Instruments #

URLs: /instruments (list), /instruments/new, /instruments/{id} (detail), /instruments/{id}/edit

The Instruments page has two tabs: Catalog (instrument types — the templates that describe what an instrument can do) and Inventory (physical assets — individual units with serial numbers, calibration dates, manufacturer / model).

List — /instruments #

Catalog tab (default) #

A table with one row per instrument type defined in the catalog.

Column	What it shows
Type	Catalog type id (e.g. keysight_e3631a)
Name	Human-readable name
Description	Description, when set
Capabilities	Count of capability entries (function + direction pairs the instrument supports)

Click a row to open /instruments/{type} — the catalog-type detail view with the full capability list. When the catalog is empty, the table is replaced with a card offering a Create Instrument button.

Inventory tab #

A table with one row per physical instrument asset file.

Column	What it shows
ID	Asset identifier
Driver	Driver identifier from the asset YAML (often blank on auto-discovered assets)
Manufacturer / Model	Identity stamp from the asset YAML
Serial	Hardware serial number
Cal Due	Calibration due date, ISO 8601
Cal Lab	Calibration lab name

When no asset files exist, the tab shows a blue hint card pointing at litmus station init to discover instruments and create asset files.

Detail — /instruments/{id} #

The same URL resolves either a catalog type OR a physical asset depending on what {id} matches; the page picks the right shape automatically:

• Catalog type — info card followed by a tab strip with three tabs:

  Tab	Content
  Capabilities	The full capability list — function, direction, signals, specs, and parameters per entry
  SCPI Commands	The instrument's SCPI command vocabulary (when set)
  Simulation	Simulation-mode response definitions (when set)

• Asset — info card followed by stacked cards (no tabs): Calibration card (last cal date, due date, lab) and Linked Stations card (the stations whose YAML references this asset).

Edit — /instruments/{id}/edit #

Only resolves for catalog types; assets are edited by hand-editing the instruments/<id>.yaml file directly.

A tab strip with four tabs:

Tab	Content
Info	Name, description, manufacturer / model
Capabilities	Add / edit / delete capability entries
SCPI Commands	Edit the SCPI command vocabulary
Simulation	Edit simulation-mode responses

New — /instruments/new #

A form for creating a new catalog type. Sets type id, name, description, and an initial capability list. After creation, the page redirects to /instruments/{id} so further capability / SCPI / simulation editing happens via the four-tab edit surface.

Underlying data #

• Catalog types come from the project's catalog/ directory plus the bundled generic catalog (litmus.catalog.generic)
• Inventory assets come from instruments/*.yaml

For the YAML schemas, see Catalog schema for catalog types and Models → InstrumentAssetFile for asset files.

Common tasks #

• Add a new instrument type to the project's catalog — open /instruments/new, fill the type form.
• Discover instruments on the bench — run litmus station init from the project root; it walks the VISA bus and writes one asset YAML per found device.
• Check calibration status — the Inventory tab's Cal Due column, sorted ascending, surfaces what's about to expire.

See also #

• Configuration reference → Catalog
• Concepts → Capabilities — how catalog capabilities feed station ↔ product matching
• litmus station init — discover instruments and create asset YAML