Custom Instrument GUI - Available Instrument Controls

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Modified by Admin on Nov 6, 2013

Table 1 lists all of the instrument controls available for use when designing the GUI for a Custom Instrument. These controls are specifically for use with the Custom Instrument.

Table 1. Instrument controls available for use on the instrument form.

Palette Icon	Control Name	Description	Default Appearance on Form
	TInstrumentBackground	Used to add a colored background area to the instrument panel.
	TInstrumentButton	Used to add a push button to the instrument panel. This control would typically be used to initiate some action when it is clicked, by having event handling code linked to its OnClick event.
	TInstrumentCaption	Used to add a caption to the instrument panel. Captions are typically used to distinguish between distinct regions of functionality within the panel (e.g. `INPUTS` and `OUTPUTS`).
	TInstrumentCheckBox	Used to add a check box to the instrument panel. When clicked, the component's Checked property is automatically toggled between enabled (True) and disabled (False). The check box can be used to control an output signal. The direct link to the signal is made using the SignalName property. This control might also be used to initiate some action when it is clicked, by having event handling code linked to its OnClick event.
	TInstrumentEdit	Used to add an edit box to the instrument panel. This control is typically used to retrieve text that is entered by the user. It can be used to control an output signal. The direct link to the signal is made using the SignalName property. Although this control can also be used solely for displaying text, in such a case it would be easier to use a simple TInstrumentLabel control.
	TInstrumentGauge	Used to add an analog-style gauge to the instrument panel. It can be used to monitor an input signal. The direct link to the signal is made using the SignalName property. Use the Position property to define the initial displayed value (typically, set this to be the same value as that of the MinValue property).
	TInstrumentGraph	Used to add a graph to the instrument panel. It can be used to monitor an input signal. The direct link to the signal is made using the SignalName property.
	TInstrumentKnob	Used to add a control knob to the instrument panel. It can be used to control an output signal. The direct link to the signal is made using the SignalName property. The initial setting for the knob – specified by its Value property – is determined by the entry for the signal's Initial value, on the Signals tab of the Custom Instrument Configuration dialog. The default behavior when turning the control knob is to have its value changed smoothly. Use the Discrete and ValueIncrement properties to enable and allow the value to be changed discretely, in steps according to the value defined for the ValueIncrement property.
	TInstrumentLabel	Used to add a simple text label to the instrument panel. Use labels to 'annotate' the panel – tagging controls or explaining functionality.
	TInstrumentLEDButton	Used to add an LED button to the instrument panel. When clicked, the component's IsOn property is automatically toggled between enabled (True) and disabled (False). The LED button can be used to control an output signal. The direct link to the signal is made using the SignalName property. This control might also be used to initiate some action when it is clicked, by having event handling code linked to its OnClick event.
	TInstrumentLEDDigits	Used to add a digital LED display to the instrument panel. It can be used to either monitor an input signal, or control an output signal. The direct link to the signal is made using the SignalName property. If linked to an output signal, the display will only be editable provided the UseDefaultDigitClick property is enabled. If linked to an input signal, use the Value property to define the initial displayed value (typically, set this to be the same value as that of the MinValue property). For an output signal, this value is determined by the entry for the signal's Initial value, on the Signals tab of the Custom Instrument Configuration dialog. Values can be displayed/entered in either binary, decimal, hexadecimal, or octal, depending on the setting of the component's Radix property.
	TInstrumentLEDsPanel	Used to add a grouped 'panel' of LEDs to the instrument panel. It can be used to either monitor an input signal, or control an output signal. The direct link to the signal is made using the SignalName property. If linked to an output signal, the LEDs will only be editable provided the UseDefaultDigitClick property is enabled. If linked to an input signal, use the Value property to define the initial displayed value (typically, set this to be the same value as that of the MinValue property). For an output signal, this value is determined by the entry for the signal's Initial value, on the Signals tab of the Custom Instrument Configuration dialog.
	TInstrumentNumericPanel	Used to add a numeric display to the instrument panel. It can be used to either monitor an input signal, or control an output signal. The direct link to the signal is made using the SignalName property. If linked to an output signal, the display will only be editable provided the UseDefaultDigitClick property is enabled. If linked to an input signal, use the Value property to define the initial displayed value (typically, set this to be the same value as that of the MinValue property). For an output signal, this value is determined by the entry for the signal's Initial value, on the Signals tab of the Custom Instrument Configuration dialog. Values can be displayed/entered in either binary, decimal, hexadecimal, or octal, depending on the setting of the component's Radix property.
	TInstrumentPanel	Used to add panel area to the instrument panel. This control is used for panel aesthetics, for example to highlight the numeric display of monitored information.
	TInstrumentProgressBar	Used to add a progress bar to the instrument panel. It can be used to monitor an input signal. The direct link to the signal is made using the SignalName property. Determine the bar's orientation on the panel using its Orientation property. Use the Position property to define the initial displayed value (typically, set this to be the same value as that of the MinValue property).
	TInstrumentScrollBar	Used to add a scroll bar to the instrument panel. This control would typically be used in combination with some other control or form, to allow scrolling of the content therein. Change the orientation of this control using the Kind property.
	TInstrumentTerminal	Used to add a terminal window to the instrument panel that can be used to enter and/or display characters or strings of characters as multi-line text. Such a terminal window could be used as a simple memo control, for example.
	TInstrumentTrackBar	Used to add a slider bar to the instrument panel. It can be used to control an output signal. The direct link to the signal is made using the SignalName property. Change the orientation of this control using the Horizontal property. The initial setting for the slider bar – specified by its Value property – is determined by the entry for the signal's Initial value, on the Signals tab of the Custom Instrument Configuration dialog. The default behavior when sliding the bar is to have its value changed smoothly. Use the Discrete and ValueIncrement properties to enable and allow the value to be changed discretely, in steps according to the value defined for the ValueIncrement property.

