Background

Icada Software Limited has been established for over 8 years and provides an efficient first class software consultancy for customers requiring specialised software to communicate with instruments. Customers range from small local companies to large American instrument manufacturers.

Expertise

Icada Software Limited has experience programming in a variety of languages and environments: Microsoft Visual C++, Borland C++, Visual Basic, and National Instruments' LabVIEW / LabWindows. These languages have been used for applications that calibrate and test a range of instruments e.g. personal environmental monitors, data loggers, and mobile phone base stations. Firmware has also been written for the Infineon C167 microcontroller to provide a filesystem for use with Compact Flash cards. Recent work has involved writing applications for the Pocket PC utilising Windows CE and Bluetooth technology.

Where an integrated system is required and off-the-shelf hardware is unavailable or inadequate, Icada Software Limited works in close collaboration with Quark Electronics who are able to design and manufacture dedicated electronic hardware and have engineering skills to meet your requirements. Icada Software will then provide a Windows application to interface seamlessly to this custom hardware.

Typical Applications

Icada Software Limited specialises in communicating with instruments to program their behaviour and to retrieve data after measurements have been made. This usually involves a data logging instrument which can be pre-programmed to log specified data that can be later sent to a PC. The acquired data are then displayed for the user in tables or graphical form with facilities for disk storage and printouts. Calibration programs usually involved a configuration section where the user may specify the tests required, tolerances etc, followed by the main calibration procedure with the result being written to a database or printed as a report.

Communications

Communication methods include RS-232, IEEE, USB, Bluetooth and VXI.
Software feature include OLE Automation, DDE, Active-X components, and multithreading.

For more information, please contact: Kevin Horton.