Simulation drivers
Simulation drivers behave like real instruments but need no hardware. Use them to try out SweepMe!, to build and test a sequence or a Dashboard before the instrument arrives, for trainings, or as short example code when you write your own driver. Select them like any other driver in the field Driver of a module. In the sequencer, their short name is usually "Simulation".
Testing a sequence without hardware
- Build your sequence in the Sequencer as usual.
- In each module, select the simulation driver instead of the real instrument, e.g. SMU-Simulation_Diode in the SMU module.
- Run the sequence and check the order of the steps, the Plot and Table widgets, conditions, scripts and the saved data.
- When the instruments are available, select the real drivers. All other settings of the sequence stay the same.
Most simulation drivers have a noise-free option, e.g. "No Noise". Use it when you need reproducible values, e.g. to test a Condition or a CustomFunction script.
Pre-installed simulation drivers
The following drivers come with the SweepMe! installation. The shipped Examples use them, so they run without any instrument.
| Module | Driver | Simulates |
|---|---|---|
| SMU | SMU-Simulation_Diode (short name "Test Diode") | A diode with space-charge-limited current, as typical for organic diodes. Sweep mode Voltage in V. Returns Voltage (V) and Current (A). The current is limited by the Compliance (maximum 1 A). Speed Fast, Medium or Slow changes the noise of the voltage, No Noise switches the noise off. |
| Signal | Signal-Simulation_Driver | A function generator with the waveforms Sine, Square, Triangle and Sawtooth. Frequency, period, amplitude, phase or delay can be swept. Returns Frequency (Hz), Amplitude (V) and three periods of the simulated signal as time stamps (s) and values (V). |
| Spectrometer | Spectrometer-Simulation_Driver | A spectrometer that returns Wavelength (nm), Intensity (counts/s) and Integration time (s). The field Port selects the spectrum: Test spectrum.txt, Raman Spectrum, Background Spectrum, Silicon Photonics or No Noise. |
| Temperature | Temperature-Simulation_Driver | A temperature controller. With the sensor Realistic, the temperature approaches the setpoint exponentially and has a little noise. With No Noise, it starts at 25 °C and ramps linearly with 0.5 K/s. |
| WaferProber | WaferProber-Simulation_Driver | A wafer prober with three wafers, a round 150 mm wafer with 10 mm die pitch and two subsites per die. Pressing Update fills the lists of wafers, dies and subsites and the geometry of the wafer map. |
SweepMe! also comes with drivers that use the PC itself and need no extra hardware: Logger-PC_Mouse (mouse position), Logger-PC_CPU-Memory, Logger-PC_Time, Logger-PC_Screenshot, Switch-PC_Mouse, Switch-PC_VariableWait, Switch-PC_Winsound and Camera-PC_Webcam.
Further simulation drivers
Download these drivers via Tools → Version Manager, see Version manager:
| Module | Driver | Simulates |
|---|---|---|
| SMU | SMU-Simulation_Driver | A diode, photodiode or solar cell with a classical diode model. Saturation current, ideality factor, temperature, shunt resistance, photocurrent, leakage, noise and hysteresis can be set. |
| Scope | Scope-Simulation_Driver | An oscilloscope with two channels (sine on channel 1, cosine on channel 2). If a Signal-Simulation_Driver is used in the same branch, channel 1 shows its signal. |
| Logger | Logger-Simulation_MultiMeter | A multimeter with configurable voltage and current channels. |
| Switch | Switch-Simulation_Driver | A voltage source that returns the voltage that was set. |
| LCRmeter | LCRmeter-Simulation_Driver | An RLC circuit, with a frequency or bias sweep and a list sweep. |
| LockIn | LockIn-Simulation_Driver | A lock-in amplifier that measures a resonance at 1 kHz. Returns Magnitude, Phase, Frequency, X and Y. |
| NetworkAnalyzer | NetworkAnalyzer-Simulation_Driver | A network analyzer that returns simulated S-parameters. A higher source power gives less noise. |
| Spectrum Analyzer | SpectrumAnalyzer-Simulation_Driver | A spectrum analyzer that returns Frequency (Hz) and Power (dBm). |
| Monochromator | Monochromator-Simulation_Driver | A monochromator with Wavelength (nm) and Filter. |
| Robot | Robot-Simulation_Driver | A robot with the axes x, y and z (mm). |
Tips
- A Signal-Simulation_Driver and a Scope-Simulation_Driver in the same branch work together, so you can test a function generator and an oscilloscope at the same time.
- Simulation drivers are short and well commented. Open them with the button Open driver next to the driver selection to see how a driver is structured.