visa-vulture 0.1.0

A Python GUI application for controlling test equipment over VISA

VISA Vulture

A Python GUI application for controlling test equipment over VISA. Load test plans from CSV files, execute them against connected instruments, and monitor results through real-time logging and plotting.

Features

• VISA Instrument Control: Connect to power supplies, signal generators, and other test equipment
• Test Plan Execution: Load CSV-based test plans for different instrument types
• Real-time Plotting: Monitor voltage/current or frequency/power during test execution
• Test Points Table: View all test plan steps in a tabular format
• Comprehensive Logging: Filterable log panel with file output
• Simulation Mode: Develop and test without hardware using PyVISA-sim

Requirements

• Python 3.10+
• Tkinter (usually included with Python)

Installation

From PyPI

pip install visa-vulture

From Source

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/dekmeister/visa-vulture.git
   cd visa-vulture
   

2. Install the package:

   pip install .
   

   Or for development (includes pytest, black, mypy):

   pip install -e ".[dev]"
   

Usage

Running the Application

After installation via pip:

# Run with default configuration (simulation mode)
visa-vulture

# Run with simulation mode explicitly enabled
visa-vulture --simulation

# Run with custom configuration file
visa-vulture --config path/to/config.json

If running from source:

python run.py
# or
python -m visa_vulture

Test Plan Format

Test plans are CSV files. The format depends on the instrument type. Step numbers are assigned automatically based on row order. The instrument type of the test plan is defined in a header row (indicated by lines starting with #).

Power Supply Test Plans

Column	Required	Description
duration	Yes	Duration of this step in seconds
voltage	Yes	Voltage setpoint in volts
current	Yes	Current limit in amps
description	No	Optional step description

Example (./plans/sample_power_supply_test_plan.csv):

# instrument_type: power_supply
duration,voltage,current,description
5.0,5.0,1.0,Initial voltage
5.0,10.0,1.5,Ramp to 10V
10.0,12.0,2.0,Final voltage
5.0,0.0,0.0,Power down

Signal Generator Test Plans

Column	Required	Description
duration	Yes	Duration of this step in seconds
frequency	Yes	Frequency in Hz
power	Yes	Power level in dBm
description	No	Optional step description

Example (./plans/sample_signal_generator_test_plan.csv):

# instrument_type: signal_generator
duration,frequency,power,description
5.0,1000000,0,Start at 1 MHz
5.0,5000000,-5,Sweep to 5 MHz
5.0,10000000,-10,Peak at 10 MHz

Configuration

Configuration is stored in JSON format. Key settings:

{
    "simulation_mode": true,
    "log_level": "INFO"
}

See visa_vulture/config/default_config.json for full configuration options.

Architecture

The application follows the Model-View-Presenter (MVP) pattern:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                        Model                            │
│  • Equipment state machine (UNKNOWN/IDLE/RUNNING/ERROR) │
│  • Test plan representation                             │
│  • Instrument abstraction                               │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                          ▲
                          │
                          ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                      Presenter                          │
│  • Coordinates model and view                           │
│  • Manages background threads for VISA communication    │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                          ▲
                          │
                          ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                         View                            │
│  • Tkinter GUI components                               │
│  • Log panel, plot panel, controls                      │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Project Structure

visa_vulture/
├── main.py                 # Entry point
├── config/                 # Configuration loading
├── model/                  # Business logic, state machine
├── view/                   # Tkinter GUI components
├── presenter/              # MVP coordination
├── file_io/                # CSV parsing, results writing
├── instruments/            # VISA instrument classes
├── logging_config/         # Logging setup
├── simulation/             # PyVISA-sim configuration
└── utils/                  # Threading helpers

Adding New Instruments

1. Create a new class in visa_vulture/instruments/ inheriting from BaseInstrument
2. Implement required methods: connect, disconnect, get_status
3. Add instrument-specific commands
4. Register the type in visa_vulture/model/equipment.py
5. Add simulation responses to visa_vulture/simulation/instruments.yaml

Development

Running with Hardware

1. Set simulation_mode: false in configuration
2. Update instrument resource_address to match your equipment
3. Ensure VISA drivers are installed (NI-VISA, Keysight IO Libraries, etc.)

Extending Simulation

Edit visa_vulture/simulation/instruments.yaml to add:

• New instrument responses
• Additional SCPI commands
• Stateful properties

License

MIT License