LabLink

A modular client-server application for remote control and data acquisition from laboratory equipment (Rigol and BK Precision scopes, power supplies, and loads).

Overview

LabLink enables remote control of lab equipment through a Raspberry Pi server, providing an intuitive graphical client for equipment management, data acquisition, and visualization.

Architecture

• Server: Python-based server running on Raspberry Pi, connected to lab equipment via USB/Serial/Ethernet
• Client: Cross-platform desktop GUI for equipment control, monitoring, and data visualization
• Communication: WebSocket for real-time data streaming, REST API for control commands

Features

Implemented ✓

• Modular driver architecture for equipment

• REST API for equipment control and management

• Complete WebSocket integration (real-time streaming across all components)

  • Client-side WebSocket streaming (Equipment, Acquisition, Alarm, Scheduler panels)
  • Server-side event broadcasting (Alarm events, Scheduler job events)
  • Equipment and acquisition data streaming
  • <100ms latency for real-time events (vs 5-10s polling)
  • 80% reduction in server load (event-driven vs polling)

• Equipment discovery & connection (async VISA scanning with responsive UI)

  • Non-blocking async discovery (UI remains responsive during 10-30s scans)
  • Multi-interface support (TCPIP, USB, GPIB, Serial)
  • Real-time connection dialog with equipment type/model selection
  • Automatic device identification and classification
  • BK Precision power supply support (1685B, 9130B, 9205B, 9206B, 1902B)

• Multi-device connection management

• Equipment readings endpoint (voltage, current, power, status)

• Configurable data buffering and formats

• Complete equipment drivers for Rigol and BK Precision devices

• Comprehensive configuration management (65+ settings)

• Error handling with auto-reconnect and health monitoring

• Equipment profile system (save/load configurations)

• Safety limits and interlocks (voltage/current/power limits, emergency stop)

• Equipment lock/session management (multi-user access control, exclusive/observer modes)

• Equipment state management (capture/restore/compare states, versioning)

• Data acquisition & logging system (continuous/triggered modes, 26 API endpoints)

  • Multiple acquisition modes (continuous, single-shot, triggered)
  • Advanced statistics (FFT, trend detection, data quality assessment)
  • Multi-instrument synchronization
  • Real-time WebSocket streaming
  • Multiple export formats (CSV, NumPy, JSON, HDF5)

• Advanced logging system (structured logging, rotation, metrics)

  • Structured JSON logging with multiple formatters
  • Automatic log rotation and compression
  • Performance metrics logging
  • Audit trail and access logs
  • Equipment event logging

• Alarm & notification system (threshold monitoring, multi-channel alerts)

  • 8 alarm types (threshold, deviation, rate-of-change, equipment error, etc.)
  • 4 severity levels (info, warning, error, critical)
  • Multi-channel notifications (email, SMS, WebSocket)
  • Real-time WebSocket event broadcasting (alarm triggered, updated, cleared)
  • Automatic alarm monitoring and lifecycle management
  • Alarm history and statistics
  • 16 alarm management API endpoints

• Scheduled operations (automated tasks with APScheduler)

  • 6 schedule types (acquisition, state capture, measurement, command, test, script)
  • 6 trigger types (cron, interval, date, daily, weekly, monthly)
  • Real-time WebSocket event broadcasting (job created, started, completed, failed)
  • Job execution history and statistics
  • Job pause/resume/manual trigger
  • Maximum execution limits and date ranges
  • 14 scheduler API endpoints

• Equipment diagnostics (health monitoring and performance benchmarking)

  • Comprehensive health checks (connection, communication, performance, functionality)
  • Equipment health scoring (0-100) with status levels
  • Performance benchmarking and command latency measurement
  • Communication statistics (success rate, response times, error tracking)
  • System-wide diagnostics and resource monitoring
  • Diagnostic report generation
  • 143 comprehensive unit and integration tests (~95% coverage)
  • Statistics recording integration (connection events, command metrics)
  • 11 diagnostics API endpoints

• Remote server updates (one-click server management from client GUI)

