Exercise - Importing the LED Component

• Create a new flowchart.

• The following assumes that you have built, and exported a LED component, as described in Exercise - Create a LED component and [[Exercise - Open the 'Outputs' toolbox, where we stored the exported 'newLED' component. (If no destination was specified for the exported component, it would appear in the 'Misc' toolbox.)

• Locate the 'newLED' component, and use the down-arrow next to it to add it to the System Panel. It can now be used in the same way as any other electronic device.

• Create a flowchart which uses the imported component.

• Add a component macro to the flowchart, and double-click on it. Click on the 'Simulation' tab. The simulation macros, 'LEDoff' and 'LEDon',appear in the tree. Click on the one you want, and then click on 'OK'.

Create a LED component as shown in the Exercise - Create a LED component.

Setting the category

Select category Description and other details

Declaring the interface

• Move the mouse cursor over the System Panel, and right-click.

• Select the option 'Export component'. The Component Management dialogue box opens. This replicates the settings, Settings Manager, Interface Manager and Resources Manager available on the Panel Properties.

• Configure this for the LED component. In particular, click on the 'Interface' tab, and set the 'LEDoff' and 'LEDon' macros as 'Component' macros. The 'PinChange' macro is a 'Hidden' macro.

• Click on 'OK'.

Saving the component

• You may be asked if you want to save the current flowchart. Do so if you wish.

• The 'Save As' dialogue box opens. This will automatically point to a destination Flowcode will search for components. Select a suitable name for the component.

• Click 'Save'. The component file is saved with a '*.fcpx' extension.

Testing the component

Select to create a new flowchart from the main menu.

Go to the category your component was assigned to be in. If you did not select a category you will find the component inMisc.

Drag your component onto a panel, or double click on it.

Create a test flowchart