QCoDeS 0.63.0

[Jens Hedegaard Nielsen (jenshnielsen)]

QCoDeS 0.63.0 (2026-11-11)

Breaking Changes:

• Several instrument driver parameters now return numbers or booleans instead of the raw string
  from the instrument, or an integer for an on/off state. Code that compares the returned value to
  a string, or to 0/1 by identity, needs updating:

  • Keithley2450.line_frequency and Keithley2450Sense.count now return int, and
    Keithley2450Sense.nplc and Keithley2450Source.delay return float.
  • Keithley7510Sense.user_delay now returns float, and
    Keithley7510Sense.average_count, Keithley7510DigitizeSense.acq_rate and
    Keithley7510DigitizeSense.count return int.
  • SR86xBuffer.count_capture_kilobytes now returns int.
  • RigolDG1062Burst.ncycles now returns int, and RigolDG1062Burst.phase,
    RigolDG1062Burst.time_delay and RigolDG1062Channel.duty_cycle return float.
  • RigolDS1074Z.trigger_level and TektronixTPS2012.trigger_level now return float.
  • TektronixDPOHorizontal.record_length now returns int instead of float, as the
    record length is a number of samples.
  • AgilentE8267C.pulse_width now returns float and its unit is s instead of ns,
    matching the value sent to and returned by the instrument.
  • RohdeSchwarzRTO1000ScopeChannel.impedance and KeysightE4980A.range now return
    float.
  • RohdeSchwarzZNBChannel.bandwidth now returns float, e.g. 10000.0 instead of
    10000.
  • The channel state and direct_output and the instrument DC_output of
    TektronixAWG5014 now return bool. They accept True/False, 1/0 and
    "on"/"off". TektronixAWG5014.sequence_pos now returns int.
  • KeysightB1520A.ac_dc_volt_monitor now returns bool and also accepts 1/0
    and "on"/"off". Add types to generic instrument parameteres #8658

• The field units of an AMIModel430 can no longer be changed while it is part of an
  AMIModel4303D, and doing so now raises a RuntimeError. The set point and field limit of
  the 3D driver are in the field units of the magnets, so changing them silently changed their
  meaning by a factor of 10. Set the field units before creating the 3D driver, or close the 3D
  driver first.

  The coordinate vectors of AMIModel4303D (cartesian, spherical, cylindrical and
  their *_measured versions) now return a named tuple (CartesianVector,
  SphericalVector or CylindricalVector from qcodes.math_utils) instead of a list, so
  the components can also be accessed by name, e.g. cartesian_measured().z. Code that compares
  the result to a list, or modifies it, needs updating. Setting these parameters still accepts
  lists, tuples and numpy arrays. Improve Ami430 safety and type annotations #8679

• The auto_zero_once parameter of Keithley7510Sense and the trigger_in_ext_clear
  parameter of Keithley7510 have been replaced by methods of the same name. Both were
  command-only parameters, so calling them without an argument, e.g.
  dmm.sense.auto_zero_once(), only returned the cached value and did not send anything to the
  instrument. Calling them like this now sends the command. Code that passed a value to them, e.g.
  dmm.trigger_in_ext_clear(None), must drop the argument, and they are no longer part of the
  instrument's parameters or snapshot. Add type variables to parameters in several drivers #8694

• The trigger_count parameter of Keithley6500, which sets the number of times a scan is
  repeated (ROUT:SCAN:COUN:SCAN), now accepts the full range documented in the DMM6500
  Reference Manual: 0 to 100,000,000, where 0 repeats the scan until it is aborted. It previously
  only accepted 1 to 9999 or the strings "inf", "default", "minimum" and "maximum",
  which were copied from the Keithley 2000 and are not documented for this command. These strings
  are now rejected; use 0 instead of "inf". Whole-number floats are accepted and sent as
  integers, and the parameter is annotated as Parameter[int, Self]. Add type variables to parameters in several drivers #8694

Improved:

• Fixed a rare error on Python 3.12 and 3.13 where closing an instrument could fail with
  RuntimeError: dictionary changed size during iteration if the garbage collector cleaned up
  another instrument at the same time. The instrument then stayed registered, so its name could
  not be reused. Fix race between closing instruments and garbage collection #8680
• The "Creating Instrument Drivers" example notebook now explains how to annotate a parameter with
  the type of its value, e.g. Parameter[float, Self], and all of its example drivers are
  annotated this way. This also fixed bugs in the example code: the Ithaco example passed units
  instead of unit, the Keithley 2600 example lacked its model attribute and
  _display_settext method, and the Alazar example used outdated TraceParameter arguments. Add type variables to parameters in several drivers #8694
• Dataset preparation now writes startup metadata and the snapshot in one
  transaction, inserting the snapshot after the other run metadata updates to
  avoid repeatedly rewriting large snapshots. The complete snapshot is committed
  before background writers and pending subscribers are started.

Improved Drivers:

• Add convenience methods to Tektronix DPO7200xx (single, download_waveforms, get_timebase) and AWG70000A (upload_seqx) drivers for streamlined waveform acquisition and sequence upload workflows. Tektronix DPO7200xx and AWG70000A — Convenience Methods for Waveform Workflows #7865

• The current ranges of the Keithley 2634B, 2635B and 2636B include 10 mA; their lists contained 10 µA twice in its place, so a 10 mA range was rejected. Fix the 10 mA current range of the Keithley 2634B, 2635B and 2636B #8618

• Most instrument driver parameters are now annotated with the type of their value, e.g.
  Parameter[float, Self], so static type checkers can infer the type returned by get
  and accepted by set. As part of this, the mock instruments no longer pass the default
  parameter_class=Parameter explicitly, and Keysight34980A.module is typed as a mapping
  from slot number to switch matrix submodule.

