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 connection 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.)

CONSTRUCTORS

new

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

METHODS

Write

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

Query

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

Clear

$instrument->Clear();

Handle

$instr_handle=$instrument->Handle();

CAVEATS/BUGS

Probably many.

SEE ALSO

Lab::VISA

AUTHOR/COPYRIGHT

This is $Id: Instrument.pm 272 2005-12-12 00:56:50Z schroeer $

Copyright 2004/2005 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.