PCAN-Basic with VB6 on 64 bit machine.

[BobboH]

We have a number of automatic test systems which use PCAN-USB devices, which were written in VB6.
Our IT security policy requires us to update to Win 11 64 bit in the near future.
Our system loads scripts depending on the units to be tested. These scripts load a PCAN wrapper dll (COM visible 32 bit) which is attached to the script control as required.

I believe that we will need to write a 64 bit .dll wrapper around PCAN-Basic.
However I also believe that the 64 bit dll will not be loadable from the test software running as a 32 bit process.
Has anyone encountered this problem, or can anyone point me at a possible solution?

[K.Wagner]

Hello,

this question is out of topic (it has more to do with general programming, not with our API). Nevertheless, here my comments.

I believe that we will need to write a 64 bit .dll wrapper around PCAN-Basic.

Note that you do not need to work or write a 64-Bit version of dlls or applications, only because you are working in a x64 Bit Windows system. You can still use your 32-Bit applications, as long as they are still compatible on the target system. If your scrips works as 32-bit processes (what I assume, as VB6 is 32-bit) then you could keep using your solution as you already do, even on a 64-bit Windows.

However I also believe that the 64 bit dll will not be loadable from the test software running as a 32 bit process.

Yes, this is true.

According to Microsoft, it is possible to work mixing 32-bit and 64-bit solutions, if you work with COM services or wrap libraries as a COM.
See this microsoft knowledge page.

Hope this information helps your further.

[BobboH]

Thanks Keneth I will check it out.

[K.Wagner]

Hello again,

just a final note on this,

However I also believe that the 64 bit dll will not be loadable from the test software running as a 32 bit process.

so that there are no misunderstandings: Note that our setup installs the 32-bit and the 64-bit PCAN-Basic dll. If the test software is running on a WIndows 64-bit, it will load the right dll (32 vs 64) according to its structure. In other words, if your test is running as 32-bit process, it will load the 32-bit PCAN-Basic dll.