  Fixed the following driver bugs found along the way:

  • RigolDS4000.enable_auto_scale always read back as True, since bool("0") is
    True, and was set with True/False instead of 1/0.
  • RohdeSchwarzRTO1000.trigger_mode queried the trigger source instead of the trigger mode.
  • Keithley6500.digits sent a set command with a stray ?.
  • MessageBuilder.pch_query of the Keysight B1500 sent PCH instead of PCH?.
  • LakeshoreModel325Heater.output_range accepted the high (25 W) range on loop 2, which is
    only supported on loop 1.
  • LakeshoreModel325Sensor.curve_index now accepts 0 (no curve), which the instrument
    also reports when the selected curve does not match the input, and rejects non-integer values.
    Whole-number floats such as 23.0 are still accepted and sent as integers.
  • The LakeshoreModel325 curve list now includes user curve 35, so upload_curve(35, ...)
    no longer raises an IndexError.
  • LakeshoreModel325Curve.get_data now reads all 200 points of a curve instead of 199.
  • LakeshoreModel325Curve.set_data now writes curve points with 6 significant digits, the
    resolution of the instrument, instead of rounding them to 3 decimals.
  • LakeshoreModel325Sensor.curve now raises a RuntimeError when no curve is selected for
    the sensor, instead of returning a curve 0, which the instrument does not have.
  • RohdeSchwarzZNBChannel.bandwidth failed to read a non-integer bandwidth such as 1.5 Hz,
    which the instrument supports.
  • The current_compliance and power_compliance of the KeysightB1517A sweep could not
    be set back to None, which leaves the compliance out of the WV command. Since a power
    compliance can only be sent together with a current compliance, clearing the current
    compliance also clears the power compliance.
  • Keysight34980A.scan_slots can now be called again; it skips slots that already have a
    module instead of failing to register a duplicate submodule.
  • Keithley7510DigitizeSense.aperture was labelled in us although the instrument uses
    seconds; its unit is now s.
  • averages, points and active_trace of the Keysight PNA (KeysightPNABase) drivers
    now reject non-integer values. Previously averages failed to format a float such as
    2.5 and the others sent it to the instrument. Whole-number floats such as 2.0 are
    still accepted and sent as integers. Add types to generic instrument parameteres #8658

• CopperMountainM5xxx.averages, AimTTiChannel.curr_range, RigolDG1062Burst.ncycles,
  Keithley7510Sense.average_count and the dwell, pause, curve_number and
  excitation_range_number of LakeshoreModel372Channel now reject non-integer values.
  Previously these were sent to the instrument, or for CopperMountainM5xxx.averages silently
  truncated. Whole-number floats such as 2.0 are still accepted and sent as integers.
  Also removed the incorrect unit of AimTTiChannel.curr_range, which is a range number, fixed
  the label of LakeshoreModel372Channel.temperature_coefficient, and removed incorrect units
  from RigolDS1074Z.trigger_mode, waveform_npoints, waveform_yorigin and
  waveform_yref. Switch float to permissive int for parameter validators and add types #8678

• The field parameters of AMIModel4303D, such as cartesian, x and field_measured,
  now use the field units of the individual magnets, tesla or kilogauss, instead of always
  reporting tesla. A warning is logged if the magnets use different field units. Also removed the
  placeholder unit tuple? of AMIModel4303D.spherical and cylindrical, whose components
  have different units, which are now described in their docstrings. Closing an
  AMIModel4303D now detaches its magnets, so set_field, zero and changing the units of
  a magnet that is still open no longer fail. Improve Ami430 safety and type annotations #8679

• The parameters of the Basel SP983, SP983a and SP983c, Ithaco 1211, Keithley 2450, DMM7510, S46
  and 2600 drivers that were not yet typed are now annotated with the type of their value, e.g.
  Parameter[float, Self], so static type checkers can infer the type returned by get and
  accepted by set. Add type variables to parameters in several drivers #8694

New:

• Added the named tuples CartesianVector (x, y, z), SphericalVector
  (field, theta, phi) and CylindricalVector (rho, phi, z) to
  qcodes.math_utils, for the components of a field vector in a given coordinate system. 8679
• Added recording of parameter access: inside a with qcodes.parameters.record_parameter_accesses() as accesses: block,
  every get and set of a parameter made by the current thread (or asyncio task) is appended to accesses as a
  qcodes.parameters.ParameterAccess: the names of the parameter and its instrument, the value and raw value, when the
  access started, how long it took and the error it raised, if any. A set that ramps in steps is recorded once per step.
  Accesses are appended to a new list, or to a mutable sequence that is passed in, whose append must only store them.
  qcodes.parameters.log_parameter_accesses logs the accesses to the qcodes.parameters.parameter_access logger
  instead. Recording only stores data: it is not a way to react to an access, and a record holds names rather than the
  parameter or instrument. This makes it possible to see all instrument communication made by a piece of code without
  changing it. 8684

Under the hood:

• The test suite now runs faster. Tests using the simulated Keysight B220x and B1500
  instruments no longer first try to connect to a real instrument, and a number of
  unneeded sleeps and waits have been removed or shortened. 8725
• The documentation builds faster: the InstrumentGroup example notebook ramps its gate in fewer
  steps, and the qcodes.sphinx_extensions.parse_parameter_attr Sphinx extension now parses the
  source of each class only once instead of once for every attribute documented on it. 8742
• All temporary files created by the test suite are now placed under pytest's temporary directory
  root, so setting PYTEST_DEBUG_TEMPROOT (or --basetemp) relocates all of them. 8749
• The test suite runs faster, especially on Windows: test databases are now opened with SQLite's
  PRAGMA synchronous=OFF so that commits are not flushed to disk.

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This discussion was created from the release QCoDeS 0.63.0.