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Quick Start

Get from a fresh install to your first measurement in five minutes.

Step 1 — Launch the Application

Run InstrumentControl.exe from the Start Menu shortcut or directly from the install folder.

On first launch you will see the main window with:

  • A left sidebar showing the connected instruments list (empty at first)
  • A tab area with four tabs: Front Panel, Sequence Editor, Data / Charts, Log
  • A toolbar with Run / Pause / Stop buttons and sequence file controls
  • A status bar at the bottom showing the VISA mode

Step 2 — Connect an Instrument

  1. Click Add Instrument (the + button in the left sidebar)
  2. The Connection Manager window opens and scans for VISA resources automatically
  3. Select a resource from the list — the app queries it with *IDN? and highlights the matching driver
  4. If auto-detection succeeds, confirm the driver; otherwise choose one from the drop-down
  5. Click Connect

The instrument now appears in the sidebar. Its name, model and resource address are shown.

No hardware?

If NI-VISA is not installed, the app runs in simulation mode. You can still add a simulated instrument: click Add Instrument, choose Simulated from the resource list, select any driver, and connect. The driver will return fake values so you can test sequences without physical hardware.

Step 3 — Use the Front Panel

Switch to the Front Panel tab. Each plugin provides its own instrument-specific UI:

  • For DMMs (HP 34401A, Keithley 2000): voltage/current/resistance measurement buttons, range selector, reading display
  • For a power supply (ITECH IT6922B): voltage and current set-point sliders, output on/off toggle, live readback
  • For the oscilloscope (R&S RTB2004): channel enable, timebase, trigger controls, waveform screenshot
  • For the CTS Chamber: temperature set-point, ramp rate, start/stop/pause buttons

Click the controls to send commands to the real instrument (or see simulated responses in simulation mode).

Step 4 — Build a Simple Sequence

Switch to the Sequence Editor tab. A blank canvas contains a Start block.

Add Blocks

Drag blocks from the block toolbox on the left onto the canvas:

  1. Drag a measurement block (e.g. HP34401A_MeasureDCV) onto the canvas
  2. Drag a WaitBlock onto the canvas
  3. Drag an EndBlock onto the canvas

Connect Blocks

Click and drag from the green output dot on the right side of one block to the input dot on the left side of the next block. Connect:

[Start] → [MeasureDCV] → [Wait] → [End]

Set Block Properties

Double-click a block to open its property editor:

  • MeasureDCV: set Instrument (choose the connected DMM), Range (e.g. 10), Variable Name (e.g. voltage)
  • Wait: set Delay (ms) to 500

Step 5 — Run the Sequence

Click Run (▶) in the toolbar. Watch:

  • The currently-executing block is highlighted on the canvas
  • Measurement values appear in the Log tab
  • Results stream into the Data / Charts tab in real time

Click Stop (■) to abort at any time, or Pause (⏸) and Resume to suspend execution.

Step 6 — View and Export Results

Switch to the Data / Charts tab:

  • The chart plots all measurements over time
  • The data table below shows every result row (timestamp, instrument, parameter, value, unit)
  • Click Export CSV to save the full result set

Results are automatically accumulated across multiple sequence runs until you click Clear Data.

Next Steps

  • Connection Manager — detailed guide to VISA resource discovery
  • Sequence Editor — loops, conditions, variables, and more
  • Block Reference — every built-in block explained
  • Individual instrument guides in the sidebar for instrument-specific details