caenhv-client-python 0.2.0

Python interface to the caenhv-client GUI: fire/raise the application from other Python projects (e.g. labscript BLACS)

caenhv-client-python

Python interface to the caenhv-client GUI (CAEN HV control with channel linking). Zero dependencies; the GUI itself is distributed as a standalone executable.

The only capability is firing the GUI — raise its window if running, launch it otherwise — over a tiny local IPC protocol. There is deliberately no remote control of HV settings.

from caenhv_client_python import fire_gui, notify_gui

fire_gui()      # raise the window if running, otherwise launch the GUI
notify_gui()    # raise only; returns False if the GUI is not running

Remote hosts: with fire_gui(host="hv-pc", port=50251) (or CAENHV_CLIENT_REMOTE=hv-pc:50251) the show request goes over TCP to a GUI on another machine. The GUI must enable its listener (CAENHV_CLIENT_TCP_PORT=50251, optional CAENHV_CLIENT_TCP_BIND / CAENHV_CLIENT_TCP_TOKEN) and must already be running there — remote launch is impossible, so auto-start the GUI at login on that host. This channel can only show/raise the window, never change HV state.

Configuration via environment variables:

• CAENHV_CLIENT_COMMAND — path (or command line) of the caenhv-client executable, used when it is not on PATH.
• CAENHV_CLIENT_IPC_NAME — IPC server name (default caenhv-client), must match the GUI's setting when overridden.
• CAENHV_CLIENT_REMOTE — host:port of a remote GUI's TCP listener.
• CAENHV_CLIENT_TCP_TOKEN — shared token when the remote listener requires one.

Works from any Python process, including labscript BLACS tabs and workers; no Qt required (a Unix-socket / named-pipe transport is used, with PyQt5 as an optional fallback).