PlestyLib

PlestyLib is the core Python library in the PLESTY ecosystem for building standardized device APIs for laboratory and experimental automation.

It provides reusable abstractions for:

1. Device lifecycle and synchronous device models
2. Transport/traffic management (Serial, VISA, TCP/IP)
3. Command and operation solvers (for example SCPI and operation-message protocols)
4. Parameter and function metadata systems
5. Auto testing helpers, logging, and error-handling utilities

Requirements

• Python 3.12+

Installation

Install from package index:

pip install plesty-lib
# or 
uv add plesty-lib

Optional dependencies

Features that need a heavy or platform-specific package keep it out of the base install and behind an extra. Without the extra the feature raises an ImportError naming it; nothing else is affected.

pip install "plesty-lib[hdf5]"
# or
uv add "plesty-lib[hdf5]"

For development, install from source and sync the dev dependency group:

uv sync --group dev
# or
pip install -e .
pip install plesty-sdk

Quick Start

1. Create a device class from a base device

from plesty.lib.device.base_visa_scpi_device import BaseVisaScpiDevice


class PowermeterDevice(BaseVisaScpiDevice):
	def __init__(self, address: str):
		super().__init__(address)
		self.register_config("POWER", dtype=float, read_only=True, command="MEAS:SCAL:POW")
		self.register_config("WAVELENGTH", dtype=int, unit="nm", command="SENS:CORR:WAV")

2. Use the device

# replace the serial number P0000001 with that of your own device
address = "USB0::0x1313::0x8078::P0000001::INSTR"

with PowermeterDevice(address) as dev:
	print(dev.identity())
	print(dev.query("POWER"))

Architecture Overview

PlestyLib encourages a layered device API design:

1. Base device model: operation entry points and parameter/function systems
2. Command/operation solver: map standardized calls to protocol payloads
3. Traffic manager: transport-specific I/O with real hardware
4. Optional wrappers: async and TCP/IP service/client patterns

This separation keeps implementations testable and easier to maintain.

License

Plesty is licensed under the GNU Lesser General Public License v3.0 or later (LGPL-3.0-or-later). See the LICENSE file.