In the last blogpost
we discussed design ideas for instrumentRs v0.2.0.
Here, I will mainly focus on
the mock interface for testing instruments drivers
developed using instrumenRs v0.2.0.
If you haven't already done so,
it is highly recommended that you read the last blogpost first
for context.
Over the years I have written many drivers to control scientific equipment. These were mostly in python using the wonderful instrumentkit. As my tech stack has mostly moved to Rust however, I have missed a consistent, simple-to-use way to write instrument drivers.
This post discusses a very rough idea on how such an improved driver kit might look like in Rust. In addition to inspiration from instrumentkit, a lot of inspiration is also taken from the fantastic device-driver tool.
Assume the following thought experiment: The Earth circling the Sun at a cozy distance of 1 AU (around 150 million km) suddenly stands still and doesn't move anymore. The only force left on the Earth is now the Sun's gravitational pull. How long will it be until we crash into the Sun?