Installation guide

PicoScope 4000 Series (A API) Programmer's Guide 89

7 Programming examples

The SDK includes programming examples for a number of languages and development

environments.

7.1

The SDK includes a console-mode program (ps4000acon.c) that demonstrates how

to use the PicoScope 4000 driver in Windows. The program demonstrates the following

procedures:

Open a PicoScope 4000 Series oscilloscope

Collect a block of samples immediately

Collect a block of samples when a trigger event occurs

Collect a stream of data immediately

Collect a stream of data when a trigger event occurs

To build this application:

Set up a project for a 32-bit or 64-bit console mode application

Add ps4000acon.c to the project

Add ps4000a.lib to the project (Microsoft C only)

Add ps4000aApi.h and picoStatus.h to the project

Build the project

7.2

Excel

The Excel example demonstrates how to capture data in Excel from a PicoScope 4000

Series scope.

1. Copy the following files (for a 32-bit Windows system) from the SDK to a location

that is on your Windows execution path (for example, C:\windows\system32):

ps4000aWrap.dll

ps4000a.dll

PicoIpp.dll

2. Load the spreadsheet ps4000a.xls

3. Select Tools | Macro

4. Select GetData

5. Select Run

Note: The Excel macro language is similar to Visual Basic. The functions which return

a TRUE/FALSE value, return 0 for FALSE and 1 for TRUE, whereas Visual Basic

expects 65 535 for TRUE. Check for > 0 rather than = TRUE.

7.3

LabVIEW

The SDK contains a library of VIs that can be used to control the PicoScope 4000 and

some simple examples of using these VIs in streaming mode, block mode and rapid

block mode.

The LabVIEW library (PicoScope4000a.llb) can be placed in the user.lib

subdirectory to make the VIs available on the ‘User Libraries’ palette. You must also

copy ps4000a.dll and ps4000aWrap.dll to the folder containing your LabVIEW

project.

The library contains the following VIs: