Software specs

The "SWEEP Generator" program was written in Visual Basic 6 and requires Windows 2000 or Windows XP to run.

Two processes were created: Sweep.exe and SweepAsync.exe.

Sweep.exe is the main window process.
This is the GUI that interacts with the user accepting commands and plotting the results of the sweeping cycles.

SweepAsync.exe is an ActiveX module that, launched by Sweep.exe, asynchronously runs in the background. No window access is provided.
This module receives the commands from the main process, interfaces the hardware devices via the serial or the parallel port issuing the requests to the DDS and tracking back the samples read from the AD/C.
It manages also the Auxiliary Commands.

The parallel port is driven by the freeware WinIo.sys v2.0 while the serial port uses the standard Microsoft VB controls.

All the variable parameters are stored in the Sweep.ini file. This is an old style programming approach but it allows user to easily adapt the program to different hardware design. Most of the parameters are also accessible via the "SetUp/Configuration" menu for a much more comfortable editing.

The section: 

[Config]
Interface=2
DDS Device=AD9951

identifies the current selected interface, the devices connected and parameters like Min and Max Frequency, AD/C step value etc.

The sections: 

[Interface1]
DDS Device=AD9951
DDS Xtal freq= 13421773

[Interface2]
DDS Device=AD9851
DDS Multiplier=0
...

implement the default original values for the specific interfaces. Those vales are moved to the section [Config] when a new interface is selected from the "SetUp/Configuration" menu.
Change here the Xtal Freq, the multiplier etc. according to your hardware before to select the interface.

The section: 

[Sweep Generator]
Start=1200000

stores the last used values entered by the user like the START and STOP frequency, the markers position etc.

Sections: 

[Serial Port]
CommPort=6
........
[Parallel Port]
LPT=&H378
.........
[Aux1]
Enabled=1
........
[Aux2]
Enabled=0
.......

store the parameters select via the "SetUp/Configuration" menu that initialize the serial and the parallel interface or personalize the AUX windows.

Deleting the [Config] section, program is forced to restore the original status and user will be requested at the first program run, to enter the interface number (see yhe paragraph "Program configuration").