Proteox controller#

High-level controller for the Proteox cryostat system by Oxford Instruments, interfacing via WAMP.

To configure the connection, you must include a .env file in the same folder as the Proteox module. This file must contain the following entries:

WAMP_USER="**********"
WAMP_USER_SECRET="*************"
WAMP_REALM="ucss"
WAMP_ROUTER_URL="ws://************:8080/ws"
BIND_SERVER_TO_INTERFACE="localhost"
SERVER_PORT="33576"

Warning

All API methods (including sensor accessors and recognized-state helpers) are asynchronous and must be used with await inside an async function.

Example of operations#

from asyncio import run
from qtics import Proteox

async def myfun():
    instrument = Proteox()
    await instrument.connect()

    mix = await instrument.get_MC_T()
    pt1 = await instrument.get_PT1_T1()
    pt2 = await instrument.get_PT2_T1()
    sti = await instrument.get_STILL_T()
    col = await instrument.get_CP_T()

    print("\nTEMPS:")
    print(f"MIX: {mix*1000:.2f} mK")
    print(f"STILL: {sti*1000:.2f} mK")
    print(f"COLD: {col*1000:.2f} mK")
    print(f"PT1: {pt1:.2f} K")
    print(f"PT2: {pt2:.2f} K")

    await instrument.close()

run(myfun())

Commands#

connect()

Connect to the Proteox cryostat via WAMP.
close()

Cleanly disconnect from the cryostat session.
is_in_remote()

Check if instrument is connected or the system is in remote, refusing connection.
get_<sensor>()

Dynamic getter for supported sensors (see below). If the key is not recognized, raises an AttributeError.
set_<attribute>(<value>)

Dynamic setter for supported control parameters (see below). If the key is not recognized, raises an AttributeError.
is_in_recognized_state()

Return True if the current cryostat conditions match one of the recognized exclusive states.
get_recognized_states()

Return a list of recognized states currently matched. In normal operation this should usually contain zero or one state, because matching is implemented as exclusive.
how_to_go_to_recognized_state(target_state=None)

Return a human-readable suggestion describing what conditions are missing or conflicting in order to reach:
- the closest recognized state, if target_state is None
- a specific recognized state, if target_state is provided

Dynamic getters#

The following sensors are available via dynamic getter methods:

Temperatures#

get_SAMPLE_T() – Sample thermometer
get_MC_T() – Mixing chamber temperature
get_MC_T_SP() – Mixing chamber temperature setpoint
get_STILL_T() – Still temperature
get_CP_T() – Cold plate temperature
get_SRB_T() – Sorb temperature
get_DR2_T(), get_DR1_T() – DR stage temperatures
get_PT2_T1(), get_PT1_T1() – Pulse tube stage temperatures
get_MAG_T() – Magnet system temperature

Heaters and Powers#

get_MC_H() – Mixing chamber heater power
get_STILL_H() – Still heater power

Pressures#

get_OVC_P() – Outer vacuum chamber pressure
get_P1_P() to get_P6_P() – Various pressure gauges

Flows#

get_3He_F() – ³ He flowmeter

Magnetic Field Control#

get_MAG_VEC() – Magnetic field vector
get_MAG_STATE(), get_SWZ_STATE() – Magnet controller and sweep state
get_MAG_TARGET() – Field target
get_MAG_X_STATE(), get_MAG_Y_STATE(), get_MAG_Z_STATE() – Axis state
get_MAG_CURR_VEC(), get_CURR_TARGET() – Magnet current vector and targets

Cryostat State#

get_state() – Cryostat state (returns descriptive label, e.g. "CONDENSING")

Available state labels:

IDLE
PUMPING
CONDENSING
CIRCULATING
WARM UP
CLEAN COLD TRAP
SAMPLE EXCHANGE

Dynamic setters#

The following control parameters are available via dynamic setter methods. Each setter corresponds to a WAMP procedure call and must be awaited.

