PressureControl

class acq4.devices.PressureControl.PressureControl(manager, config, name)[source]

Bases: Device

A device for controlling pressure to a single port.

Pressure control may be implemented by a combination of a pressure regulator and multiple valves.

The configuration for these devices should look like:

maximum: 50*kPa
minimum: -50*kPa
regulatorSettlingTime: 0.3

deviceInterface(win)[source]: Return a widget with a UI to put in the device rack

getBusyStatus()[source]: Override this and emit sigBusyChanged appropriately if your subclass implements a busy state.

getPressure()[source]

getSource()[source]

rampPressure(target: float | None = None, target_tolerance: float = 10, maximum: float | None = None, minimum: float | None = None, rate: float | None = None, duration: float | None = None, _future: Future | None = None) → None[source]

setPressure(source=None, pressure=None)[source]: Set the output pressure (float; in Pa) and/or pressure source (str).

setSource(source)[source]

sigBusyChanged

pyqtSignal(*types, name: str = …, revision: int = …, arguments: Sequence = …) -> PYQT_SIGNAL

types is normally a sequence of individual types. Each type is either a type object or a string that is the name of a C++ type. Alternatively each type could itself be a sequence of types each describing a different overloaded signal. name is the optional C++ name of the signal. If it is not specified then the name of the class attribute that is bound to the signal is used. revision is the optional revision of the signal that is exported to QML. If it is not specified then 0 is used. arguments is the optional sequence of the names of the signal’s arguments.

sigPressureChanged

pyqtSignal(*types, name: str = …, revision: int = …, arguments: Sequence = …) -> PYQT_SIGNAL

types is normally a sequence of individual types. Each type is either a type object or a string that is the name of a C++ type. Alternatively each type could itself be a sequence of types each describing a different overloaded signal. name is the optional C++ name of the signal. If it is not specified then the name of the class attribute that is bound to the signal is used. revision is the optional revision of the signal that is exported to QML. If it is not specified then 0 is used. arguments is the optional sequence of the names of the signal’s arguments.

The PressureControl device provides control of pressure to a single port, typically used for patch clamp pipette pressure regulation. It may be implemented using a combination of pressure regulators and valves.

Configuration

Basic configuration options:

maximum (float): Maximum pressure limit in Pascals (default: 50 kPa)
minimum (float): Minimum pressure limit in Pascals (default: -50 kPa)
regulatorSettlingTime (float): Time to wait for pressure regulator to settle in seconds (default: 0.3)

Example configuration:

PressureController:
    driver: 'PressureControl'
    maximum: 50000  # 50 kPa
    minimum: -50000 # -50 kPa
    regulatorSettlingTime: 0.3

Features

Pressure Ramping: * Controlled pressure changes over time * Configurable ramp rates and durations * Target pressure with tolerance settings

Pressure Sources: * Regulator: Controlled pressure from pressure regulator * User: Manual pressure applied by user * Atmosphere: Atmospheric pressure (open to air)

Safety Features: * Pressure limit enforcement * Automatic settling time management * Status monitoring and feedback

Usage

Set Pressure: Set immediate pressure to a target value:

pressureController.setPressure(1000)  # 1 kPa

Ramp Pressure: Gradually change pressure over time:

# Ramp to 2 kPa over 5 seconds
pressureController.rampPressure(target=2000, duration=5.0)

# Ramp at 500 Pa/second until reaching 3 kPa
pressureController.rampPressure(target=3000, rate=500)

Pressure Sources: Switch between pressure sources:

pressureController.setSource('regulator')  # Use pressure regulator
pressureController.setSource('atmosphere') # Open to atmosphere
pressureController.setSource('user')       # Manual user control

Signals

The device emits the following Qt signals:

sigBusyChanged: Emitted when device busy state changes
sigPressureChanged: Emitted when pressure or source changes

Implementation Notes

This is a base class that provides the common interface for pressure control devices. Specific implementations should inherit from this class and implement the actual hardware control methods.

Common implementations include: * DAQ-based pressure control with analog outputs * Serial/USB pressure controller interfaces * Sensapex pressure control systems

Dependencies

Specific hardware driver (depends on implementation)
Pressure regulator hardware
Appropriate valve systems for source switching