Networked Measurement Instruments and Python

This repository contains a Python script that demonstrates remote control and data acquisition from networked laboratory instruments using the VXI-11 protocol.
It enables communication with a signal generator and an oscilloscope over Ethernet, automated waveform retrieval, and graphical analysis.

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1. Overview

The project illustrates a laboratory automation workflow where instruments are accessed and controlled remotely via TCP/IP.
The script provides the following functionality:

• Establishes communication with VXI-11–compatible instruments.
• Reads configuration parameters from a signal generator.
• Acquires waveform data from an oscilloscope.
• Automatically plots and saves the captured waveforms in PDF format.
• Allows remote configuration of generator parameters.

This setup can be adapted for laboratory experiments, automated testing, or research data collection.

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2. Repository Structure

networked-instruments-and-python/
## 2. Repository Structure


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networked-instruments-and-python/
├── automated-electronics-characterization/
│ ├── media/ # Images, plots, or related files
│ ├── output/ # Measurement results or processed data
│ └── code.py # Script for automated electronics characterization
│
├── instrument-control-and-acquisition/
│ ├── media/ # Supporting media (images or figures)
│ ├── output/ # Generated waveform or log data
│ └── code.py # Python script for instrument control and data acquisition
│
├── video-demonstrations-in-laboratory/
│ ├── instrument_control_demo.mp4 # Demonstration of instrument control process
│ ├── info.txt # Supplementary information about demonstrations
│ └── README.md # Documentation for video demonstrations
│
└── README.md # Main project documentation

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3. Requirements and Dependencies

The code is compatible with Python 3.x and requires the following packages:

python-vxi11
numpy
matplotlib
si-prefix

To install all dependencies:

pip install -r requirements.txt

If a requirements.txt file is not yet present, the packages above can be installed individually.

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4. Configuration

Update the IP addresses of your instruments in the script before execution:

g = vxi11.Instrument('172.17.51.102')  # Signal generator
o = vxi11.Instrument('172.17.51.103')  # Oscilloscope

Ensure both devices are reachable from the host computer and support the VXI-11 protocol.
It is recommended to verify communication using the *IDN? SCPI command prior to running automated measurements.

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5. Usage

1. Clone this repository:

git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/networked-instruments-python-labs.git
cd networked-instruments-python-labs

2. (Optional) Create and activate a virtual environment:

python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate        # macOS/Linux
venv\Scripts\activate           # Windows

3. Install required packages:

pip install -r requirements.txt

4. Run the main script:

python src/instruments.py

The script will connect to the instruments, acquire waveform data, and save the generated plot in PDF format.

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6. Demonstration Video

A short demonstration of the measurement and plotting process is available in the repository:

View demonstration video

instrument_control_demo-360p.mp4

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7. Output

Each measurement produces a waveform plot saved as a timestamped PDF file, for example:

waveform-oscilloscope-20251020-153245.pdf

The plot includes both oscilloscope channels with voltage and time scaling extracted directly from instrument parameters.

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8. Acknowledgements

This project was developed for Electronics education and remote instrument control and automated data acquisition using Python.

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9. License

This project uses a dual-license model:

• Source code is licensed under the MIT License.
• Documentation, images, and other non-code content are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).