RFmx Pulse Python API Documentation
About
The nirfmx-python repository generates Python bindings (Application Programming Interface) for interacting with the NI-RFmx drivers.
nirfmx-python follows Python Software Foundation support policy for different versions.
Operating System Support
nirfmxpulse supports Windows systems where the supported drivers are installed. Refer to NI Hardware and Operating System Compatibility for which versions of the driver support your hardware on a given operating system.
Installation
You can use pip to download nirfmxpulse and install it.
$ python -m pip install nirfmxpulse
Support and Feedback
For support with Python API, hardware, the driver runtime or any other questions, please visit NI Community Forums.
Documentation:
Example:
import nirfmxinstr
import nirfmxpulse
import numpy
instr_session = None
pulse = None
try:
# Create a new RFmx Session
instr_session = nirfmxinstr.Session(resource_name="RFSA", option_string="")
# Get Pulse signal configuration
pulse = instr_session.get_pulse_signal_configuration()
# Configure frequency reference
instr_session.configure_frequency_reference(
selector_string="",
frequency_reference_source="OnboardClock",
frequency_reference_frequency=10.0e6
)
# Configure RF
pulse.configure_rf(
selector_string="",
center_frequency=1.0e9,
reference_level=-10.0,
external_attenuation=0.0
)
# Select Pulse measurement
pulse.select_measurements(
selector_string="",
measurements=nirfmxpulse.MeasurementTypes.PULSE,
enable_all_traces=True
)
# Configure trigger
pulse.configure_iq_power_edge_trigger(
selector_string="",
iq_power_edge_trigger_source="0",
iq_power_edge_trigger_slope=nirfmxpulse.IQPowerEdgeTriggerSlope.RISING,
iq_power_edge_trigger_level=-20.0,
trigger_delay=0.0,
trigger_minimum_quiet_time_mode=nirfmxpulse.TriggerMinimumQuietTimeMode.AUTO,
trigger_minimum_quiet_time_duration=5.0e-6,
iq_power_edge_trigger_level_type=nirfmxpulse.IQPowerEdgeTriggerLevelType.RELATIVE,
enable_trigger=True
)
# Configure acquisition settings
pulse.set_measurement_bandwidth(selector_string="", value=80.0e6)
pulse.set_measurement_filter_type(
selector_string="",
value=nirfmxpulse.MeasurementFilterType.RECTANGULAR
)
pulse.set_acquisition_length(selector_string="", value=1.0e-3)
pulse.set_maximum_pulse_count_enabled(
selector_string="",
value=nirfmxpulse.MaximumPulseCountEnabled.FALSE
)
pulse.set_maximum_pulse_count(selector_string="", value=100)
# Configure pulse detection settings
pulse.pulse_measurement.configuration.set_detection_reference(
selector_string="",
value=nirfmxpulse.PulseDetectionReference.REFERENCE_LEVEL
)
pulse.pulse_measurement.configuration.set_detection_threshold(
selector_string="", value=-20.0
)
pulse.pulse_measurement.configuration.set_detection_hysteresis(
selector_string="", value=1.0
)
pulse.pulse_measurement.configuration.set_detection_minimum_off_duration(
selector_string="", value=50.0e-9
)
# Configure state and threshold level settings
pulse.pulse_measurement.configuration.set_level_computation_method(
selector_string="",
value=nirfmxpulse.PulseLevelComputationMethod.MEDIAN
)
pulse.pulse_measurement.configuration.set_droop_compensation_enabled(
selector_string="",
value=nirfmxpulse.PulseDroopCompensationEnabled.TRUE
)
# Configure time sidelobe settings
pulse.pulse_measurement.configuration.set_time_sidelobe_enabled(
selector_string="",
value=nirfmxpulse.PulseTimeSidelobeEnabled.TRUE
)
pulse.pulse_measurement.configuration.set_time_sidelobe_reference_window_type(
selector_string="",
value=nirfmxpulse.PulseTimeSidelobeReferenceWindowType.NONE
)
