Sophisticated Hardness Testing Automation Package from Proceq Facilitates Remote Test Control
Posted: 2009-7-20
A sophisticated automation package for the Equotip 3 hardness testing instrument is offered by the developer, Proceq S.A., for applications involving testing systems that are linked to a software solution for quality management or in partly or fully automated testing environments. The package can be used for remotely controlling the hardness tester for purposes of integration into quality management systems, integration into the user's own reporting tools (that is, tools other than Proceq's Equolink3), acquisition of live screen shots for presentations, migration from Equotip2 to Equotip3 for existing applications, and real-time remote access.
Equotip 3 communicates with a PC through Ethernet, USB, and RS-232 interfaces, via each of which it receives incoming commands and sends out data accordingly. Commands are in 2- or 4-byte ASCII followed by a well-defined number of parameters per command, which software engineers can use in their own applications. Alternatively, if RS-232 is employed, the user can send the commands and receive data from the device with a terminal programme, such as Hyperterminal.
For programmers operating under one of the Microsoft Windows operating systems, Proceq provides an interface header file and a dynamic-link library (DLL) they can use (known as the PqRemote library). The DLL provides functions for connecting a device, sending commands, and receiving data. Programmers under Linux and other operating systems have to open the interface and connect to the device by themselves. The automation package can be activated easily by the customer by means of a code provided with the package.
Equotip 3 communicates with a PC through Ethernet, USB, and RS-232 interfaces, via each of which it receives incoming commands and sends out data accordingly. Commands are in 2- or 4-byte ASCII followed by a well-defined number of parameters per command, which software engineers can use in their own applications. Alternatively, if RS-232 is employed, the user can send the commands and receive data from the device with a terminal programme, such as Hyperterminal.
For programmers operating under one of the Microsoft Windows operating systems, Proceq provides an interface header file and a dynamic-link library (DLL) they can use (known as the PqRemote library). The DLL provides functions for connecting a device, sending commands, and receiving data. Programmers under Linux and other operating systems have to open the interface and connect to the device by themselves. The automation package can be activated easily by the customer by means of a code provided with the package.
