pyxm

pyxm is a data acquisition manager for scanning tunneling, scanning probe, or atomic force microscopes written in Python 3.11 with the PySide6 GUI library. It aims to provide a simple and intuitive interface for users to queue up multiple sets of images and spectroscopy tasks to preform in a user-defined order. TCP/IP commands can be customized through a JSON file to fit the needs of any system. pyxm is designed to communicate with an already existing microscopy controller and cannot control a microscope directly.

⚠️ pyxm is currently in an experimental stage and only been tested on the RHK PanScan Freedom STM in the Hollen Lab, at the University of New Hampshire. ⚠️

Features

• Connect to an STM device using TCP/IP sockets
• Fine-tuned control of STM parameters with easy-to-use input fields.
• Simultaneous execution and creation of tasks allowing for versatile experimentation and an efficient workflow.
• Preview images from a task inside scan area.
• Customize TCP/IP commands to accomodate syntax used by the users STM controller.
• Save task sets for reuse or documentation.

Run from source

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/bhc1010/sam9000

2. Install the required Python packages using pip:

cd pyxm
pip install -r requirements.txt

3. Run pyxm:

python src/main.py

Custom STM commands

Commands required to interact with your STM controller can be specified in the 'stm_commands.json' file.

Example of stm_commands.json for the RHK PanScanFreedom via the R9

{
  "set_bias": "SetSWParameter, STM Bias, Value",
  "set_setpoint": "SetSWParameter, STM Set Point, Value",
  "set_scansize": "SetSWParameter, Scan Area Window, Scan Area Size",
  "set_xoffset":   "SetSWParameter, Scan Area Window, X Offset",
  "set_yoffset":   "SetSWParameter, Scan Area Window, Y Offset"
  "etc": "..."
}

Contributing

We welcome contributions to pyxm! If you find a bug, have an enhancement idea, or want to add new features, please follow these steps:

1. Fork the repository to your GitHub account.
2. Create a new branch with a descriptive name for your changes.
3. Make your changes and test thoroughly.
4. Commit your changes and push them to your forked repository.
5. Create a pull request, explaining your changes in detail.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Contact

For any questions or inquiries, please feel free to contact the project maintainers:

• Ben Campbell - ben.campbell@unh.edu