Introduction

The Tektronix AWG70000A series internally use .seqx files. The QCoDeS driver for the AWGs knows how to compile these files and broadbean knows what QCoDeS need to do so.

Step 1: Make a sequence



In [5]:

    
# We make a sequence consisting of a bsic element with:
# a wait time, a ramp up, a sine, a ramp down, and more wait time
# And then we vary the sine frequency
%matplotlib notebook
import broadbean as bb
from broadbean.plotting import plotter
import numpy as np

sine = bb.PulseAtoms.sine
ramp = bb.PulseAtoms.ramp

##########################
# settings

SR = 25e9
t1 = 10e-9  # first wait time (s)
ramp_time = 5e-9  # the ramp time (s)
t_sine = 25e-9  # the sine time (s)
high_level = 0.1  # the high level (V)
sine_amp = 0.05  # the sine amplitude (V)
t2 = 150e-9  # the second wait time (s)
f0 = 1e9  # the base frequency of the sine (Hz)

baseshape = bb.BluePrint()
baseshape.insertSegment(0, ramp, (0, 0), dur=t1)
baseshape.insertSegment(1, ramp, (0, high_level), dur=ramp_time)
baseshape.insertSegment(2, sine, (f0, sine_amp, high_level, 0), dur=t_sine, name='drive')
baseshape.insertSegment(3, ramp, (high_level, 0), dur=ramp_time)
baseshape.insertSegment(4, ramp, (0, 0), dur=t2, name='wait')
baseshape.setSegmentMarker('wait', (0, t_sine), 1)
baseshape.setSegmentMarker('drive', (0, t_sine), 2)
baseshape.setSR(SR)



In [6]:

    
# Check that it looks the way we expect
plotter(baseshape)



In [7]:

    
# Make it into a sequence
baseelem = bb.Element()
baseelem.addBluePrint(1, baseshape)

# Add elements and vary the sine freq.

sine_freqs = np.linspace(1e9, 2e9, 5)

seq = bb.Sequence()
seq.setSR(SR)

# We set each element of the sequence to wait for
# a trigger from trigger input 'A'

for index, freq in enumerate(sine_freqs):
    elem = baseelem.copy()
    elem.changeArg(1, 'drive', 'freq', freq)
    seq.addElement(index+1, elem)
    seq.setSequencingTriggerWait(index+1, 1)  # 1: trigA, 2: trigB, 3: EXT

# and set the last element to point back to the first one
seq.setSequencingGoto(index+1, 1)

seq.name = 'tutorial_sequence'  # the sequence name will be needed later

Step 2: Initialise the driver



In [4]:

    
# import and initialise the driver and ensure that the sample
# rate and channel voltage is correct

from qcodes.instrument_drivers.tektronix.AWG70002A import AWG70002A

awg = AWG70002A('awg', 'TCPIP0::172.20.2.243::inst0::INSTR')









    



Connected to: TEKTRONIX AWG70002A (serial:B020397, firmware:FV:5.3.0128.0) in 0.57s



In [5]:

    
awg.sample_rate(SR)
awg.ch1.awg_amplitude(0.5)  # this is the peak-to-peak amplitude of the channel

# Now we must update the Sequence object with this information
seq.setChannelAmplitude(1, awg.ch1.awg_amplitude())

Step 3: Make output for the driver



In [6]:

    
# If the sequence has been built correctly, it's a one-liner
seqx_input = seq.outputForSEQXFile()

Step 4: Build, send, load, and assign a .seqx file



In [7]:

    
# compile a binary .seqx file
seqx_output = awg.makeSEQXFile(*seqx_input)



In [8]:

    
# transfer it to the awg harddrive
awg.sendSEQXFile(seqx_output, 'tutorial.seqx')



In [9]:

    
# load it into awg active memory
awg.loadSEQXFile('tutorial.seqx')



In [10]:

    
# assign tracks from the sequence to the awg sequencer
awg.ch1.setSequenceTrack('tutorial_sequence', 1)

# NB: Each channel has an assigned resolution, either 8, 9, or 10.
# 8 means 8 bits for the waveform, 2 bits for the markers (i.e. 2 markers)
# 9 means 9 bits for the waveform, 1 bit for the markers (i.e. 1 marker)
# 10 means 10 bit for the waveform, no markers
#
# Since we want to have two markers, we make sure that the resolution is 8
awg.ch1.resolution(8)

Step 5: Play it



In [11]:

    
awg.ch1.state(1)
awg.play()



In [12]:

    
# force trigger the instrument to play the next part of the sequence
awg.force_triggerA()



In [13]:

    
# eventually shut down and turn off
awg.stop()
awg.ch1.state(0)
awg.close()