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

Creating an associate handle for an SCU

• Create the DICOM Associate handle by calling LDicomAssociate::LDicomAssociate.

• Initialize the newly created DICOM Associate handle by calling LDicomAssociate::Default, or set the new DICOM Associate handle using the following functions:

  • LDicomAssociate::SetRequest
  • LDicomAssociate::SetVersion
  • LDicomAssociate::SetCalled
  • LDicomAssociate::SetCalling
  • LDicomAssociate::SetApplication
  • LDicomAssociate::SetPresentation
  • LDicomAssociate::SetResult
  • LDicomAssociate::SetAbstract
  • LDicomAssociate::SetTransfer
  • LDicomAssociate::SetMaxLength
  • LDicomAssociate::SetImplementClass
  • LDicomAssociate::SetAsyncOperations
  • LDicomAssociate::SetRoleSelect
  • LDicomAssociate::SetImplementVersion
  • LDicomAssociate::SetUserInfo
  • LDicomAssociate::SetExtended
  • LDicomAssociate::AddPresentation
  • LDicomAssociate::AddTransfer

• To connect to an SCP, call LDicomNet::SendAssociateRequest. This will generate a call to the LDicomNet::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 LDicomNet::SendAssociateAccept or LDicomNet::SendAssociateReject. This will generate a call to the LDicomNet::OnReceiveAssociateAccept or the LDicomNet::OnReceiveAssociateReject. If LDicomNet::OnReceiveAssociateAccept is called, the DICOM Associate Connection has been established.

Creating an associate handle for an SCP

• When an SCU requests a DICOM Associate connection, the SCU calls LDicomNet::SendAssociateRequest. This generates a call to LDicomNet::OnReceiveAssociateRequest on the SCP.

• When the LDicomNet::OnReceiveAssociateRequest function is called, create the DICOM Associate handle by calling LDicomAssociate::LDicomAssociate.

• Reset the newly created DICOM Associate handle to an Associate Accept by calling LDicomAssociate::Reset, or set the new DICOM Associate handle using the functions given above.

• The DICOM Associate connection request can be accepted or rejected. To accept the Associate connection request, call LDicomNet::SendAssociateAccept. This will generate a call to the LDicomNet::OnReceiveAssociateAccept on the SCU. At this time the DICOM Associate connection has been established. To reject the Associate connection request, call LDicomNet::SendAssociateReject. This will generate a call to the LDicomNet::OnReceiveAssociateReject function on the SCU.