National Instruments Corporation

Jonathan Brumley

Brent C Schwan

Geoffrey Schmit

Kurt Carlson

Howard P Tsoi

Jack Levy

Meg F Kay

Neil S Feiereisel

Thomas A Makowski

Christopher T Bartz

A measurements expert system and method for generating a high-performance measurements software driver. The measurements expert system translates a user's measurement task specification (MTS) specifying a measurement task into a solution, e.g., a run-time specification (RTS), suitable for the user's measurement system. The expert system includes programs for analyzing and validating the received MTS, and for generating the RTS. The RTS is useable to configure measurement devices to perform the measurement task, and to generate a run-time which is executable to perform the specified measurement task. The expert system includes a plurality of experts, e.g., device, channel, timing, reader/writer, control, and streaming experts, etc., each class of which manages different aspects of the MTS. The expert system creates a device expert call tree of associated experts according to the configuration specified by the user, manages the configuration of the MTS, verifies the MTS, and compiles the MTS into the RTS.

System of measurements experts and method for generating high-performance measurements software drivers

A measurements expert system and method for generating high-performance measurements software drivers. The measurements expert system is able to interpret a customer's measurement task specification (MTS) specifying a measurement task, explore possible solution paths, and generate a solution, e.g., a run-time specification (RTS), optimized for the customer's measurement system. The expert system includes programs for analyzing and validating a received MTS, and a plurality of measurements experts which are operable to analyze all or part of the MTS and populate complete or partial RTSs. The partial RTSs are iteratively populated by other experts to form complete RTSs. Competing RTSs may be assessed and a final RTS selected based upon user preferences. The final RTS is useable to configure one or more measurement devices according to the RTS, and to generate a run-time which is executable to perform the specified measurement task using the one or more measurement devices.

Measurements expert system and method for generating high-performance measurements software drivers

System and method for creating measurement applications. The system includes a measurement task specifier for generating a measurement task specification (MTS) for a measurement task in response to user input; an expert system for analyzing and validating the generated MTS, and generating a run-time specification (RTS) for the measurement task; a run-time builder for analyzing the RTS, configuring one or more measurement devices according to the RTS, and generating a run-time which is executable to perform the measurement task. The system includes a storage system for storing the generated MTS, the generated RTS, and configuration information for one or more measurement devices. The expert system includes one or more measurement experts which analyze all or part of the MTS and populate complete or partial RTSs. The partial RTSs are iteratively populated by other experts to form complete RTSs. Competing RTSs may be assessed and a final RTS selected based upon user preferences.

Measurement system software architecture for easily creating high-performance measurement applications

A data acquisition system comprising a Configuration Manager for intelligently managing access to DAQ configuration information. The data acquisition system comprises a computer system coupled to a data acquisition device, a data acquisition application (user application) executing on the computer system, and DAQ driver level software executing on the computer system. The memory of the computer system stores a hardware database which includes information on DAQ objects in the DAQ system, and the memory stores configuration files which comprise desired configurations of the DAQ system. The Configuration Manager of the present invention executes in the computer system to control access to the hardware database and configuration files stored in the computer system. The present invention also includes a method for providing access to information on data acquisition (DAQ) objects in the DAQ system. The Configuration Manager accesses the configuration information from the system memory if the configuration information comprises modified parameter values stored in the memory, and the Configuration Manager otherwise accesses the configuration information from the hardware database. The present invention also includes a method for providing access to additional or new information on data acquisition (DAQ) objects in a DAQ system. The user of the DAQ system can receive an updated hardware database, and an existing configuration file can automatically access the additional capabilities of the DAQ object from the installed updated hardware database.

Configuration manager for configuring a data acquistion system

Configuration manager for configuring a data acquisition system

An improved software architecture for data acquisition (DAQ) driver level software executing in a DAQ system. The DAQ driver level software receives calls from the DAQ user application and is executable to control the DAQ device. The DAQ driver level software includes one or more interpreters which receives calls from the DAQ user application. Each of the interpreters performs functionality which is common for a plurality of DAQ devices, and each of the interpreters is preferably useable for a plurality of different DAQ devices. The DAQ driver level software also includes a plurality of mini-driver primitives which each perform a portion of controlling the DAQ device, i.e., each controls a hardware resource of the DAQ device. In the preferred embodiment, each of the mini-driver primitives present the same application programming interface. The present invention thus comprises an improved architecture for DAQ driver level software. The software architecture of the present invention thus provides much greater code reuse and simplification of individual board drivers.

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Austin, TX, United States of America

Jonathan Brumley