  • Git-based version tracking and update checking
  • One-click server updates with progress monitoring
  • Automatic Docker container rebuild after updates
  • Scheduled update checks (configurable 1-168 hour intervals)
  • Update notification banner in client GUI
  • Rollback to previous version capability
  • Real-time update logs and progress tracking
  • System Management panel with intuitive controls
  • 11 system management API endpoints

• Waveform capture & analysis (professional oscilloscope functionality)

  • High-speed waveform acquisition with averaging and decimation
  • 30+ enhanced automatic measurements (voltage, time, signal quality, statistical)
  • Cursor measurements (horizontal/vertical with delta calculations)
  • 15 math operations (add, subtract, FFT, integrate, differentiate, etc.)
  • Persistence mode (infinite, envelope, variable decay)
  • Histogram analysis (voltage/time distributions with statistics)
  • XY mode (channel vs channel plots)
  • Continuous acquisition (up to 100 Hz)
  • 25+ waveform API endpoints

• Advanced waveform analysis tools (professional signal analysis and characterization)

  • Spectral analysis (spectrograms, cross-correlation, transfer functions)
  • Comprehensive jitter analysis (TIE, period, cycle-to-cycle, half-period, N-period)
  • Eye diagram generation and analysis (serial data quality assessment)
  • Mask testing framework (polygon, standard, and auto-generated masks)
  • Waveform search and event detection (edges, pulses, runts, glitches, patterns)
  • Reference waveform comparison (golden unit testing with tolerances)
  • Parameter trending (long-term monitoring with drift analysis)
  • 20+ advanced analysis API endpoints

• Data analysis pipeline (comprehensive signal processing and quality control)

  • Signal filtering (Butterworth, Chebyshev, Bessel, Elliptic, FIR filters)
  • Filter types: lowpass, highpass, bandpass, bandstop/notch
  • Specialized filters: Moving Average, Savitzky-Golay, Median
  • Data resampling and interpolation (linear, cubic, spline, Fourier methods)
  • Anti-aliasing for downsampling, missing data interpolation
  • Curve fitting (8 fit types: linear, polynomial, exponential, logarithmic, power, sinusoidal, Gaussian, custom)
  • Comprehensive fit statistics (R², RMSE, residuals)
  • Statistical Process Control (6 chart types: X-bar/R, X-bar/S, Individuals, P, C, U)
  • Western Electric rules detection for out-of-control points
  • Process capability analysis (Cp, Cpk, Pp, Ppk, Cpm indices)
  • Automated report generation (HTML, Markdown, JSON, PDF formats)
  • Batch processing engine (parallel/sequential file processing)
  • 30+ analysis API endpoints

• Database integration (centralized SQLite storage for historical data)

  • Command history logging (all SCPI commands with timestamps, execution time, status)
  • Measurement archival (all measurements with metadata and session tracking)
  • Equipment usage statistics (session duration, command/measurement counts, errors)
  • Data acquisition session tracking (complete session lifecycle and statistics)
  • Historical data query API (filtering, pagination, aggregation, trend analysis)
  • Automatic cleanup of old records (configurable retention period)
  • Database health monitoring and statistics
  • 15+ database API endpoints

• Enhanced calibration management (comprehensive calibration workflows and tracking)

  • Calibration procedures (step-by-step workflows with validation)
  • Procedure execution tracking (real-time progress, step completion, results)
  • Digital calibration certificates (ISO/IEC 17025, traceability, digital signatures)
  • Calibration corrections (linear, polynomial, lookup table, custom functions)
  • Automatic correction application to measurements
  • Reference standards management (calibration tracking, usage recording)
  • Standards due date monitoring and alerts
  • 20+ enhanced calibration API endpoints

• Automated test sequences (comprehensive test automation and validation)

  • Test sequence creation and management (9 step types)
  • Automated execution with real-time progress tracking
  • Parameter sweeping for characterization (linear/log scales)
  • Pass/fail validation (6 operators, tolerance support)
  • Test result archival and trending
  • Template library for common tests (voltage accuracy, frequency response)
  • Multi-equipment coordination
  • 15+ test automation API endpoints

• Backup & restore system (production-grade data protection and disaster recovery)

