const char * _filename;
// this method sends the two incoming vectors to MATLAB for plotting

// load properties from XML configuration file
    CF::Properties _props;
    _props.length(1);
    _props[0].id = CORBA::string_dup( "FILENAME" );
    query( _props );
    if(_props[0].value >>= _filename) {

        cout << "Loading " << _filename  << " onto the FPGA.." << endl;
    } else {
        printf("nope\n");
        }