Control LXI Compatible Instruments Using the Command "lxi" (with examples)

LXI (LAN eXtensions for Instrumentation) is a standard protocol for controlling and communicating with test and measurement instruments over a network. In this article, we will explore various use cases of the command “lxi” to control LXI compatible instruments such as oscilloscopes. The lxi command is a part of the lxi-tools package and provides a command-line interface for interacting with LXI devices.

Discover LXI Devices on Available Networks

The lxi discover command allows us to discover LXI devices on the available networks. This can be useful when we want to find the IP address and details about LXI instruments connected to the network.

lxi discover

Motivation: When working with a large network of LXI instruments, it can be challenging to keep track of all the devices and their IP addresses. By using the lxi discover command, we can quickly find LXI devices connected to the network and obtain their IP addresses.

Explanation: The discover subcommand triggers the discovery process, which scans the available networks for LXI devices. It returns a list of discovered devices along with their IP addresses and other details.

Example Output:

Device found: IP Address: 192.168.1.100, Manufacturer: Keysight Technologies, Model: DSOX3014T
Device found: IP Address: 192.168.1.101, Manufacturer: Rigol Technologies, Model: DS1054Z

Capture a Screenshot, Detecting a Plugin Automatically

The lxi screenshot command allows us to capture a screenshot from an LXI instrument. By default, it automatically detects the appropriate plugin based on the instrument’s manufacturer and model.

lxi screenshot --address ip_address

Motivation: When performing tests or experiments, it is often necessary to capture screenshots from the connected LXI instruments for further analysis or documentation. The lxi screenshot command provides a convenient way to capture screenshots directly from the command line.

Explanation: The screenshot subcommand captures a screenshot from the LXI instrument specified by the --address argument, which should be replaced with the IP address of the instrument. The command automatically detects the plugin to use based on the instrument’s manufacturer and model.

Example Output: A screenshot file is saved in the current directory.

Capture a Screenshot Using a Specified Plugin

In some cases, the automatic plugin detection may fail or we may want to explicitly specify the plugin to use for capturing a screenshot. The lxi screenshot command allows us to do that by specifying the plugin name along with the IP address of the LXI instrument.

lxi screenshot --address ip_address --plugin plugin_name

Motivation: Occasionally, we may encounter situations where the automatic detection of the plugin fails, or we want to use a specific plugin that is not the default for the given instrument. In such cases, being able to manually specify the plugin with the --plugin argument provides flexibility and ensures the screenshot is captured correctly.

Explanation: The screenshot subcommand captures a screenshot from the LXI instrument specified by the --address argument. The --plugin argument allows us to specify the name of the plugin to use for capturing the screenshot.

Example Output: A screenshot file is saved in the current directory.

Send an SCPI Command to an Instrument

The lxi scpi command allows us to send SCPI (Standard Commands for Programmable Instruments) commands to an LXI instrument. SCPI commands are commonly used to control instrument settings, retrieve measurement values, or perform other instrument-specific operations.

lxi scpi --address ip_address "scpi_command"

Motivation: When we want to programmatically control LXI instruments or retrieve specific information from them, sending SCPI commands can be a powerful tool. By using the lxi scpi command, we can directly send SCPI commands to an instrument from the command line.

Explanation: The scpi subcommand sends the specified SCPI command to the LXI instrument specified by the --address argument, which should be replaced with the IP address of the instrument. The SCPI command should be provided as a string enclosed in double quotes.

Example Output: The command will return the response from the instrument for the sent SCPI command.

Run a Benchmark for Request and Response Performance

The lxi benchmark command allows us to measure the request and response performance of an LXI instrument. This can be useful for evaluating the network and instrument’s performance, especially in scenarios where high-speed data acquisition or repeated commands are involved.

lxi benchmark --address ip_address

Motivation: When working with LXI instruments in performance-critical applications, it becomes important to measure the request and response performance of the instruments. Benchmarking can help identify bottlenecks or inefficiencies in the communication setup and optimize the overall performance.

Explanation: The benchmark subcommand measures the request and response performance of the LXI instrument specified by the --address argument, which should be replaced with the IP address of the instrument. The command performs a series of requests and measures the time for each request and the response from the instrument.

Example Output:

Benchmarking LXI instrument at IP Address 192.168.1.100...
  Request 1: Duration = 10.25 ms
  Request 2: Duration = 9.76 ms
  Request 3: Duration = 10.12 ms
  ...
Total duration: 50.32 ms
Average request duration: 10.06 ms