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MCA8000A COM Programming Page

The MCA8000A Communication protocol has been adapted by many people for platforms other than Windows. Because of this, Amptek has decided to post the source code of the DLL's it provides for Windows to facilitate the programmer's task in adapting the MCA8000A to other operating systems. Between the DLL source code and the Data Transfer Protocol, the programmer should find it much easier to adapt the MCA8000A.

Amptek is not supporting the source code of the dll or any code posted by other users. It is provided here to help the user in adapting the MCA8000A for non-win32 platforms. Amptek is making no claim about the compatibility of the code with the MCA8000A.

DLL Source Code

Data Transfer Protocol

The Data Transfer Protocol is included in the Help File of the Windows Software as one of the chapters and at the end of the MCA8000A DOS Manual (available in PDF at the MCA8000A Software Download Page). It is also available here, as a stand alone document, in PDF format.

MCA8000A Dlls compiled for Win CE Everex A-20 PalmPC (Executive Model)

Author: Jon Paschal, Applied Physics Institute, Western Kentucky University
Beta Testers: P. C. Womble, Applied Physics Institute, WKU and C. Campbell, National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory, Michigan State University.

Notes: Changes to be compatible with CE 2.0

1. CE 2.0 doesn't support the CHAR variable type, CE only supports the Unicode variant of this type which is wchar. So all references to char have to be replaced with wchar.
2. CE 2.0 doesn't support the use of the semaphore synchronization object. Any references to these have to be replaced with a counting mechanism and a waiting while loop.
3. CE 2.0 doesn't support the C runtime libraries completely. It instead only supports a small subset of them. Time and date functions used in request.cpp were not part of this subset so they have to be replaced with windows / MFC functions that work similarly.

Everex A-20 Source Code (116k)

Unix Code

The MCA8000A has been adapted for the unix system and integrated into a larger acquisition and control software package. Follow this link for more information.

Revised November 2, 2006