Example#

# Change the mixing chamber setpoint and heater power
await instrument.set_MC_T(0.1)   # set MC temperature setpoint to 100 mK

Note

Temperature values are expected in kelvin.

Temperature and Heater Control#

set_MC_T(value) – Set mixing chamber temperature setpoint
set_MC_H(value) – Set mixing chamber heater power
set_MC_H_OFF(value=0) – Turn off mixing chamber heater
set_STILL_H(value) – Set still heater power
set_STILL_H_OFF(value=0) – Turn off still heater

Magnet Control#

set_MAG_TARGET(value) – Set magnetic field target (vector or scalar depending on mode)
set_MAG_STATE(value) – Set magnet controller state
set_MAG_X_STATE(value), set_MAG_Y_STATE(value), set_MAG_Z_STATE(value) – Set state for each magnet axis

Note

Setter operations must always be awaited. Example: await instrument.set_MAG_STATE("SWEEP")

Recognized states#

The Proteox driver also provides a recognized-state evaluator.

This system compares a set of measured cryostat conditions (pressures, temperatures, valve states, pumps, etc.) against an internal exclusive truth table of known operational states.

This is useful to:

check whether the cryostat is currently in a valid known configuration
identify the current recognized operating state
determine the closest valid state
obtain a list of suggested actions to reach a target state

Recognized state table#

The state recognition logic is based on the following operational truth table:

Note

Matching is exclusive.

This means that a state is considered matched only if:

all conditions expected to be True are actually True
all conditions expected to be False are actually False

In other words, extra active conditions can invalidate a state match.

Available high-level methods#

You can access the recognized-state API directly from the Proteox object.

Check whether the current state is recognized

ok = await instrument.is_in_recognized_state()
print(ok)

Example output:

True

Get the currently recognized state(s)

states = await instrument.get_recognized_states()
print(states)

Example output:

['Circulating Compressor Bypassed']

Get instructions to reach the closest recognized state

suggestion = await instrument.how_to_go_to_recognized_state()
print(suggestion)

Example output:

Closest target state: 'Circulating'
Total mismatches: 1

Required actions:
 - 3CL-CP-01 is On -> Turn ON compressor (3CL-CP-01).

Get instructions to reach a specific recognized state

suggestion = await instrument.how_to_go_to_recognized_state("Circulating")
print(suggestion)

Example output:

Target state: 'Circulating'
Total mismatches: 1

Required actions:
 - 3CL-CP-01 is On -> Turn ON compressor (3CL-CP-01).

Full example#

from asyncio import run
from qtics import Proteox

async def myfun():
    instrument = Proteox()
    await instrument.connect()

    ok = await instrument.is_in_recognized_state()
    print("Recognized:", ok)

    states = await instrument.get_recognized_states()
    print("Matched states:", states)

    suggestion = await instrument.how_to_go_to_recognized_state()
    print("\nClosest-state suggestion:")
    print(suggestion)

    suggestion_specific = await instrument.how_to_go_to_recognized_state("Circulating")
    print("\nHow to reach 'Circulating':")
    print(suggestion_specific)

    await instrument.close()

run(myfun())

Internal recognized-state manager#

The Proteox object internally exposes a recognized-state manager:

instrument.recognized_states

This helper is mainly useful for advanced debugging, diagnostics, or future GUI integration.

It currently supports internal methods such as:

evaluate_conditions()
get_condition_report()
match_all_states()
get_closest_state()
get_state_gap(target_state)
get_transition_plan(target_state=None)

These methods are generally intended for advanced users and internal tooling rather than routine control scripts.

Typical usage pattern#

A practical workflow is:

read the current cryostat status
check whether it is recognized
if not, ask for the nearest valid state
optionally request how to reach a specific target state

Example:

ok = await instrument.is_in_recognized_state()

if not ok:
    print(await instrument.how_to_go_to_recognized_state())

This is especially useful when building:

monitoring dashboards
operator guidance tools
automated safety or recovery procedures
state-aware experiment orchestration