Lab::Measurement - A portable and extensible framework for controlling lab equipment and conducting measurements

TL;DR

Lab::Measurement is a versatile, open-source framework in Perl 5 that simplifies controlling lab equipment and automating measurements across various protocols and platforms, with robust features for data logging and testing.

Contribution

It introduces a portable, extensible measurement framework with a layered architecture supporting multiple communication protocols and high-level automation in Perl 5.

Findings

Supports multiple communication protocols like IEEE 488, USB, VXI-11

Enables cross-platform portability for lab equipment control

Includes extensive testing and automation features

Abstract

Lab::Measurement is a framework for test and measurement automatization using Perl 5. While primarily developed with applications in mesoscopic physics in mind, it is widely adaptable. Internally, a layer model is implemented. Communication protocols such as IEEE 488, USB Test & Measurement, or, e.g., VXI-11 are addressed by the connection layer. The wide range of supported connection backends enables unique cross-platform portability. At the instrument layer, objects correspond to equipment connected to the measurement PC (e.g., voltage sources, magnet power supplies, multimeters, etc.). The high-level sweep layer automates the creation of measurement loops, with simultaneous plotting and data logging. An extensive unit testing framework is used to verify functionality even without connected equipment. Lab::Measurement is distributed as free and open source software.