pulse.pulse_measurement.configuration.set_time_sidelobe_keep_out_time_auto(
selector_string="",
value=nirfmxpulse.PulseTimeSidelobeKeepOutTimeAuto.TRUE
)
pulse.pulse_measurement.configuration.set_time_sidelobe_minimum_correlation(
selector_string="", value=0.5
)
# Disable pulse metrics and stability
pulse.pulse_measurement.configuration.set_metrics_enabled(
selector_string="",
value=nirfmxpulse.PulseMetricsEnabled.FALSE
)
pulse.pulse_measurement.configuration.set_stability_enabled(
selector_string="",
value=nirfmxpulse.PulseStabilityEnabled.FALSE
)
# Initiate and wait for completion
pulse.initiate(selector_string="", result_name="")
pulse.wait_for_measurement_complete(selector_string="", timeout=10.0)
# Retrieve results
pulse_count, _ = pulse.pulse_measurement.results.get_pulse_count(
selector_string=""
)
mainlobe_width, _ = pulse.pulse_measurement.results.get_time_sidelobe_mainlobe_width(
selector_string=""
)
sidelobe_delay, _ = pulse.pulse_measurement.results.get_time_sidelobe_delay(
selector_string=""
)
peak_sidelobe_level, _ = pulse.pulse_measurement.results.get_time_sidelobe_peak_sidelobe_level(
selector_string=""
)
compression_ratio, _ = pulse.pulse_measurement.results.get_time_sidelobe_compression_ratio(
selector_string=""
)
peak_correlation, _ = pulse.pulse_measurement.results.get_time_sidelobe_peak_correlation(
selector_string=""
)
time_sidelobe_trace = numpy.empty(0, dtype=numpy.float32)
_, _, _ = pulse.pulse_measurement.results.fetch_time_sidelobe_trace(
selector_string="", timeout=10.0, trace=time_sidelobe_trace
)
# Print results
print(f"\nPulse Count : {pulse_count}\n")
print("---------------------Time Sidelobe Results---------------------")
for i in range(pulse_count):
print(f"Index : {i}")
print(f"Mainlobe Width (s) : {mainlobe_width[i]:.11f}")
print(f"Sidelobe Delay (s) : {sidelobe_delay[i]:.11f}")
print(f"Peak Sidelobe Level (dB) : {peak_sidelobe_level[i]:.9f}")
print(f"Compression Ratio (%) : {compression_ratio[i]:.9f}")
print(f"Peak Correlation : {peak_correlation[i]:.9f}")
print("---------------------------------------------------------------\n")
except Exception as e:
print("ERROR: " + str(e))
finally:
# Close Session
if pulse is not None:
pulse.dispose()
pulse = None
if instr_session is not None:
instr_session.close()
instr_session = None
Additional Documentation
Refer to the NI-RFmx User Manual for an overview of NI-RFmx, system requirements, troubleshooting, key concepts, etc.
License
This project is licensed under the MIT License. While the source code is not publicly released, the license permits binary distribution with attribution.
Note: This Python driver depends on several third-party components that are subject to separate commercial licenses. Users are responsible for ensuring they have the appropriate rights and licenses to use those dependencies in their environments.
gRPC Features
For driver APIs that support it, passing a GrpcSessionOptions instance as a parameter to
nirfmxinstr.Session.__init__() is subject to the NI General Purpose EULA.
SSL/TLS Support
The server supports both server-side TLS and mutual TLS. Security configuration is accomplished by setting the server_cert, server_key and root_cert values in the server’s configuration file. The server expects the certificate files specified in the configuration file to exist in a certs folder that is located in the same directory as the configuration file being used by the server. For more detailed information on SSL/TLS support refer to the [Server Security Support wiki page](https://github.com/ni/grpc-device/wiki/Server-Security-Support).