SCTE: An open-source Perl framework for testing equipment control and data acquisition

TL;DR

SCTE is an open-source Perl framework designed to simplify the development of data acquisition and equipment control systems in experimental physics, supporting multiple communication protocols and enabling easy instrument programming.

Contribution

It introduces a flexible, object-oriented Perl framework that encapsulates hardware communication complexities and supports various interfaces for experimental physics applications.

Findings

Successfully used for calibrating power measurement devices in tokamak experiments

Supports RS-232, USB, LAN interfaces with SCPI protocol in a unified framework

Facilitates rapid development of data acquisition systems in physics research

Abstract

SCTE intends to provide a simple, yet powerful, framework for building data acquisition and equipment control systems for experimental Physics, and correlated areas. Via its SCTE::Instrument module, RS-232, USB, and LAN buses are supported, and the intricacies of hardware communication are encapsulated underneath an object oriented abstraction layer. Written in Perl, and using the SCPI protocol, enabled instruments can be easily programmed to perform a wide variety of tasks. While this work presents general aspects of the development of data acquisition systems using the SCTE framework, it is illustrated by particular applications designed for the calibration of several in-house developed devices for power measurement in the tokamak TCABR Alfv\'en Waves Excitement System.