Installation

1. Install a VISA driver (National Instruments provides free downloads). The PyVISA documentation page is an excellent resource to locate a VISA driver for your system:

• NI-VISA downloads links to downloads separated by OS.
• PyVISA backends: an explanation of what is needed.

2. Install instrbuilder using pip.

username$ python -m pip instrbuilder

Getting Started

1. Command lists for Keysight oscilloscopes, function generator, DMM; Rigol DC Power Supply (commands.csv) are included in the package at: instrbuilder/instruments/

Locate the instrument command files on your system using the following python commands:

import instrbuilder
init_file_loc = instrbuilder.__file__
instrument_cmds = init_file_loc.replace('__init__.py', 'instruments/')
print('Instrument commmands (csv files) are at: {}'.format(instrument_cmds))

Note that you can move the command csv files (and probably should). The location of these needs to be specified in the YAML configuration file.

2. A YAML file is used to track your specific system configurations and instrument addresses (e.g. USB0::0x0957::0x0407::MY44060286::INSTR). Create your system YAML file using the steps below. This will be generated at ~/.instrbuilder/ (where ~ indicates your home directory). See the example YAML on GitHub.
3. Try an example in the source code at instrbuilder/examples/. A Keysight and Rigol Oscilloscope is demonstrated in: oscilloscope.py.

Locate the example directory using the following python commands:

import instrbuilder
init_file_loc = instrbuilder.__file__
examples = init_file_loc.replace('__init__.py', 'examples/')
print('Examples are at: {}'.format(examples))

Create Your YAML

1. Initialize a YAML (specify the first parameter, the other 3 should always be default):

from instrbuilder import instrument_opening
instrument_opening.init_yaml(csv_dir = 'where/your/commands_csv/files/are')

2. To add instruments to the YAML function use the script found in instrbuilder/examples/add_instruments_to_config.py. This will prompt the user for information. Note that it may be helpful to have only one instrument connected/powered at a time so that there is no ambiguity:
3. An example YAML is available here on GitHub.

Extra Installation Steps if Using the Bluesky Suite from NSLS-II

1. If using the Bluesky suite uninstall ophyd and re-install from a git fork:

username$ python -m pip uninstall ophyd
username$ python -m pip install git+https://github.com/lucask07/ophyd@master#egg=ophyd

To check if the correct ophyd fork was installed try:

from ophyd.ee_instruments import generate_ophyd_obj

This warning:

Error:  <class 'ImportError'>
IC (integrated circuit imports failed)
The aardvark.so or dll must be in the cwd or an importable path
Continuing anyways, since many may not use this portion...

is OK. A module import error is not.

A basic Bluesky demo is at instrbuilder/bluesky_demo/fg_oscilloscope_basics.py