NAME

Lab::Instrument - General VISA based instrument

SYNOPSIS

use Lab::Instrument;

my $hp22 =  new Lab::Instrument(0,22); # gpib board 0, address 22
print $hp22->Query('*IDN?');

DESCRIPTION

Lab::Instrument offers an abstract interface to an instrument, that is connected via GPIB, serial bus or ethernet. It provides general Read, Write and Query methods, and more.

It can be used either directly by the laborant (programmer) to work with an instrument that doesn't have its own perl class (like Lab::Instrument::HP34401A). Or it can be used by such a specialized perl instrument class (like Lab::Instrument::HP34401A), to delegate the actual visa work. (All the instruments in the default package do so.)

CONSTRUCTOR

new

$instrument=new Lab::Instrument($board,$addr);
$instrument2=new Lab::Instrument({GPIB_board => $board, GPIB_address => $addr});

Creates a new instrument object and open the instrument with GPIB address $addr connected to the GPIB board $board (usually 0). All instrument classes that internally use the Lab::Instrument module (that's all instruments in the default distribution) can use both forms of the constructor.

METHODS

Write

$write_count=$instrument->Write($command);

Sends the command $command to the instrument.

Read

$result=$instrument->Read($length);

Reads a result of maximum length $length from the instrument and returns it.

Query

$result=$instrument->Query($command);

Sends the command $command to the instrument and reads a result from the instrument and returns it. The length of the read buffer is haphazardly set to 300 bytes. This can be changed in the source code, hehe. Or you use seperate Write and Read commands.

Clear

$instrument->Clear();

Sends a clear command to the instrument.

Handle

$instr_handle=$instrument->Handle();

Returns the VISA handle. You can use this handle with the Lab::VISA module.

CAVEATS/BUGS

Probably many.

SEE ALSO

Lab::VISA

Lab::Instrument::HP34401A

Lab::Instrument::HP34970A

Lab::Instrument::Source

Lab::Instrument::KnickS252

Lab::Instrument::Yokogawa7651

Lab::Instrument::SR780

Lab::Instrument::IPS120_10

AUTHOR/COPYRIGHT

This is $Id: Instrument.pm 475 2006-08-10 22:06:46Z schroeer $

Copyright 2004-2006 Daniel Schröer (http://www.danielschroeer.de)

This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.

cpanm Lab::Instrument

perl -MCPAN -e shell
install Lab::Instrument