Switch Thorlabs Stepper Motor by franz-sweepMe · Pull Request #222 · SweepMe/instrument-drivers

franz-sweepMe · 2026-01-27T14:40:24Z

No description provided.

…dd home timeout parameter

gemini-code-assist · 2026-01-27T14:40:42Z

Summary of Changes

Hello @franz-sweepMe, I'm Gemini Code Assist¹! I'm currently reviewing this pull request and will post my feedback shortly. In the meantime, here's a summary to help you and other reviewers quickly get up to speed!

This pull request integrates Thorlabs Stepper Motors into the SweepMe! framework by introducing a new Python device driver. The driver leverages the Kinesis .NET SDK to manage motor connections, movements, and parameter settings. It offers a comprehensive set of features for precise control, including configurable velocity, acceleration, and homing, alongside a simplified version for straightforward applications. An accompanying integration test ensures the core functionality works as expected.

Highlights

New Device Driver: Introduced a new device driver for Thorlabs Stepper Motors, enabling control and measurement of their position.
Driver Variants: Provided both a full-featured driver with extensive configuration options (velocity, acceleration, homing) and a minimal version for basic position control.
Integration Test: Included an integration test script to demonstrate the fundamental operations of the stepper motor driver.
Licensing: Added MIT License files for both the full and minimal Thorlabs Stepper Motor device classes.

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Code Review

The pull request introduces a new driver for Thorlabs Stepper Motors, along with a minimal version and integration tests. The changes primarily involve setting up communication with Kinesis DLLs, handling device connection/disconnection, and implementing basic motor control functionalities like moving to a position and homing. Several areas for improvement have been identified, including robust error handling, consistent API usage, proper logging instead of print statements, and addressing issues in the integration tests for better reliability and clarity.

gemini-code-assist · 2026-01-27T14:45:59Z

+        # self.stepper.Disconnect(True)  # attribute error
+        self.stepper_motor.Disconnect(True)


The commented-out line # self.stepper.Disconnect(True) and the subsequent self.stepper_motor.Disconnect(True) indicate potential confusion or an unresolved issue regarding which object should be disconnected. Furthermore, self.stepper_motor is only initialized in initialize(). If disconnect() is called before initialize() (e.g., if connect() fails), self.stepper_motor might not exist, leading to an AttributeError. It's crucial to ensure self.stepper_motor is available or handle its absence gracefully.

if hasattr(self, 'stepper_motor') and self.stepper_motor is not None: self.stepper_motor.Disconnect(True)

gemini-code-assist · 2026-01-27T14:45:59Z

+
+# Try to reconnect to verify that the rack can be reconnected after disconnect
+time.sleep(5)
+rack.Connect(serial_number)  # --> this raises an exception


The comment rack.Connect(serial_number) # --> this raises an exception highlights a critical issue: the rack cannot be reconnected after disconnection. This suggests a problem with resource management or the disconnect logic, which needs to be resolved to ensure proper device operation and reuse.

gemini-code-assist · 2026-01-27T14:45:59Z

+            print("Could not check if rack is initialized:", e)
+


Catching a bare Exception and merely printing it can hide critical errors and make debugging difficult. It's better to catch more specific exceptions or re-raise the exception after logging it, to ensure proper error handling.

except Exception as e: # logging.getLogger(__name__).error(f"Could not check if rack is initialized: {e}") raise # Re-raise if it's a critical error, or handle appropriately

gemini-code-assist · 2026-01-27T14:45:59Z

+kinesis_imported = False
+
+bitness = 64 if sys.maxsize > 2 ** 32 else 32
+kinesis_path = "C:\\Program Files\\Thorlabs\\Kinesis"  # if bitness == 64 else "C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Thorlabs\\Kinesis"


The kinesis_path is hardcoded to C:\Program Files\Thorlabs\Kinesis. The commented-out part suggests that the path might differ based on system bitness (Program Files (x86) for 32-bit systems). Hardcoding this path can lead to issues on systems where Kinesis is installed in a different location or on 32-bit systems. It's better to dynamically determine the correct path based on bitness.