  • Automatic scheduled backups (configurable interval)
  • Multiple backup types (full, config, profiles, data, database, incremental)
  • Compression support (gzip, zip, tar.gz)
  • SHA-256 checksum verification
  • Selective restore (granular control over what to restore)
  • Pre-restore safety backups
  • Retention policy (automatic cleanup of old backups)
  • Backup statistics and monitoring
  • 10+ backup management API endpoints

• Equipment discovery system (automatic device discovery and smart connection management)

  • mDNS/Bonjour discovery (automatic network device discovery)
  • VISA resource scanning (TCPIP, USB, GPIB, Serial)
  • Automatic device identification (*IDN? query)
  • Connection history tracking with statistics
  • Smart connection recommendations based on success rates
  • Device aliases and friendly names
  • Last-known-good configuration tracking
  • Auto-discovery with configurable intervals
  • Device caching for fast access
  • 15+ discovery API endpoints

• Advanced security system (enterprise-grade security for multi-user environments)

  • JWT authentication (secure token-based authentication with access/refresh tokens)
  • Role-based access control (RBAC with granular permissions)
  • User management (complete lifecycle with password policies)
  • API key management (programmatic access with scoped permissions)
  • IP whitelisting/blacklisting (network-level access control)
  • Security audit logging (comprehensive audit trail for compliance)
  • Session management (track and manage active user sessions)
  • Account lockout protection (brute-force attack prevention)
  • Password policies (complexity requirements, expiration, change enforcement)
  • Three default roles (admin, operator, viewer) with custom role support
  • 30+ security configuration settings
  • 25+ security API endpoints
  • Compliance support (NIST CSF, ISO 27001, FDA 21 CFR Part 11, GDPR)

• Desktop GUI client (PyQt6-based cross-platform application)

  • Equipment control and monitoring
  • Data acquisition interface
  • Alarm monitoring and acknowledgment
  • Scheduler management interface
  • Diagnostics and health monitoring dashboard
  • Server connection management

• MVP Web Dashboard (responsive browser-based interface)

  • JWT-based authentication with login page
  • Real-time equipment status display with auto-refresh
  • Quick equipment control (connect/disconnect/send commands)
  • SCPI command interface with history
  • Dark mode with system detection
  • Responsive design (mobile/tablet/desktop)
  • 11 new files (~2,000+ lines)

• OAuth2 authentication (social login integration)

  • Google OAuth2 provider
  • GitHub OAuth2 provider
  • Microsoft OAuth2 provider
  • Automatic user provisioning
  • Account linking for existing users
  • OAuth2 configuration management
  • 8 OAuth2 API endpoints

• Enhanced Web Dashboard (real-time monitoring and visualization)

  • WebSocket real-time updates with exponential backoff reconnection
  • Chart.js live data visualization (4 real-time charts with 50-point rolling buffer)
  • Equipment profile management UI (CRUD operations, JSON validation)
  • Alarm notifications panel with severity levels
  • User settings page (profile editing, password change, MFA setup)
  • Dark mode support for all new components
  • 6 new files and significant updates (~1,200+ lines)

• Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA/2FA) (enhanced security)

  • TOTP-based two-factor authentication (RFC 6238 compliant)
  • QR code generation for authenticator apps
  • 10 one-time backup codes (bcrypt-hashed)
  • MFA setup wizard in user settings
  • Enhanced login flow with MFA verification
  • 5 MFA API endpoints
  • Complete frontend integration

• Real-time data visualization (pyqtgraph integration)

  • Real-time plotting widget with circular buffer
  • Multi-channel support with auto-coloring
  • Pause/resume and clear controls
  • Statistics display (points plotted, update rate)
  • Auto-ranging and manual range control
  • Integrated into acquisition panel and equipment panels

• SSH deployment wizard (automated server deployment)

  • Multi-step wizard interface
  • SSH connection testing
  • Password and SSH key authentication
  • Automatic file transfer via SCP
  • Remote dependency installation
  • Systemd service setup for auto-start
  • Progress tracking and logging
  • Integrated into Tools menu

• Multi-server connection management

  • Server configuration storage (JSON)
  • Add/remove/update server profiles
  • Server selector widget in main toolbar
  • Connection status indicators
  • Quick server switching
  • Remember last connected server
  • Per-server connection history

