FireSuite API

DapTechnology provides an Application Programming Interface (API) to programmatically control the FireSpy without using the FireSpy Graphical User Interface. This API is implemented as a DLL with the required header files and library files to allow easy integration with Visual Studio projects or any other environment desired.

Since a significant number of customers use LabVIEWTM to perform test and measurement tasks, we decided to create a library of LabVIEWTM modules that wrap around the DLL and provide a user-friendly way to use the API.

The API library makes it possible for multiple applications to use the same FireSpy concurrently. It is also possible to control several FireSpys from within a single application. The only rule is that a functional module per FireSpy can only be used once. At the moment the API provides the following functional modules:

  • Packet Send/Receive
  • Recorder
  • Generator
  • Monitor
  • Scriptor
  • Commander
  • Firmware Updater
  • Mil1394/AS5643 Signal Extractor
  • Filter / Trigger
  • Symbol Recorder

Key Features

  • Programmatically Control a connected FireSpy
    • C/C++ Interface
    • Seamless LabVIEWTM integration
    • Seamless Visual Studio integration
  • IEEE-1394 / AS5643 Bus Functions
  • FireSpy Analyzer Functions

Screenshots

Administrative Functions

Administrative functions can be used to open and close a device and get handles to both the device itself and the buses it is connected to. The following functional groups exist within the Administrative functions:

  • Device Initialization and Properties
  • Bus Initialization
  • Library functions

Analyzer Functions

The Analyzer functions are used to control the main functional modules of the FireSpy. The following functionality is available:

  • Administrative Functions
    • On-board Memory Configuration
    • AUX Port Configuration and Control
    • Bus Power Control
  • Monitor
    • Control
    • Data retrieval
  • Recorder
    • Control
    • Data retrieval
  • Filter / Trigger (sequencer) configuration
  • Scriptor control
    • Upload, start and stop scripts
    • Act as Control Panel replacement and interact with a Script running on the FireSpy
  • Generator control and data upload

1394 Bus Functions

High-Level 1394 functions provide an easy to use interface to common 1394 bus functions. The following high-level functionality is available:

  • Bus Management Functions
    • PHY Register Access
    • Bus Resets and SelfID Information
    • Topology Information
    • PHY Commands
  • Asynchronous Transactions
    • Read Transactions
    • Write Transactions
    • Lock Transactions
  • Isochronous Stream Transmission

AS5643 / Mil1394 Functions

A section of the API is dedicated to the AS5643 protocol. The following functionality is available:

  • Timed Packet Transmission
    • VPC Calculation
    • CRC Calculation
    • Erroneous packets
    • Re-transmit data Recorded using FireSpy Recorder
  • STOF
    • Packet Transmission
    • Synchronization to received STOF packets
  • Signal Extractor
    • Sophisticated packet filtering and signal value extraction