TDT ActiveX Overview

TDT's ActiveX Controls provide a simple and powerful way to control TDT System 3 hardware modules from custom software applications running on a PC. ActiveX controls can be run from within an application program written in programming languages such as MATLAB or Python.

The ActiveX Controls

The TDT ActiveX programming library includes three ActiveX controllers: RPcoX, PA5x, and ZBUSx.

RPcoX

The RPcoX controller includes a versatile group of methods for the Classic Real-Time Processors (RP), Mobile Processors (RM), High Performance Processors (RX), and the Z-series Processors (RZ); making it possible to connect to hardware, load and run the RCO circuits on the hardware, and allow for flexible real-time control of the circuits loaded to the hardware.

PA5x

The PA5x controller includes methods for real-time control of the PA5 front panel parameters, such as attenuation and attenuation stepsize.

ZBUSx

The zBUSx controller includes methods that allow access to zBus control functions; such as flushing the IO, resetting the hardware, and triggering a zBus rack.

Controlling TDT Real-Time Processors using the RPcoX ActiveX Controls

Some of the most powerful ActiveX methods are those that interact with the processing chains as they are executed on TDT real-time processors. The processing chain—the most basic instructions used to control a processor are designed in RPvdsEx and saved as a Control Object, either as a Control Object File (*.rco) or embedded in the RPvds Circuit File (*.rcx). These files also contain special components called "parameter tags" that can be accessed via TDT ActiveX controls to implement real-time control. For more on RCOs, see Working with Control Object Files.