel ]               |
   +-------------------------------------------------+  

This "browser" is hierarchically arranged with "folders" that open up in a tree fashion until you reach actual functions (designated by "f" above) ... you can think of this as much like a file manager, with function groups replacing directories and functions replacing files.

Once you select a function you get a tabfolder dialogue to set its features. There are two tabs: "Panel", to allow you to set the contol values to the function, and "Parameters", which allows you to specify the parameters to be passed to and returned from the function:

   +--------------------------------------------------------------------+
   |           Edit Function Panel for hpe1410_measure_Q()              |  
   +--------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
   |             Panel              |           Parameters              |
   |                                +-----------------------------------+
   |                                                                    |
   |           function    +-+               reading                    |
   |            Frequency -| |           [0.0000E+000   ]               |
   |               Period -| |                                          |
   |    4-Wire Resistance -| |                                          |
   |    2-Wire Resistance -| |                                          |
   |           AC Voltage -| |                                          |
   |        AC+DC Voltage -| |                                          |
   |           DC Voltage -|H|                                          |
   |                       +-+                                          |
   |   Session Handle                                   Status          |
   |   [0           ]                                [#H0           ]   |
   +--------------------------------------------------------------------+
   | hpe1410_measure_Q(vi, hpe1410_CONF_VOLT_DC, reading)               |
   +--------------------------------------------------------------------+
   |           [   OK   ] [   NOP  ] [ Cancel ] [  Help  ]              |
   +--------------------------------------------------------------------+  

   +--------------------------------------------------------------------+
   |           Edit Function Panel for hpe1410_measure_Q()              |  
   +--------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
   |             Panel              |            Parameters             |
   +--------------------------------+                                   |
   | +- function -----------------------------------------------------+ |
   | |                                                                | |
   | | Parameter Type:   <*> Constant  < > Variable                   | |
   | |                                                                | |
   | | Name: [ hpe1410_CONF_VOLT_DC       ] [ ] Create Input Terminal | |
   | +- reading ------------------------------------------------------+ |
   | |                                                                | |
   | | Parameter Type:   < > Constant  <*> Variable                   | |
   | |                                                                | |
   | | Name: [ reading                   ] [x] Create Output Terminal | |
   | +----------------------------------------------------------------+ |
   |                                                                    |
   +--------------------------------------------------------------------+
   | hpe1410_measure_Q(vi, hpe1410_CONF_VOLT_DC, reading)               |
   +--------------------------------------------------------------------+
   |           [   OK   ] [   NOP  ] [ Cancel ] [  Help  ]              |
   +--------------------------------------------------------------------+  

Once done, then the function is sent up in the To/From VXIp&p box with the appropriate input and output terminals:

   +---+----------------------------------------------+---+
   | = |              To/From NewDevice               | X |  
   +---+--+-------------------------------------+-----+---|
   |      | hpe1410_measure_Q(vi, hpe1410_CONF_ |         |
   |      |                                     |         |
   |      |                                     | reading +-->
   |      |                                     |         |
   |      |                                     |         |
   |      |                                     |         |
   +------+-------------------------------------+---------+  

If you select Help from the object menu, you get the driver's help file in a real live Windows (or Windows-like on UX) help utility.

Note that the Bus I/O Monitor does not work with VXIp&p drivers. Note also that VXIp&p drivers are always in live mode; if you run a program you have to have instruments connected (though you can set up function calls without any instruments available).

[5] MISCELLANEOUS FEATURES

* Other new features in VEE 3.2 include:

• New command-line options. You can use "-veeio <file>" to specify a different VEE.IO file, and you can suppress the display of the VEE logo when booting VEE by specifying "-nologo".

• The old "veedoc" utility is gone, replaced by a (somewhat) more sophisticated "File -> Save Documentation" menu entry that generates a documentation file.

• The "Import Library" object now supports the "Remote Function" choice on MS Windows.

• You can now print the full details of a transation in a Transaction object by use of a new "Print Trans" entry in the object's menu. Performing a "File -> Print Object" or "File -> Print All" now includes all this transaction information.

• If you type in array elements in a Formula box, they must now be separated by commas: "[1,1]". Old programs will be automatically updated to this format.

• If you have a pop-up panel, you can now click the secondary mouse button to get the type of object and its name in a pop-up menu.

• The title of a Call Function box will incorporate the name of the called User Function once it has been selected.

• The "WhichOS" function now returns "Windows_95" and "Windows_NT" as appropriate.

• User Functions now resemble User Objects more.

• Graphics objects have an expanded set of point styles.

• New colors have been added.

* The enhanced networking features -- RPC, LAN bridge support, and Callable VEE -- will be discussed in more detail at a later date.

[6] BUGS FIXED IN 3.2

* Important bugs fixed in this release include:

• Memory leaks: there were memory leaks in MultiDevice Direct I/O and in Load Library.

• Printer problems: Postscript support on UX has been refined (but still some things left to resolve in MS Windows); there was an odd bug in which Scrolling Alphanumerics that had been scrolled a great deal would print with the data scrolled even more than the display showed; a really bizarre problem in which printing User Objects would "hairpin" output lines back to the input has also been repaired.

• Some user-interface bugs were resolved: if you assigned an OK Button to a function key but did not show the OK Button on the panel view, they would not work in RunOnly; and you could not set a file mask in the File Selection dialogue.

• A READ BINARY X STR transaction in From File would terminate after 1025 characters; if you tried to use From String to print a large array, some of the values would end up braindamaged.

• Regressions would give bizarre results if the orders-of-magnitude of the X and Y values were vastly different; this is actually a function of popular simple regression formulas that involve an XY term and we had to come up with a new algorithm.

• You could not enter a value above 277 octal as a termination character for Direct I/O in serial for VEE; and the XON and XOFF characters were reversed under VEE for Windows.

• Various minor bugs were resolved: the "ramp()" function had an error in which integer values might be duplicated in the ramp; the Delta-time format could give values like 1:02:60; the min-max settings on Graph objects in log mode would not survive a save-load; and trying to "sum()" an empty array would give an error.