Abstract: A graphical interface is provided to manage interfaces with hardware and software devices. The graphical communication interface can be operated on an electronic device to simplify management of one or more interfaces, while providing opportunities for enhanced capabilities and control of the interfaces. The graphical communication interface can create objects that are associated with hardware or software devices. The objects are representative of the device and are depicted in the graphical interface. The object is configured to be interactive with the device and enable communication between the graphical interface and the hardware device. The graphical interface can include both software objects and hardware objects and the objects can include user-defined protocols to communicate with the device, allowing communications with a wide variety of devices. Analysis objects may also be created for interaction with the hardware objects or software objects.

Abstract: A method of creating and using a hardware independent communication interface block for block diagram environments is disclosed. The communication interface block includes user-selectable parameters controlling how a system being modeled by a block diagram communicates with image and data acquisition devices and control instruments or other electronic device interfaced with an external system. Based on the user selected parameters, the communication interface block calls an appropriate constructor to create an instrument object or acquisition device object which is used to enable communication with the control instrument or acquisition device respectively. The instrument object/acquisition device object calls a software driver appropriate for the hardware interface of the control instrument/acquisition device. The use of a common interface block provides scalability and ease of use to the block diagram environment when interacting with control instruments and acquisition devices.

Abstract: An application development environment is provided. A selection of instruments is provided. A selection of an instrument is received. The selected instrument is automatically queried for an identification information of an instrument driver. An absence of the instrument driver is determined in the application development environment. The instrument driver is identified at a remote storage location, the instrument driver having metadata. The identified instrument driver is verified based on the metadata. The verified instrument driver is automatically retrieved from the remote storage location. The retrieved instrument driver is installed in the application development environment. Communications are established between the application development environment and the selected instrument via the installed driver.

Abstract: A cross-platform interface tool provides a common interface for any hardware or software component having some advertising mechanism listing its features, input, and output requirements. The advertising mechanism can take a number of different forms, including data, a software object definition, or a communications system. The cross-platform interface tool includes a parsing mechanism for parsing through a component description associated with at least one of the plurality of components to gather information relating to the components. A component interface creator automatically generates a component interface based on the information gathered by the parsing mechanism.

Abstract: A mechanism for transparently identifying and retrieving an instrument driver to an application development environment tat is associated with a user-selected instrument is disclosed. Following a user selection of an instrument through a user interface generated by the application development environment, an instrument driver associated with the selected instrument is programmatically identified. If the required instrument driver for the selected instrument is missing from the application development environment, an embodiment of the present invention retrieves the instrument driver from a remote location and installs the instrument driver in the application development environment without the involvement of the user. The present invention also generates a user interface from the application development environment which enables a user to see currently installed instrument drivers as well as available instrument drivers that are located both locally and remotely.

Abstract: A cross-platform interface tool provides a common interface for any hardware or software component having some advertising mechanism listing its features, input, and output requirements. The advertising mechanism can take a number of different forms, including data, a software object definition, or a communications system. The cross-platform interface tool includes a parsing mechanism for parsing through a component description associated with at least one of the plurality of components to gather information relating to the components. A component interface creator automatically generates a component interface based on the information gathered by the parsing mechanism.