Creating a DICOM Associate Connection

Once a DICOM Network Connection has been established, a DICOM Associate Connection must be established before DICOM messages and data can be transferred between two AEs.

The AE acting as an SCP must have a DICOM Associate object and the AE acting as an SCU must have a DICOM Associate object. Steps for establishing a DICOM Associate connection are given below for both the SCU and the SCP.

Establishing a DICOM Associate Connection (SCU)

Create the DICOM Associate object by instantiating the DicomAssociate class.
Initialize the newly created DICOM Associate object by calling DicomAssociate.Default, or set the object using the following class members:

DicomAssociate.IsRequest

DicomAssociate.Version

DicomAssociate.Called

DicomAssociate.Calling

DicomAssociate.ApplicationContextName

DicomAssociate.SetPresentationContextID

DicomAssociate.SetResult

DicomAssociate.SetAbstract

DicomAssociate.SetTransfer

DicomAssociate.MaxLength

DicomAssociate.ImplementClass

DicomAssociate.SetAsynchronousOperations

DicomAssociate.SetRoleSelect

DicomAssociate.ImplementationVersionName

DicomAssociate.SetUserInformation

DicomAssociate.SetExtendedData

DicomAssociate.AddPresentationContext

DicomAssociate.AddTransfer

To connect to an SCP, call DicomNet.SendAssociateRequest. This will generate a call to DicomNet.OnReceiveAssociateRequest on the SCP to let the SCP know an associate connection request has been received.
The SCP may accept or reject the request and respond by calling DicomNet.SendAssociateAccept or DicomNet.SendAssociateReject. This will generate a call to DicomNet.OnReceiveAssociateAccept or DicomNet.OnReceiveAssociateReject. If DicomNet.OnReceiveAssociateAccept is called, the DICOM Associate Connection has been established.

Establishing a DICOM Associate Connection (SCP)

When an SCU requests a DICOM Associate connection, the SCU calls DicomNet.SendAssociateRequest. This generates a call to DicomNet.OnReceiveAssociateRequest on the SCP.
When the DicomNet.OnReceiveAssociateRequest method is called, create the DICOM Associate object by instantiating the DicomAssociate class.
Reset the newly created DICOM Associate object to an Associate Accept by calling DicomAssociate.Reset, or set the object using the class members given above.
The DICOM Associate connection request can be accepted or rejected. To accept the Associate connection request, call DicomNet.SendAssociateAccept. This will generate a call to DicomNet.OnReceiveAssociateAccept on the SCU. At this time the DICOM Associate connection has been established. To reject the Associate connection request, call DicomNet.SendAssociateReject. This will generate a call to DicomNet.OnReceiveAssociateReject on the SCU.