Teledyne LeCroy WaveExpert series Automation Manual - Manual (Page 19)

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Overview
WHERE IS AUTOMATION USED?
Automation is used in several places in the X-Stream based instrument.
ƒ Instrument Setups (Panel Files)
ƒ Custom Math/Measurements
ƒ CustomDSO, User Interface customization
ƒ Control from external applications (COM/DCOM)
Each of these uses is described in more detail in the following sections.
SETUPS (PANEL FILES) ARE PROGRAMS!
Setup files, which are used to save and recall the state of the instrument between runs, are traditionally binary
files with an internal structure that is neither documented nor obvious to the user.
In X-Stream DSOs, however, this is no longer the case. Setups are ASCII text files that contain a complete Visual
Basic Script “program” that, when “executed,” will restore the instrument to a previously recorded state. In effect,
each time a panel is saved, the instrument effectively writes you a program that, when executed, returns
the instrument to the saved state.
Due to the fact that these setups are already programs, they are a great way to get started quickly with
Automation. As an example, try saving a setup into a file and examine it using a text-editor, as follows:
1. Touch
File
in the menu bar, then Save Setup from the drop-down menu.
2. Touch the
Browse
button and specify drive D:\Setups as the location to save the .lss (LeCroy setup
script) file. (This is the factory default directory for setup files)
3. Touch
Save Now!
4. Minimize the application using the Minimize option from the File menu
5. Open Microsoft’s Notepad application from the Accessories program folder
(Start→Programs→Accessories).
6. Open the file saved above. You will see a Visual Basic Script program that begins like this:
' XStreamDSO ConfigurationVBScript ...
' LECROY,WM8300,WM000001,0.0.0
' Thursday, February 20, 2003 11:26:55 AM
On Error Resume Next
set XStreamDSO = CreateObject("LeCroy.XStreamDSO")
XStreamDSO.RecallingSetup = True
' AladdinPersona ...
XStreamDSO.HideClock = False
XStreamDSO.TouchScreenEnable = True
…
Since the entire state of the instrument, including all controls for all installed software options, is saved, this panel
may look fairly complex. But don’t let this fool you; the basic concept is, in fact, fairly simple.
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