Cyber Framework for Steering and Measurements Collection Over Instrument-Computing Ecosystems

TL;DR

This paper introduces a cyber framework enabling remote control and data collection from scientific instruments over complex networks, demonstrated through microscopy and adaptable for autonomous labs and energy grids.

Contribution

It presents a novel software-based framework utilizing Python and Pyro for remote instrument control and measurement collection in instrument-computing ecosystems.

Findings

Successful remote microscopy measurements

Automated data transfer demonstrated

Framework adaptable to various scientific workflows

Abstract

We propose a framework to develop cyber solutions to support the remote steering of science instruments and measurements collection over instrument-computing ecosystems. It is based on provisioning separate data and control connections at the network level, and developing software modules consisting of Python wrappers for instrument commands and Pyro server-client codes that make them available across the ecosystem network. We demonstrate automated measurement transfers and remote steering operations in a microscopy use case for materials research over an ecosystem of Nion microscopes and computing platforms connected over site networks. The proposed framework is currently under further refinement and being adopted to science workflows with automated remote experiments steering for autonomous chemistry laboratories and smart energy grid simulations.