Alternative Windows data acquisition from MC_Rack card

Does anyone know of a way to acquire data streams from the MC_Rack card 'in real-time' in Windows?
I'm aware of the MEA-Bench open-source software for Unix/Linux platforms, but I'm looking for something I can use with Windows.
Does it exist?

Dear B Williams

I am not sure what you mean with "real-time recording"? I guess you mean real-time feedback experiments? (Because if you have only one process to consider (= the data acquisition), there is no point in having real-time, it makes only sense if you have multiple processes that interact with each other.)

This is generally not possible under a Windows operating system. Under Linux, you can generate a table of commands that is executed with a very exact timing that you have completely under your control. With Windows, you have processes that are queued by the operating system and that you cannot control from your program. Therefore, it is not possible to get a precise "real-time" control under Windows. This is why all real-time programs are based on Linux operating systems.

In MC_Rack, data is handled in 100 ms packets. Therefore, the minimum delay of the program-integrated feedback is greater than 100 ms (typically 300 ms).

Best regards, Christine (MCS)

How about Bytewedge? - http://www.bytewedge.com

From theirs site:

The application is capable of collecting data from Telephone Systems, Scales and Balances, Gauges, pH/Electrochemistry Meters, Laboratory Instruments, Sensors, Densitometers, GPS Receivers, Barcode Scanners, Magnetic Stripe readers, ID Tag Readers and other RS232-enabled devices.

ByteWedge inputs data into any PC application and any database of any type (including MS Excel, MS Access and MSSQL) using either ODBC, OLE, DDE, Send Strings in real time.

ByteWedge Professional allows for collecting data from a remote machine and putting this data into a local database or any application. With ByteWedge it is possible to collect data received from a device connected to a remote computer and store this data on the local computer (this is useful when database is located on a machine other than the one with a serial device attached).

ByteWedge captures serial data, then formats data to suit your needs and then transfers formatted data to any application and database using Send Strings, ODBC (Open Database Connectivity) conversations, DDE (Dynamic Data Exchange) or OLE (MS Excel only).

ByteWedge also transmits prompts or commands out the serial (RS232) port to control or query your instruments directly from within other Windows applications or directly from ByteWedge. Think of ByteWedge as a fully customizable serial I/O device driver.