Software Remote Control

The DVC-4 has a Remote Control connector P6 which allows common control buttons to be activated by external logic signals or relay contacts; they are internally pulled up to +5V by 4.7K resistors and are grounded to activate as long as the Remote Control Input menu has been checked. The available functions vary with the software package being used; they are:

 

Pin #                Sine                             Random                      Shock

 1                     Servo On                     Start                             Equalize

 2                     Abort                           Abort                           Abort

 3                     Sweep Run                   Restart                         Start

 4                     Sweep Hold                 Pause                           PreTest

 

Software Remote Control- Enables  control of the DVC-4 software by another program by passing commands through a shared file ( DvcControl.dat ). The standard Remote Control functions listed above are accessible along with others; also, keystrokes can be sent that mimic pressing any of the keyboard hot-keys. It functions by the user writing a control code to the file which gets read by the DVC-4 software and executed, or by the user reading back values from the file. NOTE: the Software Control menu item must be enabled ( checked ) for this feature to operate. The DvcControl.dat file should be located in the C:\Program Files\DVCshell folder.

It is possible to perform additional functions, but doing so side-steps the controller safety features and can easily result in damage to the shaker that would not be covered under warranty. Please email us with your specific requirements.

 

Below is an example of a Visual Basic program named Control.Exe which demonstrates the principles involved. It is a 3”x3”  pad with 5 buttons and a text box that floats over the DVC-4 screen; clicking any of the 4 control buttons will activate the corresponding Remote Control pin function, and entering a character in the text box and clicking the 5th button will send it. All buttons simply write commands to a file named DVCcontrol.dat located in the C:\Program Files\DVCshell folder; the first button will create the file if it does not exist.

 

The executable can be run at the same time as the DVC-4 software and viewed on top of the DVC-4 screens to demonstrate the actions. Copy it to the C:\Program Files\DVCshell folder and double-click it; click here to download CONTROL.EXE.

 

 Make the following declarations in a module named Module1.Bas:

Public ControlCode As Single

Public KeyStroke As String

Public RemoteAcc As Single

Public RemoteFreq As Single

 

Public Sub WriteControlCode()

 'Reads Dll Control Code

 'On Error GoTo ErrorHandler

 Open "C:\Program Files\DVCshell\DVCControl.dat" For Output As #1

   Write #1, ControlCode, KeyStroke, RemoteAcc, RemoteFreq 'Sends Codes

 Close #1

 

End Sub

 

Create a 3”x4” form named Form1; add a label with the caption of “SOFTWARE REMOTE CONTROL”, 5 buttons, and a text box,  and include the following code:

 

Private Sub Command1_Click()

 ControlCode = 1

 KeyStroke = ""

 Call WriteControlCode

End Sub

 

Private Sub Command2_Click()

 ControlCode = 2

 KeyStroke = ""

 Call WriteControlCode

End Sub

 

Private Sub Command3_Click()

 ControlCode = 3

 KeyStroke = ""

 Call WriteControlCode

End Sub

 

Private Sub Command4_Click()

 ControlCode = 4

 KeyStroke = ""

 Call WriteControlCode

End Sub

 

Private Sub Command5_Click()

 ControlCode = 0

 KeyStroke = Text1.Text

 Call WriteControlCode

End Sub

 

Revised 8/1/2002

 

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