Ni analog output

documentation/changelog.md

@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ please use _ni_x_series_in_streamer.py_ as hardware module.
 * New SwitchInterface and updated logic plus GUI
 * Added biexponential fit function, model and estimator
 * Added custom circular loading indicator widget `qtwidgets.loading_indicator.CircleLoadingIndicator`
+* Added hardware module to interface NI analog output cards via ProcessControlInterface
 
 
 Config changes:

hardware/ni_analog_output.py

@@ -0,0 +1,113 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+
+"""
+This file contains the qudi hardware module to use a National Instruments 9263 Analog output module
+
+Qudi is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+(at your option) any later version.
+
+Qudi is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+GNU General Public License for more details.
+
+You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+along with Qudi. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+Copyright (c) the Qudi Developers. See the COPYRIGHT.txt file at the
+top-level directory of this distribution and at <https://github.com/Ulm-IQO/qudi/>
+"""
+
+import numpy as np
+import nidaqmx as ni
+
+from core.module import Base
+from core.configoption import ConfigOption
+
+from interface.process_control_interface import ProcessControlInterface
+
+
+class NIAnalogOutput(Base, ProcessControlInterface):
+    """ A module to interface a National Instruments device that can apply an anlog output +/- 10 V on 4 channels
+
+    Tested with : NI9263 connected via USB cDAQ-9171
+
+    Example config :
+
+    ni_analog_output:
+        module.Class: 'ni_analog_output.NIAnalogOutput'
+        device_name: 'cDAQ1Mod1' # optional
+        voltage_limits: [[-10, 10], [-10, 10], [-10, 10], [-10, 10]] # optional
+    """
+
+    _device_name = ConfigOption(name='device_name', default='cDAQ1Mod1')
+    _voltage_limits_config = ConfigOption('voltage_limits', default=[[-10, 10], [-10, 10], [-10, 10], [-10, 10]])
+
+    def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        super().__init__(*args, **kwargs)
+        self._system = None
+        self._device = None
+        self._output_number = None
+        self._tasks = None
+        self._voltage_limits = None
+        self._current_state = None
+
+    def on_activate(self):
+        """ Starts up the NI-card and performs sanity checks. """
+        # Device check
+        self._system = ni.system.System.local()
+        device_names = self._system.devices.device_names
+        if self._device_name not in device_names:
+            self.log.error('Device "{0}" not found in connected devices: {1}'.format(self._device_name, device_names))
+        self._device = self._system.devices[self._device_name]
+        self._output_number = len(self._device.ao_physical_chans)
+        # Config check
+        self._voltage_limits = np.array(self._voltage_limits_config)
+        if self._voltage_limits.shape != (self._output_number, 2):
+            self.log.error('Hardware has {} analog output. Config limits specifies {}.'.format(
+                                self._output_number, self._voltage_limits.shape[0]))
+        self._tasks = []
+        for i, channel in enumerate(self._device.ao_physical_chans):
+            task = ni.Task()
+            task.ao_channels.add_ao_voltage_chan(channel.name,
+                                                 min_val=self._voltage_limits[i, 0], max_val=self._voltage_limits[i, 1])
+            self._tasks.append(task)
+        self._current_state = np.zeros(self._output_number)
+
+    def on_deactivate(self):
+        """ Shut down the NI card.
+        """
+        for task in self._tasks:
+            task.write(0)
+            task.close()
+        self._current_state[:] = 0
+
+    def set_control_value(self, value, channel=0):
+        """ Set the voltage on an analog output channel """
+        self._tasks[channel].write(value)
+        self._current_state[channel] = value
+
+    def get_control_value(self, channel=None):
+        """ Get the voltage on an analog output channel
+
+         NI API does not give any getter for current state so value is stored by the hardware module.
+         """
+        return self._current_state[channel]
+
+    def get_control_unit(self, channel=None):
+        """ Return the unit that the value is set in as a tuple of ('abbreviation', 'full unit name')"""
+        return 'V', 'Volt'
+
+    def get_control_limit(self, channel=0):
+        """ Return limits within which the controlled value can be set as a tuple of (low limit, high limit) """
+        return self._voltage_limits[channel]
+
+    def process_control_supports_multiple_channels(self):
+        """ Function to test if hardware support multiple channels """
+        return True
+
+    def process_control_get_number_channels(self):
+        """ Function to get the number of channels available for control """
+        return self._output_number