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From: ronn@hpuecoz.NSR.HP.COM (RON NEHER)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.hp
Subject: Re: HP VEE Software
Message-ID: <710001@hpuecoz.NSR.HP.COM>
Date: 14 May 91 23:08:57 GMT
References: <1991May09.181238.13190@kaos.mbari.org>
Organization: HP/Apollo Albuquerque PSO
Lines: 76


* HP VEE is a new software technology that allows customers to lay out an
organized approach to solving problems, then execute the solution.  Customers
can control instruments, gather data, analyze data, and display results without
writing any code.  Hewlett-Packard's Visual Engineering Environment is a
product family built on next-generation "object-oriented" tools.  HP VEE offers
products for the engineer or technical professional who doesn't want to be a
programmer.  Simply put, HP VEE allows the typical engineer to do what they
were hired for: concentrate on engineering, rather than on programming.

HP VEE consists of two separate products, targeted at two different markets.

HP VEE-Engine (E2100A) is designed for engineers, scientists and other
technical professionals in the electrical engineering, mechanical engineering
or general purpose scientific markets.  HP VEE-Engine offers over 144 icons
that the user simply places on the screen and connects with lines to produce a
model of their problem.  HP VEE-Engine allows for rapid prototyping of typical
engineering problems, and because of the "typeless" envirnoment, the user
doesn't have to understand typical programming rules, structures and syntax.

HP VEE-Test extends the functionality of HP VEE-Engine to allow for instrument
control and data acquisition via HP-IB, RS-232 and GPIO.  HP VEE-Test uses the
same front panel drivers for HP instruments as HP ITG products.  Currently
there are over 130 instrument drivers, with more being added each month.  If the
driver does not exist for a particular instrument, VEE-Test has a simple-to-use
direct I/O path.  The following chart helps illustrate the differences between
the two products:

  +------------------------------ HP VEE-Test ------------------------------+
  |                                                                         |
  |                          +---------------- HP VEE-Engine ---------------+
  |                          |                                              |
  +--------------------------+------------------+------------+--------------+
  | Bus IO                   | Generated        | Analysis   | Displays     |
  | Instrument IO            | Data             |            |              |
  +--------------------------+------------------+------------+--------------+
  | 170 instrument drivers   | formula boxes    | 144 math & | X-Y          |
  | direct IO                | virtual sources  | analysis   | waveforms    |
  | HPIB bus logger          | constants        | functions  | VU meters    |
  | HP BASIC/UX access       | to / from file   |            | strip chart  |
  |                          | escapes to HP-UX |            | alpha        |
  +--------------------------+------------------+------------+--------------+


 1: HP VEE runs on HP-UX, X11, VUE and Motif.  
 2: HP VEE has a simple, easy-to-understand Getting Started manual that when
    coupled with the intuitive environment, helps make it easy to learn.
 3: HP VEE allows the user to incorporate old HP-UX programs (C, Pascal,
    RMB/UX, shell scripts, and so on) and so maintain compatibility with
    existing systems/code.  
 4: HP VEE is easy to use.

   | E2100A | opt | VEE-Engine (300/400) LTU     
   +--------+-----+---------------------------------
   |        | AA0 |    1/4" (16 track)             
   |        | AAF |    CD-ROM                     
   |        | ABA |    English documentation     
   |        | ABD |    German documentation     
   |        | ABF |    French documentation    
   |        | ABJ |    Japanese documentation 

   | E2110A | opt | VEE-Test   (300/400 DIO) L-T-U  
   +--------+-----+--------------------------------
   |        | AA0 |    1/4" (16 track)            
   |        | AAF |    CD-ROM                    
   |        | ABA |    English documentation    
   |        | ABD |    German documentation    
   |        | ABF |    French documentation   
   |        | ABJ |    Japanese documentation
   |        | 0HF |    SW Trade-in (for VEE-Engine)

   +--------------------------------------------------------+
   | customer training:                                     |
   +--------------+---------------------------------+-------+
   | E2110A+24D   | VEE-Test 5 days @HP ED Center   |       |
   +--------------+---------------------------------+-------+