mpscpi

An instrumentation framework for network-based SCPI communication in MicroPython applications.

Background

In the realm of instrumentation hardware and software, developers often find themselves responsible for implementing protocol interfacing. While there are many proprietary solutions, most open source packages are either lacking in cohesiveness and/or require knowledge of low-level programming languages such as C or C++. This library aims to alleviate this burden by providing a layer of abstraction between TCP sockets, asynchronous callback handlers, and SCPI command parsers. It interprets string-based protocol commands efficiently.

Installation

Repository

If not already done, install mpremote.

python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate
pip install mpremote

Use mpremote and mip to install from GitHub.

mpremote mip install github:mcpcpc/mpscpi

Usage

Quickstart

The following is a basic example of how to spin up a new server instance.

from mpscpi import MPSCPI

app = MPSCPI(__name__)

if __name__ == "__main__":
    app.run("127.0.0.1", 5025)

Note that mpscpi leaves instantiation of the network interface up to the user; thus, it is recommended to call the run() command only after connectivity is confirmed.

Custom Callbacks

Custom user functions are implemented using the built-in callback handlers.

app.push("FOO", func=lambda a: None)
app.pull("FOO", func=lambda a: "BAR")

Syntax Conventions

• Braces ({}) enclose the parameter choices for a given command string. The braces are not sent with the command string.
• Vertical bars (|) separar multiple paramater choices for a given command string.
• Triangle brackets (<>) indicate that you must specify a value for the enclosed parameter. The brackets are not sent with the command string. Square brackets ([]) indicate optional parameters that can be omitted. The brackets are not sent with the command string.

To Do

• Complete IEEE 488.2 protocol compliance (will accept pull requests).
• Argument string parser class for numeric, boolean and array data types.

Contact

For further questions or concerns, feel free to contact me at michaelczigler[at]icloud[dot]com.