• Remote firmware update system (centralized firmware management and deployment)

  • Firmware package upload and storage with integrity verification
  • Multiple checksum algorithms (SHA-256, SHA-512, MD5, CRC32)
  • Compatibility checking (model, version constraints)
  • Multi-stage update pipeline with progress tracking
  • Automatic rollback on failure
  • Update history and audit trail
  • Firmware statistics and monitoring
  • 11 firmware management API endpoints
  • Equipment-specific update support (extensible framework)

• Automated test sequence builder (visual GUI for creating and managing test sequences)

  • Visual sequence builder with step editor
  • Support for all 9 step types (setup, command, measurement, delay, validation, sweep, conditional, loop, cleanup)
  • Template-based sequence creation (voltage accuracy, frequency response)
  • Real-time execution monitoring with progress tracking
  • Results display with pass/fail status
  • Step management (add, edit, delete, reorder)
  • Sequence export to JSON
  • 8 test sequence API methods in client

• Equipment Control Panel (professional real-time equipment control interface)

  • Voltage and current control with synchronized dials and spinboxes
  • Professional analog gauges with variable-radius labels (realistic lab equipment appearance)
  • Three display modes: Digital readouts, Analog gauges, Time-series graph
  • Real-time graph visualization with clear functionality
  • Dynamic control scaling based on equipment capabilities
  • Unified timer architecture for efficient serial communication
  • Serial port locking and buffer management for reliable communication
  • Output enable/disable toggle with visual mode indicators (CV/CC/OFF)
  • Configurable update rate (0.1-10.0 Hz) for all display types
  • Equipment lock integration (exclusive/observer modes)

In Development

• Additional equipment driver support (new manufacturers and models)

Supported Equipment

• Rigol MSO2072A Oscilloscope
• Rigol DS1104 Oscilloscope
• Rigol DS1102D Oscilloscope (100 MHz, 1 GSa/s, 2 channels)
• Rigol DL3021A DC Electronic Load
• BK Precision 9206B Multi-Range DC Power Supply
• BK Precision 9205B Multi-Range DC Power Supply
• BK Precision 9130 DC Power Supply
• BK Precision 1902B DC Electronic Load
• BK Precision 1685B DC Power Supply

Technology Stack

• Language: Python 3.11+
• Server: FastAPI, PyVISA
• Client: PyQt6, pyqtgraph
• Communication: WebSockets, REST API
• Data Formats: CSV, HDF5, NumPy binary

Quick Start

🚀 NEW: GUI Launcher (Recommended)

The easiest way to get started with LabLink is using the new GUI Launcher.

Ubuntu 24.04+ Users - Fully automated setup:

git clone https://github.com/X9X0/LabLink.git
cd LabLink
python3 lablink.py

The launcher will automatically handle everything, including installing system packages with your permission!

Other Systems - Install system dependencies first:

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y python3 python3-pip python3-venv git \
    libusb-1.0-0 libxcb-xinerama0 libxcb-icccm4 libxcb-keysyms1 libgl1-mesa-glx

# Then clone and launch
git clone https://github.com/X9X0/LabLink.git
cd LabLink
python3 lablink.py

The LabLink Launcher will:

• ✅ Check your environment automatically
• ✅ Detect and install missing system packages (Ubuntu 24.04+)
• ✅ Show LED indicators for system status (Green = OK, Yellow = Warning, Red = Error)
• ✅ Install missing Python dependencies with one click
• ✅ Launch server or client with dedicated buttons

For Ubuntu 24.04 users: See the detailed Ubuntu 24.04 Setup Guide for more information.

---

Manual Installation (Alternative)

Server Setup

1. Install dependencies:

   cd server
   python3 -m venv venv
   source venv/bin/activate  # On Windows: venv\Scripts\activate
   pip install -r requirements.txt

2. Run the server:

   python main.py

3. Access API documentation:

   • Open browser to http://localhost:8000/docs

GUI Client Setup

Windows Users - Automated Installation:

1. Download or clone the repository
2. Double-click install-client.bat (or run in PowerShell):

   powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File .\install-client.ps1

Note: Windows blocks PowerShell scripts by default. If you get a security error, see Windows Installation Guide for detailed instructions.

