/ 
Lab-Instrument-1.00
/ Lab::Instrument::Source

NAME

Lab::Instrument::Source - Base class for voltage source instruments

SYNOPSIS

DESCRIPTION

This class implements a general voltage source. It is meant to be inherited by instrument classes (virtual instruments), that implement real voltage sources (e.g. the Lab::Instrument::Yokogawa7651 class).

The class provides a unified user interface for those virtual voltage sources to support the exchangeability of instruments.

Additionally, this class provides a safety mechanism called gate_protect to protect delicate samples. It includes automatic limitations of sweep rates, voltage step sizes, minimal and maximal voltages.

CONSTRUCTORS

$self=new Lab::Instrument::SafeSource(\%default_config,\%config);

The constructor will only be used by instrument driver that inherit this class, not by the user.

METHODS

configure

$self->configure(\%config);

Supported configure options are all related to the included safety mechanism:

gate_protect
gp_max_volt_per_second
gp_max_volt_per_step
gp_max_step_per_second
gp_min_volt
gp_max_volt

set_voltage

$new_volt=$self->set_voltage($voltage);

Sets the output to $voltage (in Volt). If the configure option gate_protect is set to a true value, the safety mechanism takes into account the gp_max_volt_per_step, gp_max_volt_per_second etc. settings, by employing the sweep_to_voltage() method.

Returns the actually set output voltage. This can be different from $voltage, due to the gp_max_volt, gp_min_volt settings.

step_to_voltage

$new_volt=$self->step_to_voltage($voltage);

Makes one safe step in direction to $voltage. The output voltage is not changed by more than gp_max_volt_per_step. Before the voltage is changed, the methods waits if not enough times has passed since the last voltage change. For step voltage and waiting time calculation, the larger of gp_max_volt_per_second or gp_max_step_per_second is ignored (see code).

Returns the actually set output voltage. This can be different from $voltage, due to the gp_max_volt, gp_min_volt settings.

sweep_to_voltage

$new_volt=$self->sweep_to_voltage($voltage);

This method sweeps the output voltage to the desired value and only returns then. Uses the "step_to_voltage" method internally, so all discussions of config options from there apply too.

Returns the actually set output voltage. This can be different from $voltage, due to the gp_max_volt, gp_min_volt settings.

CAVEATS/BUGS

Probably many.

SEE ALSO

Time::HiRes

AUTHOR/COPYRIGHT

This is $Id: Source.pm 268 2005-12-11 02:41:24Z schroeer $

Copyright 2004 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.

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