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Headstart: Mastering the CLI

The Instrumation CLI is more than just a helper; it's a powerful tool for rapid prototyping, hardware troubleshooting, and automation without writing a single line of Python.

1. Discovery and Exploration

Before writing code, you need to know what's connected to your system.

Scanning for Instruments

This command polls all available VISA backends and Serial ports to find your equipment.

instrumation scan

Checking an Identity

Instantly verify you can talk to an instrument at a specific address:

instrumation measure "USB0::0x2A8D::0x0101::MY59000123::0::INSTR" DMM get_id

2. Manual Control (On-the-Fly)

You can perform any driver method directly from the terminal. This is perfect for verifying a 5V rail or checking a signal peak.

Measuring Voltage

instrumation measure "ADDR" DMM measure_voltage

Checking a Signal Peak (Spectrum Analyzer)

instrumation measure "ADDR" SA get_peak_value

JSON Output for Scripts

If you want to use the CLI result in a bash script or another tool, use the --json flag:

instrumation measure "ADDR" DMM measure_voltage --json

3. Station Management

Stations allow you to group multiple instruments into a single logical "Test Station" using a station.toml file.

Listing Station Configuration

instrumation station list

Measuring from a Station

Instead of providing a long VISA address, use the alias defined in your config:

# Assuming 'my_dmm' is an alias in station.toml
instrumation measure my_dmm DMM measure_voltage

4. The "Golden Master" Workflow

The CLI is the entry point for our powerful Record & Replay system.

Phase 1: Record

Connect to your hardware and perform a sequence of manual queries. Everything is logged.

instrumation record "ADDR" DMM golden_run.json
Type commands like MEAS:VOLT? or *IDN?. Type quit to save.

Phase 2: Verify

Check the contents of your recorded "Golden Master": 

cat golden_run.json

Phase 3: Headstart Replay

Run a measurement against the recording instead of the real hardware:

instrumation measure "replay://golden_run.json" DMM measure_voltage

5. Pro-Tips for Speed

Use Simulation Mode

Test your entire command pipeline without any hardware by setting an environment variable:

# Windows
$env:INSTRUMATION_MODE="SIM"
instrumation scan

Help System

Every command and subcommand has its own help page: 

instrumation measure --help
instrumation station --help