2. What’s new in PyMoDAQ 4

The main modifications in PyMoDAQ 4 is related to the hierarchy of the modules in the source code and the data management.

The feel and shape of the control modules and the way the DAQ_Scan work have been reworked. A new extension is introduced: the Console.

2.1. Package hierarchy

Before many modules where stored in a generic daq_utils module. It was kind of messy and the development of much nicer code for pymo4 was the occasion to reshape the package and its modules. Figure Fig. 2.1 shows the new layout of the package.

_images/package_hierarchy.png

Fig. 2.1 Layout of the PyMoDAQ 4 package.

The only python file at the root is the dashboard.py that contains the code about the dashoard, the starting point of PyMoDAQ usage.

Note

There is a daq_utils.py file here as well to provide some back compatibility with pymodaq v3 but this file will soon be deprecated (when all plugins will be updated according to this tutorial)

Then you’ll find modules for:

  • Control modules: the DAQ_Viewer and the DAQ_Move and their utility modules

  • Example module: contains some executable code to illustrate some features

  • Extension module: contains the main extension of the DashBoard: DAQ_Scan, DAQ_Logger, PID and H5Browser

  • Post-Treatment modules: utilities to process PyMoDAQ’s data

  • Resources module: contains the UI icons, templates for configuration and presets

  • Utils module: contains all utility modules, see Fig. 2.2.

_images/utils_module_layout.png

Fig. 2.2 Layout of the utils module

This last utils module contains many other module needed for PyMoDAQ to run smoothly. They can also be used in some other programs to use their features. Below is a short description of what they are related to:

  • abstract: contains abstract classes (if not stored in another specific module)

  • db: module related to data logging towards database (postgresql for instance)

  • gui_utils: usefull UI widgets and related objects to build quickly and nicely user interfaces

  • h5modules: everything related to the saving and browsing of data in hdf5 files

  • managers: integrated objects managing various thing, for instance, control modules, presets, roi… In general they have a specific UI (that you can incorporate in your main UI) and the code to interact with whatever is related to it.

  • parameter: extensions of the pyqtgraph Parameter introducing other widgets and Parameter types. Includes also serializers from/to Parameter to/from XML

  • plotting: everything related to the plotting of data: including the 4 main data viewers, see Data Viewers

  • scanner: objects related to the DAQ_Scan defining and managing the scans. The different types of scans are defined using a factory pattern.

  • svg: under tests to plot svg

  • array_manipulation: utility functions to create, manipulate and extract info from numpy arrays

  • calibration_camera: utility UI to get a calibration file from a Camera compatible with pymodaq (to use real physical axes and not pixels in the data viewers). Old code, maybe to update for it to work

  • chrono_timer: user interface to be used for timing things, see ChronoTimer

  • config: objects dealing with configuration files (for instance the main config for pymodaq). Can be used elsewhere, for instance in instrument plugin

  • conftests: configuration file for the test suite

  • daq_utils: deprecated

  • data: module containing all objects related to Data Management

  • enums: base class and method to ease the use of enumerated types

  • exceptions: contains some shared exceptions. But exceptions should be in their related module…

  • factory: base class to be used when defining a factory pattern

  • logger: methods to initialize the logging objects in the various modules

  • math_utils: a set of useful mathematical functions

  • messenger: function to be used when one want to display messages (in the log or in popups)

  • qvariant: definition of a QVariant object. To be used in PySide as it is not defined there…

  • slicing: definition of slicing objects used in the data management to slice data

  • tcp_server_client: set of classes to build TCP/IP communication

  • units: methods for conversion between physical units (especially photon energy in eV, nm, cm, J…)

2.2. Data Management

See data management.

2.3. DAQ_Scan

See DAQ Scan.