SR850 lock-in amplifier, with PyVISA

It's a breeze, as always, to connect instruments to Python. This is a PyVISA sub-class that you can use with an SR850 lock-in amplifier.

	# Talk to SR850 lockin amplifier
	# version 1, 2014-01-20
	# Amar
	import visa
	import numpy as np
	from datetime import date
	import time
	class LIA(visa.SerialInstrument):
	# Lock-in amplifier, SR850
	def __init__(self,portName):
	visa.SerialInstrument.__init__(self,portName)
	self.timeout = 3
	self.id = self.ask("*IDN?")
	def characterize(self):
	warnings = ""
	print self.id
	print "Sensitivity = ", self.ask("SENS?")
	print "Reserve = ", self.ask("RSRV?")
	if self.ask("RSRV?")!="0": warnings+= "** Warning! Dynamic reserve is not 0 dB ** \n"
	print "Time constant = ", self.ask("OFLT?")
	print "Traces = ", self.ask("TRCD?1"), self.ask("TRCD?2"), self.ask("TRCD?3"), self.ask("TRCD?4")
	FMOD = self.ask("FMOD?")
	if FMOD == "0": FMODString = "internal"
	elif FMOD == "1": FMODString = "internal sweep"
	elif FMOD == "2": FMODString = "external"
	print "Ref. source = ", FMODString
	print "Ref. frequency = ", self.ask("FREQ?")
	print "Ref. phase = ", self.ask("PHAS?")
	print "Ref. sine level = ", self.ask("SLVL?")
	print
	print warnings
	print
	def setf(self,fi):
	self.write("FREQ " + `fi`)
	def setphase(self,p):
	self.write("PHAS " +`p`)
	def getAverage(self,channel=1,N=400):
	# channel #s: 1 = X, 2 = Y, 3 = R, 4 = Theta
	S = []
	for i in range(N): S.append( float(self.ask("OUTP?" + `channel`)) )
	S_avg = np.average(S)
	S_std = np.std(S)
	return S_avg, S_std
	def scanP(self,f,channel=1,N=100,std=False):
	# channels: 1 = X, 2 = Y, 3 = R, 4 = Theta
	output, err = [], []
	for fi in f:
	self.setf(fi)
	print self.ask("FREQ?"),
	x = []
	for i in range(N): x.append( float(self.ask("OUTP?"+`channel`)) )
	x_avg = np.average(x)
	output.append( x_avg )
	x_std = np.std(x)
	err.append( x_std )
	if std: return output, err
	else: return output
	def scanR(self,f,trace=1,N=100,std=False):
	# traces: 1,2,3,4
	output, err = [], []
	for fi in f:
	self.setf(fi)
	print self.ask("FREQ?"),
	x = []
	for i in range(N): x.append( float(self.ask("OUTR?"+`trace`)) )
	x_avg = np.average(x)
	output.append( x_avg )
	x_std = np.std(x)
	err.append( x_std )
	if std: return output, err
	else: return output

view raw SR850-lockin.py hosted with ❤ by GitHub

 Here is how to use these utility functions to measure a noise spectrum with the SR850. (Watch out for the dynamic reserve when making noise measurements!)

	# SR850 as a spectrum analyzer
	# version 1, 2014-01-21
	# Amar
	import os
	os.chdir("c:/data/googledrive/code")
	import SR850
	import numpy as np
	import pylab as plt
	lia= SR850.LIA("COM7")
	lia.characterize()
	lia.write("TRCD 1,5,0,0,0") # set trace 1 to Xn (rms noise in X quadrature, V/rt-Hz)
	lia.write("TRCD 2,6,0,0,0") # set trace 2 to Yn (rms noise in Y quadrature, V/rt-Hz)
	background = True
	Navg = 1000
	f = 10**np.arange(0,4,0.2)
	Xn, Xn_err = np.array( lia.scanR(f,trace=1,N=Navg,std=True) )
	if background:
	print
	foo = raw_input("Ready for background measurement?")
	Xn_bg, Xn_bg_err = np.array( lia.scanR(f,trace=1,N=Navg,std=True) )
	lia.close()
	plt.figure(1)
	plt.title("Current noise spectrum with lock-in \n G = 1e9 V/A, 10 mV FS, 0 dB reserve")
	plt.xlabel("Frequency, f [Hz]")
	plt.ylabel("Current noise, $\sqrt{W_I}$ [A/$\sqrt{\mathrm{Hz}}$]")
	plt.xscale('log')
	plt.yscale('log')
	plt.errorbar(f,np.sqrt(2) * Xn/1e9,yerr = 20 * np.sqrt(2) * Xn_err/1e9,color='b',marker='o',lw=2,label="Beam on")
	if background:
	plt.errorbar(f,np.sqrt(2) * Xn_bg/1e9,yerr = 20 * np.sqrt(2) * Xn_bg_err/1e9,color='g',marker='^',lw=2,label="Background")
	plt.plot(f,np.sqrt(2*1.6e-19*1.7e-9)*np.ones(len(f)),'b--',lw=4, alpha=0.5,label="Shot noise")
	plt.legend(loc='upper right')
	plt.show()

view raw lockin-spectrum.py hosted with ❤ by GitHub