Alligator adopts graphical programming environment

Alligator Technologies is to resell the Softwire graphical programming environment for NET.

Alligator Technologies is to resell the Softwire graphical programming environment for NET.

A complete library of Softwire-enabled NET control icons is available from Alligator Technologies for its expanding line of PCI and serial/USB-based instrumentation amplifiers, filters, and signal conditioners.

With the powerful Softwire Development Kit, data acquisition, test and measurement, and industrial automation OEMs can create ready-to-use Softwire-enabled (C#-based) controls for use with Softwire for NET's intuitive drag-and-drop environment.

Now scientists, technicians and engineers can quickly and easily integrate networked "high precision" PC-based data acquisition solutions without writing any code.

"We are pleased to select Softwire Technology's Softwire as our preferred offering for the graphical creation of NET-based applications", said Robert Galter, President of Alligator Technologies.

"Leveraging Softwire allows us to more quickly and easily gain access to powerful NET-based functions that previously required a significant amount of time to learn and apply".

Softwire's open architecture is based on the Microsoft.NET Framework and, unlike more proprietary and closed graphical programming offerings its library of more than 250 GUI, DAQ, analysis, database and web-oriented functions is easily expanded using the free Softwire Development Kit.

Now the large community of Visual Studio/Visual Studio.NET users, and anyone with a basic understanding of either VB.NET or C#.NET, can quickly create and integrate custom Softwire-enabled controls/components.

"With only basic knowledge of C++ and no exposure to C# we created a complete family of Softwire-based controls for our AAF-3PCI series of programmable filters/instrumentation amplifiers in only a couple of days".

"The SDK provided me with all I needed, including source code, sample applications, and template files to call my existing (C++) API functions".

"The SDK dramatically reduced my development time and enabled me to get to market faster with a NET-based solution".

All Softwire-enabled controls are compiled C# functions and are fully compatible with any Visual Studio.NET programming language.

So, in addition to being used within Softwire's "Icon and Wire" design editor where nonprogrammers graphically create their applications, Softwire controls can be used by programmers to more quickly integrate custom applications.

Once completed, all compiled Softwire applications (exe's) can be distributed royalty-free.

"Alligator Technologies will provide a library of Softwire-based exe's featuring fill-in-the-blank menus for all hardware settings, choice of real-time displays, and choice of linkages to popular analysis, reporting, and data base offerings", said Alligator's Robert Galter.

"We will also expand our Softwire-based offering to include ready-to-run applications for specific applications in the transportation, aerospace, acoustic, and other markets where there is a growing need for high-integrity data, free of compromising high-frequency signals".

Alligator Technologies signal conditioners, strain gage and piezo-bridge amplifiers, lowpass/highpass/bandpass filters, and instrumentation amplifiers can be used with most A/D boards, and Softwire can integrate any third-party DAQ hardware.

However, Softwire includes DAQ controls for all Measurement Computing Corp PCI, cPCI, and USB-based products.

"Now user's can combine best-of-breed components from a leading supplier of filters/amplifiers and a leading supplier of PC plug-in DAQ boards and quickly integrate them using a common, easy-to-use graphical programming environment", said Ben Bailey, President of Measurement Computing Corp.

"Now users can benefit from a highly integrated but flexible environment available from leading DAQ component suppliers with proven PC-based measurement expertise.

Integrating value-priced solutions for high data integrity applications has never been easier".

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