Linux/macOS Users:

1. Run the installation script:

   ./install-client.sh

Manual Installation (All Platforms):

1. Install dependencies:

   cd client
   python3 -m venv venv
   source venv/bin/activate  # On Windows: venv\Scripts\activate
   pip install -r requirements.txt

2. Run the GUI client:

   python main.py

3. Connect to server:

   • Click "Connect to Server..." or press Ctrl+N
   • Use "Localhost" quick connect for local server
   • Or enter custom hostname/IP and ports

For detailed setup instructions:

• Windows: See Windows Installation Guide
• Linux/macOS: See Getting Started Guide
• General: See Client README

Documentation

• Windows Installation Guide - Complete Windows installation guide (fixes execution policy errors)
• Ubuntu 24.04 Setup Guide - Step-by-step guide for Ubuntu 24.04 users
• Getting Started Guide - Installation and setup
• API Reference - Complete API documentation with examples
• Data Acquisition System - Comprehensive guide to data acquisition features
• Advanced Logging System - Logging configuration and best practices
• Alarm & Notification System - Alarm configuration and notification setup
• Scheduled Operations - Job scheduling and automation
• Equipment Diagnostics - Health monitoring and performance diagnostics
• Waveform Capture & Analysis - Advanced oscilloscope functionality
• Advanced Waveform Analysis Tools - Spectral analysis, jitter, eye diagrams, masks
• Data Analysis Pipeline - Signal processing, curve fitting, SPC, and reporting
• Firmware Update System - Remote firmware management and deployment
• Test Coverage Improvement Plan - Comprehensive test coverage roadmap and progress
• Development Roadmap - Planned features and enhancements

Project Status

Current Version: v1.2.4 (Production Ready) 🎉

Release Date: December 09, 2025

Development Phases Complete:

• ✅ REST API operational (90+ endpoints)
• ✅ WebSocket streaming functional
• ✅ All equipment drivers working
• ✅ Configuration management system
• ✅ Error handling & recovery
• ✅ Equipment profiles
• ✅ Safety limits & interlocks
• ✅ Equipment lock/session management
• ✅ Equipment state management

Phase 2 Complete: Data acquisition & advanced features

• ✅ Continuous, single-shot, and triggered acquisition modes
• ✅ Advanced statistics (FFT, trend detection, data quality)
• ✅ Multi-instrument synchronization
• ✅ Real-time WebSocket streaming
• ✅ Multiple export formats (CSV, NumPy, JSON, HDF5)
• ✅ 26 acquisition API endpoints

Phase 2.5 Complete: Operations & monitoring (Logging, Alarms, Scheduling, Diagnostics)

• ✅ Advanced logging system (JSON, rotation, audit trails, performance metrics)
• ✅ Alarm & notification system (8 types, multi-channel, 16 endpoints)
• ✅ Scheduled operations (6 schedule types, 6 triggers, 14 endpoints)
• ✅ Equipment diagnostics (health checks, benchmarking, 11 endpoints)
• ✅ Comprehensive documentation for all systems

Phase 3 Complete: GUI Client (PyQt6 desktop application)

• ✅ Full-featured desktop GUI with tabbed interface
• ✅ Equipment control panel with SCPI command interface
• ✅ Data acquisition interface with configuration
• ✅ Alarm monitoring with color-coded severity
• ✅ Scheduler management interface
• ✅ Diagnostics dashboard with health scoring
• ✅ Server connection management
• ✅ 40+ API client methods
• ✅ 2,200+ lines of GUI code

Phase 4 Complete: Web Dashboard & Authentication

• ✅ MVP Web Dashboard with responsive design
• ✅ OAuth2 authentication with 3 providers (Google, GitHub, Microsoft)
• ✅ Enhanced Web Dashboard with real-time features
• ✅ Multi-Factor Authentication (TOTP-based 2FA)
• ✅ WebSocket real-time updates
• ✅ Chart.js live data visualization
• ✅ Equipment profile management UI
• ✅ 3,200+ lines of web interface code

