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This documentation describes how to get startet to run the control software for a Software Defined Radio (SDR), which is used as the signal generation and acquisition part of a Nuclear Quadrupole Resonance [(NQR)] spectrometer (https://www.tugraz.at/institute/ibi/research/nuclear-quadrupole-resonance/). The software includes an intuitive gaphical user interface (GUI) and an automatic data handling system. The software is essential for efficient testing and measuring. A automated structured overview minimises the risk of experiment errors and the loss of acquired data. Additionally a sequence generator was implemented with the ability to dynamically select and configure up to ten pulses. The GUI can be used to set all the hardware specific parameters including the phase for every pulse between φmin = 0 and φmax = 2π.
Overview of how the program is structured.
To start the GUI, run start.py file.
The program will first check for the right version of Python. It will also check if all necessary imports and modules are present on the system.
After loading the setting.cfg which is specific file for each experiment the program will check all parameters for plausilbility and if all hardware limitations are met.
Launching main.py will show the GUI of the main window. All important functions can be started and controlled from this GUI. It allows the user both to load preset files from previus measuremnts and to set new parameters.
When starting the sequence, the set parameters are sent to the SDR for sweeping the frequency band. Moreover the parameters are sent to a microcontroller which can be optionally used for automatic tuning and matching of the resonator circuit. Data are continuously aquired while the sequence is running. After finishing the sequence the relevant data are stored in different files corresponding to a defined file structure. After data processing temporal and spectral information is visualized and presented in the main GUI for analysis.
For ease of use in the main window there is a plot window available. It will allow a detailed analysis of the last measured data and all previus ones.
Have a good measurment.