CtrlAer: Programmable real-time execution of scientific experiments using a domain specific language for the Raspberry Pi Pico/Pico 2
Automated laboratory experimentation is increasingly dependent on synchronized operation of a heterogeneous hardware setups according to arbitrarily complex user-defined timing, but there is a lack of accessible, vendor-neutral options for reliable generation of these control signals. We present, Ct...
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| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-05-01
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| Series: | SoftwareX |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352711025001426 |
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| author | S.Hessam M. Mehr |
| author_facet | S.Hessam M. Mehr |
| author_sort | S.Hessam M. Mehr |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Automated laboratory experimentation is increasingly dependent on synchronized operation of a heterogeneous hardware setups according to arbitrarily complex user-defined timing, but there is a lack of accessible, vendor-neutral options for reliable generation of these control signals. We present, CtrlAer, a domain-specific language for describing activation signals on a synchronized parallel timeline via a simple syntax containing only a handful of primitives. Embedded within MicroPython, CtrlAer programs are directly executable on the widely available and inexpensive Raspberry Pi Pico/Pico 2 and the wide ecosystem of open hardware development boards built around the RP2040/RP2350 microcontrollers. CtrlAer allows arbitrarily long and complex control sequences to be generated on up to 16 fully synchronized parallel channels at up to 10.7 MHz on the RP2350 (8.9 MHz on the RP2040), scaling to the needs of scientific experiments in a variety of disciplines. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3b48ce95b6434d1786fe2de517cfc1d2 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2352-7110 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | SoftwareX |
| spelling | doaj-art-3b48ce95b6434d1786fe2de517cfc1d22025-08-20T02:30:18ZengElsevierSoftwareX2352-71102025-05-013010217510.1016/j.softx.2025.102175CtrlAer: Programmable real-time execution of scientific experiments using a domain specific language for the Raspberry Pi Pico/Pico 2S.Hessam M. Mehr0Corresponding author.; School of Chemistry, University of Glasgow, Advanced Research Centre, 11 Chapel Lane, Glasgow G11 6EW, UKAutomated laboratory experimentation is increasingly dependent on synchronized operation of a heterogeneous hardware setups according to arbitrarily complex user-defined timing, but there is a lack of accessible, vendor-neutral options for reliable generation of these control signals. We present, CtrlAer, a domain-specific language for describing activation signals on a synchronized parallel timeline via a simple syntax containing only a handful of primitives. Embedded within MicroPython, CtrlAer programs are directly executable on the widely available and inexpensive Raspberry Pi Pico/Pico 2 and the wide ecosystem of open hardware development boards built around the RP2040/RP2350 microcontrollers. CtrlAer allows arbitrarily long and complex control sequences to be generated on up to 16 fully synchronized parallel channels at up to 10.7 MHz on the RP2350 (8.9 MHz on the RP2040), scaling to the needs of scientific experiments in a variety of disciplines.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352711025001426Raspberry Pi PicoAutomationSignal generationMicroPythonMicrocontrollerReal-time |
| spellingShingle | S.Hessam M. Mehr CtrlAer: Programmable real-time execution of scientific experiments using a domain specific language for the Raspberry Pi Pico/Pico 2 SoftwareX Raspberry Pi Pico Automation Signal generation MicroPython Microcontroller Real-time |
| title | CtrlAer: Programmable real-time execution of scientific experiments using a domain specific language for the Raspberry Pi Pico/Pico 2 |
| title_full | CtrlAer: Programmable real-time execution of scientific experiments using a domain specific language for the Raspberry Pi Pico/Pico 2 |
| title_fullStr | CtrlAer: Programmable real-time execution of scientific experiments using a domain specific language for the Raspberry Pi Pico/Pico 2 |
| title_full_unstemmed | CtrlAer: Programmable real-time execution of scientific experiments using a domain specific language for the Raspberry Pi Pico/Pico 2 |
| title_short | CtrlAer: Programmable real-time execution of scientific experiments using a domain specific language for the Raspberry Pi Pico/Pico 2 |
| title_sort | ctrlaer programmable real time execution of scientific experiments using a domain specific language for the raspberry pi pico pico 2 |
| topic | Raspberry Pi Pico Automation Signal generation MicroPython Microcontroller Real-time |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352711025001426 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT shessammmehr ctrlaerprogrammablerealtimeexecutionofscientificexperimentsusingadomainspecificlanguagefortheraspberrypipicopico2 |