Data Acquisition (DAQ) and Control from Microstar Laboratories

DAPtools 6.0 Software

Supports Native 64-bit Windows Applications

For more information, contact
marketing@mstarlabs.com

Download DAPtools 6 - compatible with Windows 7 and xDAP systems
Download DAPtools 6 - compatible with Windows 7 and xDAP systems

Bellevue, WA, May 19, 2011 -- Microstar Laboratories, Inc. has announced the release of DAPtools 6.0 Software for its data acquisition products, extending the previous DAPtools 5 version of this software to support native 64-bit applications for Windows 7.

Support for 64-Bit Applications

Windows 64-bit support was available in the previous releases, DAPtools 5, but only with the 32-bit compatibility mode, not the full 64-bit native mode. That was satisfactory in its time, since most existing software systems need the 32-bit compatibility mode to run under Windows 7. However, if you are developing the next generation of data acquisition software systems, you will need the full 64-bit native mode support that DAPtools 6 provides. DAPtools 6 continues to support the DAP and xDAP data acquisition product lines. Except for the unavoidable differences in the processor instruction set and addressing, compatibility is comprehensive. Whether you get 32-bit compatibility or native 64-bit compatibility depends on how you compile your applications.

The included support software provides native 64-bit versions of the critical system service software. Primary among these is the DAPcell Server, the software that coordinates devices, networks, and the programming API, so that all Data Acquisition Processor devices share a common device driver system. Two other critical elements are the DAPIO programming API and the MSLACOM control panel configuration utility. The correct elements for your system are selected and installed automatically, depending on the version of the Windows 7 system you use.

The DAPIO 64-bit application interface now supports development using Microsoft Visual C++, Visual C# and Visual Basic .NET.

Onboard Operating System Makes a Difference

Running in an embedded environment, where its job is to operate hardware and buffer data efficiently, a new edition of the DAPL 3000 software includes support for the newly-released xDAP 7410 data acquisition subsystem. The xDAP 7410 features a 2 GHz Intel Celeron processor. DAPL 3000 can sustain data transfers to the PC host at a composite rate of up to 8 million samples per second. If necessary, xDAP 7410 also can buffer up to a full minute of data "on board" at maximum sampling rates without any concurrent host transfers.

The new DAPL 3000 system also introduces some unique new sampling control features. You can configure, start, and stop multiple sampling processes independently. Or operate them in combination if you wish. For example, high-rate data capture with triggering analysis can run with one group of channels, while digital control lines are monitored at a much lower rate.

Additionally, some processing commands that were previously available only with certain application support packages are now included by default in the DAPL 3000 system commands module.

Conclusion and Next Step

The DAPtools 6 software release provides an easy step-up to native 64-bit applications for developers who need this. Compatibility is maintained as much as possible between the 64-bit and 32-bit versions, given the unavoidable differences in hardware word size and address space. DAPtools 6 software will be provided with each purchase of an xDAP 7410 data acquisition subsystem. The Basic software package is available now for download – to evaluate or upgrade. Or contact the company to purchase a copy of the DAPtools Professional edition for developers.

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Editorial Overview:

DAPtools 6.0 software, for Microstar Laboratories, Inc.'s data acquisition products, extends the previous DAPtools 5 version of this software to support native 64-bit applications for Windows 7. The DAPtools 6 software release provides an easy step-up to native 64-bit applications for developers who need this. Compatibility is maintained as much as possible between the 64-bit and 32-bit versions, given the unavoidable differences in hardware word size and address space. The Basic software package is available now for download – to evaluate or upgrade. Or contact the company to purchase a copy of the DAPtools Professional edition for developers.

Note to the Editor:

Microstar Laboratories suggests this text as a caption for the available image:

xDAP systems can use DAPtools 6 support for native 64-bit Windows 7 applications, as shown in this sample illustration.

Microstar Laboratories, Inc. claims Microstar Laboratories, Data Acquisition Processor, DAP, xDAP, xDAP 7410, xDAP 7400, DAPL, DAPL 3000, DAPIO, DAPtools, DAPcell, and DAPstudio as trademarks. Microsoft Corporation has registered Microsoft, Windows, Windows 7, and Visual Basic as trademarks. Intel Corporation has registered Intel and Celeron as trademarks. Other organizations may claim – or may have registered – as trademarks other trade names, logos, and service marks that appear in this document but not in the list above.

Microstar Laboratories makes it a practice to use an appropriate symbol at the first occurrence of a trademark or registered trademark name in a document, or to include trademark statements like this with the document.