Properties, Events and Methods

Properties and events associated to each control can be viewed on the Properties and Events panels respectively. Table 2 lists information with respect to the supported (and Public) methods for each control. Where methods are indicated as being inherited, the source of that inheritance (and its default set of methods) can be found in external documentation for the Borland Delphi Visual Component Library.

Table 2. Supported methods for the instrument controls.

Control	Methods
TInstrumentBackground TInstrumentCaption TInstrumentCheckBox TInstrumentGauge TInstrumentGraph TInstrumentLabel TInstrumentLEDDigits TInstrumentLEDsPanel TInstrumentNumericPanel TInstrumentProgressBar	All methods inherited from TGraphicControl
TInstrumentButton TInstrumentLEDButton	The following dedicated new method for this control: `Procedure UpdateBitmaps;` All other methods inherited from TCustomControl
TInstrumentEdit	All methods as per the TXPEdit component
TInstrumentKnob TInstrumentTrackBar	All methods inherited from TCustomControl
TInstrumentPanel	The following dedicated new method for this control: `Procedure PaintOnBitmap(ABitmap : TBitmap);` All other methods inherited from TCustomControl
TInstrumentScrollBar	The following method is inherited from TCustomXPScrollBar: `Procedure SetParams(APosition, AMin, AMax : Integer);` All other methods inherited from TCustomControl
TInstrumentTerminal	The following dedicated new methods for this control: `Procedure PutChar(AChar : Char; ATransmit : Boolean);` `Procedure PutString(Const AString : String; ATransmit : Boolean);` `Procedure Clear;` `Procedure GetLines(ALines : TStrings); Overload;` `Function GetLines : String; Overload;` `Function GetLines(AFromPt, AToPt : TPoint) : String; Overload;` The following method is inherited from TCustomInstrumentPanel: `Procedure PaintOnBitmap(ABitmap : TBitmap);` All other methods inherited from TCustomControl