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HA0303T Rev A Feb 2014
Chapter 2
2.3.4
APT Server (ActiveX Controls)
ActiveX Controls are re-usable compiled software components that supply both a
graphical user interface and a programmable interface. Many such Controls are
available for Windows applications development, providing a large range of re-usable
functionality. For example, there are Controls available that can be used to
manipulate image files, connect to the internet or simply provide user interface
components such as buttons and list boxes.
With the APT system, ActiveX Controls are deployed to allow direct control over (and
also reflect the status of) the range of electronic controller units, including the TPA101
position aligner. Software applications that use ActiveX Controls are often referred to
as 'client applications'. Based on ActiveX interfacing technology, an ActiveX Control
is a language independent software component. Consequently ActiveX Controls can
be incorporated into a wide range of software development environments for use by
client application developers. Development environments supported include Visual
Basic, Labview, Visual C++, C++ Builder, HPVEE, Matlab, VB.NET, and C#.NET.
Consider the ActiveX Control supplied for a TPA101 APT position aligner (one panel
is displayed for each controller).
This Control provides a complete user graphical instrument panel to allow the unit to
be manually operated, as well as a complete set of software functions (often called
methods) to allow all parameters to be set and control operations to be automated by
a client application. The instrument panel reflects the current operating state of the
position aligner unit to which it is associated (e.g. such as beam position and SUM
value). Updates to the panel take place automatically when a user (client) application
is making software calls into the same Control. For example, if a client application
instructs the associated Quad Detector Control to centralize the laser beam within the
quad detector photodiode array, progress is monitored automatically by changing
position on the spot display, without the need for further programming intervention.
The APT ActiveX Controls collection provides a rich set of graphical user panels and
programmable interfaces allowing users and client application developers to interact
seamlessly with the APT hardware. Each of the APT controllers has an associated
