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Virtual Front Panel (VFP)

The Virtual Front Panel is a real-time web-based dashboard that allows you to visualize instrument states and measurement traces without physical access to the lab.

Architecture

The VFP system consists of three components: 1. DataBroadcaster: A Python utility in the HAL that streams JSON packets over UDP. 2. VFP Bridge: A lightweight service that relays UDP packets to WebSockets. 3. VFP Dashboard: A modern React application that visualizes the data.

graph LR
    HAL[Instrumation HAL] -- UDP:5005 --> Bridge[VFP Bridge]
    Bridge -- WS:8080 --> Dashboard[Web Dashboard]

How to use the VFP

1. Start the Bridge

Run the bridge service to start listening for instrument data: 

python -m instrumation.vfp_bridge

2. Stream Data from your Code

Use the DataBroadcaster (or let the drivers handle it automatically in future versions):

from instrumation.utils import DataBroadcaster
from instrumation.results import MeasurementResult

with DataBroadcaster() as b:
    res = MeasurementResult(value=3.3, unit="V")
    b.send(res.to_dict())

3. Open the Dashboard

The dashboard is located in the vfp-dashboard directory. To run it locally: 

cd vfp-dashboard
npm install
npm run dev
Then open http://localhost:5173 in your browser.

Features

  • Real-time Traces: Live plotting of measurement values.
  • Status Indicators: Instant feedback on instrument health.
  • Multi-Channel Support: View data from different channels or pods simultaneously.
  • Zero Impact: UDP broadcasting is non-blocking and does not slow down your test execution.