Yokogawa PC-Based MX100 - Manual (Page 4)

IM MX190-02E

The API and Extended API
Features of the Extended API
This software contains two components: an API and an extended API. The extended
API is designed to make it easier to create programs. It combines several API functions
to give it more user-friendly functionality. The extended API is higher in level, and works
by calling the "standard" API. The figure below describes the differences between the
two APIs. For more details on the API and extended API, see section 1.2, "Software
Components and Features" in the API for the MX100/DARWIN user's manual (IM
MX190-01E).
API and extended API for the MX100
MX100
User program
User program Extended API API
API
MX100
MX100
MX100
Data
Data
Simplified Programs
With the API, the user sets up the saving area for retrieved data. Therefore performance,
which is affected by memory allocation and utilization, can be controlled by the user
program. By contrast, the extended API stores and manages the data itself. This creates
overhead, but simplifies the program because the user does not need to be concerned
with the saving area.
Simplified Data Operations
With the extended API, structures are not used for a function's return values or
parameters.
Simplified Functions
Functions of the extended API are simplified into the following two types.
· Status transition functions: Functions that perform communication with measuring
instruments, change the status of measuring instruments, and change the data held
by the extended API
· Retrieval functions: Functions that reference the data held by the extended API
Additional Programming Language Support
API Extended API
Visual C++
Visual C
Visual Basic Visual C++
Visual C
Visual Basic
Visual Basic .NET
C#
Notes
Operation is not guaranteed if functions of both the API and extended API are combined.
For more notes on the extended API, see page 12-2, "Notes" in the API for the MX100/
DARWIN user's manual (IM MX190-01E).