LabView Toolkit

Programmers can now quickly and easily develop automated semiconductor manufacturing applications meeting the Semiconductor Equipment Communications Standard (SECS) with FABTalk.

Widely used in the semiconductor industry, the SECS protocol defines the serial communications interface between a host PC and the equipment it controls. To create SECS-protocol applications before FABTalk, programmers had to purchase the SECS specification and write legthy C code. Now, programmers can use the FABTalk toolkit for LabView to cut development time by as much as 75 percent.

FABTalk is compatible with LabView 5.1/5.01 and coinsists of three main components- SECS Toolkit, SECS Spy, and a virtual communication port (VCOM). The SECS Toolkit, a library of virtual instruments, allows programmers to construct SECS-protocol messages. The SECS Toolkit also includes online documentation, tutorials, and comprehensive application examples to help guide the LabView user. The SECS Spy serves as a debugging utility that allows the programmer to view messages sent between the host PC and the equipment it controls as well as capture any undocumented or non-SECS-protocol messages.

With VCOM, programmers can develop code as well as send and receive messages on one computer, rather than two. In the application development stage, a programmer previously needed one computer to develop code and a second computer to communicate with the manufacturing equipment. Both tasks can now be completed on one computer via a VCOM port. VCOM also eliminates the need for external serial cables between the host computer and devices by using the "soft wire" inside the device driver. After the application is developed and tested, the programmer can replace VCOM communication with standard system COM ports.

National Instruments Alliance Program, 6504 Bridge Point Pkwy., Austin, TX 78730-5039. Tel: 512-794-0100. Fax: 512-794-8411.