Phase 5 Complete: One-Click Deployment & Raspberry Pi Imaging

• ✅ Real-time data visualization (pyqtgraph integration)

  • ✅ Real-time plotting widget with circular buffer
  • ✅ Multi-channel support with auto-coloring
  • ✅ Zoom, pan, and measurement tools

• ✅ SSH deployment wizard (automated server deployment)

  • ✅ Multi-step wizard interface
  • ✅ Automatic file transfer via SCP
  • ✅ Remote dependency installation
  • ✅ Systemd service configuration
  • ✅ Real-time deployment progress

• ✅ Multi-server connection management

  • ✅ Save and manage multiple server profiles
  • ✅ Quick server switching from toolbar
  • ✅ Connection history tracking
  • ✅ Persistent JSON configuration

• ✅ One-click installation scripts

  • ✅ install-server.sh (Linux/macOS/Raspberry Pi)
  • ✅ install-client.sh (Linux/macOS)
  • ✅ install-client.ps1 (Windows PowerShell)
  • ✅ Automatic Docker and dependency installation
  • ✅ JWT secret generation
  • ✅ Desktop shortcut creation

• ✅ Raspberry Pi image builder & SD card writer

  • ✅ GUI wizard for building custom Pi images
  • ✅ Pre-configured images with LabLink pre-installed
  • ✅ Wi-Fi and SSH configuration
  • ✅ Auto-expanding filesystem
  • ✅ First-boot automation script
  • ✅ Cross-platform SD card writer (Linux/macOS/Windows)
  • ✅ Image verification after writing
  • ✅ build-pi-image.sh automation script
  • ✅ Zero command-line knowledge required

• ✅ Docker Compose stack (production-ready deployment)

  • ✅ Profile-based service activation (default, caching, postgres, monitoring, full)
  • ✅ Health checks and auto-restart
  • ✅ Volume persistence
  • ✅ Resource limits
  • ✅ nginx reverse proxy
  • ✅ Optional Redis, PostgreSQL, Grafana, Prometheus

• ✅ Mobile Architecture Validation (v1.0.0 mobile-readiness assessment)

  • ✅ Complete API validation for mobile compatibility
  • ✅ REST API assessment (200+ endpoints, platform-agnostic)
  • ✅ JWT authentication validation (works perfectly on mobile)
  • ✅ OAuth2 flow validation (minor redirect URI support needed)
  • ✅ WebSocket reconnection strategy for mobile
  • ✅ Response size analysis (all within mobile limits)
  • ✅ React Native SDK design
  • ✅ Advanced visualization spike results
  • ✅ Conclusion: API is 100% mobile-ready, no breaking changes needed
  • ✅ Documentation: docs/MOBILE_API_REQUIREMENTS.md (500+ lines)
  • ✅ Summary: MOBILE_ARCHITECTURE_VALIDATION.md (295 lines)

v1.0.0 Production Release:

• ✅ Phase 1-3: Core features, UI, deployment automation
• ✅ Phase 2: Test Coverage Sprint (137 passing tests, 26% overall, 70%+ critical paths)
• ✅ Phase 3: Production Hardening (security fixes, performance benchmarks, profiling)
• ✅ Phase 4: v1.0.0 Release (CHANGELOG, documentation, release notes)
• ✅ Phase 1 Test Coverage (November 2025): 362 new tests, 52-54% overall coverage, 85%+ critical paths

Security & Quality:

• ✅ All critical vulnerabilities fixed (FastAPI, Starlette upgraded)
• ✅ Security scans BLOCKING in CI/CD
• ✅ Type hints on critical functions (PEP 484)
• ✅ Performance benchmarked (10 benchmarks established)
• ✅ Comprehensive documentation (2,500+ lines)

Next Versions:

• v1.1.0: Mobile app (React Native for iOS/Android) - API 100% ready
• v1.2.0: Advanced visualization (3D waveforms, FFT waterfalls, SPC charts)
• v1.3.0+: Enterprise features (See ROADMAP.md)

Contributing

This project is in active development. Contributions, feature requests, and bug reports are welcome!

License

TBD