Setting up a new experiment is often challenging, as the outcome is often open and the setup may undergo major modifications. The same applies for experiment control and data acquisition. Early implementation of flexible IT infrastructure is highly beneficial: it saves time during setup, ensures reliable and efficient performance, and enables easy extensions of the experimental system. Furthermore, reliable data acquisition, including metadata, is essential for successful measurements and for keeping track of experimental parameters.
This workshop addresses commonly encountered challenges in setting up experiment control and data acquisition systems, and introduces Tango Controls as a framework to build solutions that are flexible, extendable, and sustainable. The main goals are threefold:
- Exchange of experiences: Sharing approaches from different labs at ISTA through short presentations by participants and discussions.
- Practical implementation using Tango Controls:
Learning how to communicate with, read out, and control experimental devices (e.g., motors, sensors) with a computer using Tango Controls. Exploring different interfaces, from command line to graphical tools, for device control and data readout.
- Setting up sustainable data acquisition systems based on Tango Controls: Understanding how to structure code for long-term use across multiple experiments, enabling efficient maintenance, modification, and development. Learning strategies with focus on Git for sharing and accessing code within a group to support collaboration.
Target group: The PhD students, postdocs, staff scientists and interested PIs from physics and neighboring fields. People who design, operate or maintain laboratory experiments and data pipelines. A broader audience is welcome during the first day. Days 2 and 3 are intended primarily for participants who plan to code (attendance on these days is required to receive ECTS points).
Prerequisites: 1) Basic familiarity with Python is helpful for the hands-on sessions.
2) A laptop connected to the institute network or VPN access with basic admin rights.
3) Prior experience with your lab’s data control workflow is useful but not mandatory.
Evaluation: The course will be graded on Pass/Fail basis based on:
- Participation and attendance (at least 80% of the sessions).
- Hands-on artifacts: a minimal software that interacts with the provided hardware or a simulated device.
- Short presentation of discussion contribution: a short (approx. 5 minutes) description of the participant’s current or planned lab workflow for automation and data handling, highlighting one improvement they intend to implement.
Teaching format: The workshop runs over three consecutive days from 10 AM until 3 PM with a lunch break. The sessions are delivered on-site with an optional Zoom stream available.
Day 1:
Talks, short presentations and demonstrations followed by structured discussions on approaches for experiment automation and data collection. Attendees are invited to present how they handle automation and storage in their labs to seed the discussion. The instructor and TA will also present an example built upon the Tango Controls (TC) infrastructure and facilitate comparison with the alternative approaches.
Day 2:
Hands-on live coding. Participants create a minimal program in Python to communicate with real hardware or simulators. Activities include environment and driver setup, implementing attributes and commands, starting the server and registering it with the central Tango database.
Day 3:
Hands-on live coding focused on multi-device coordination. Participants write a control client, validate it against the server setup during Day 2, and add basic logging as well as data handling.
ECTS: 1 Year: 2025
Track segment(s):
Elective
Teacher(s):
Rafael Winkler
Teaching assistant(s):
Nikolai Semenov
- Trainer/in: Rafael Winkler
- Teaching Assistant: Nikolai Semenov