Suggested change

kinesis_path = "C:\\Program Files\\Thorlabs\\Kinesis" # if bitness == 64 else "C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Thorlabs\\Kinesis"

kinesis_path = "C:\\Program Files\\Thorlabs\\Kinesis" if bitness == 64 else "C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Thorlabs\\Kinesis"

gemini-code-assist · 2026-01-27T14:45:59Z

+                print("Settings failed to initialize:", e)
+


Catching a bare Exception and merely printing it can hide critical errors and make debugging difficult. It's better to catch more specific exceptions or re-raise the exception after logging it, to ensure proper error handling.

except Exception as e: # logging.getLogger(__name__).error(f"Settings failed to initialize: {e}") raise # Re-raise if it's a critical error, or handle appropriately

gemini-code-assist · 2026-01-27T14:46:01Z

+        del parameters
+        return {
+            "SweepMode": ["Position"],
+            "Bay": "1",  # maybe just use line edit


The comment "maybe just use line edit" for the "Bay" parameter suggests uncertainty about the appropriate GUI control type. This should be resolved for clarity and consistency in the user interface.

gemini-code-assist · 2026-01-27T14:46:01Z

+        #self.stepper_motor.Home(60000)
+        #print("Device Homed")
+
+        #print(self.stepper, type(self.stepper), self.stepper_motor, type(self.stepper_motor))


Commented-out print statements should be removed from the code. If these messages are important for debugging or monitoring, they should be replaced with a proper logging mechanism.

gemini-code-assist · 2026-01-27T14:46:01Z

+
+    def apply(self) -> None:
+        """'apply' is used to set the new setvalue that is always available as 'self.value'."""
+        print(self.stepper_motor.MoveTo.Overloads)


Using print statements for debugging or informational messages in a driver is generally not ideal for production code. It's better to use a proper logging mechanism (e.g., Python's logging module) which allows for configurable log levels and output destinations.

# import logging # logging.getLogger(__name__).debug(f"MoveTo Overloads: {self.stepper_motor.MoveTo.Overloads}")

gemini-code-assist · 2026-01-27T14:46:01Z

+            #print(f"Moving Device to {position}")
+            # Move the stepper motor to the specified position


Commented-out print statements should be removed from the code. If these messages are important for debugging or monitoring, they should be replaced with a proper logging mechanism.

gemini-code-assist · 2026-01-27T14:46:01Z

+            #print(f"Device Moved to {self.stepper_motor.Position}")
+


Commented-out print statements should be removed from the code. If these messages are important for debugging or monitoring, they should be replaced with a proper logging mechanism.

…e driver

…movement

franz-sweepMe added 13 commits January 27, 2026 15:36

MST601 -> initial driver version based on NanoTrak Code

6d66c7d

MST601 -> Rename to generic Stepper Motor

15f0343

Stepper Motor -> minor changes

b58e3c7

add minimal example for stepper - CAN BE OMITTED

11d1743

Stepper -> update stepper motor with results from working MWE

5e215c4

Thorlabs Stepper -> add max velocity and acceleration params

65b53f8

Stepper -> rename bay to channel, fix float conversion in velocity, a…

5e5a964

…dd home timeout parameter

Stepper -> add simulation mode, retries on connect

fb08834

Stepper -> add relative movement

d7d8e91

Stepper -> add homing speed

e37e85f

Stepper -> add minimum working example

7aea14b

Stepper -> test disconnect

cefea4b

Stepper -> minor changes (comments)

bf1fb85

franz-sweepMe requested a review from a team as a code owner January 27, 2026 14:40

gemini-code-assist Bot reviewed Jan 27, 2026

View reviewed changes

franz-sweepMe added 2 commits February 19, 2026 11:55

Stepper -> use device_communication to allow multiple instances of th…

ee22946

…e driver

Stepper -> add non-blocking move, calculate timeout, enable relative …

571e178

…movement

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Switch Thorlabs Stepper Motor#222

Switch Thorlabs Stepper Motor#222
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		# self.stepper.Disconnect(True) # attribute error
		self.stepper_motor.Disconnect(True)

	kinesis_path = "C:\\Program Files\\Thorlabs\\Kinesis" # if bitness == 64 else "C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Thorlabs\\Kinesis"
	kinesis_path = "C:\\Program Files\\Thorlabs\\Kinesis" if bitness == 64 else "C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Thorlabs\\Kinesis"

		#print(f"Moving Device to {position}")
		# Move the stepper motor to the specified position

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franz-sweepMe commented Jan 27, 2026

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