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ECA Testing Webapp

Electrochemical Actuator Testing and Control System

A unified web interface for controlling, monitoring, and recording experiments involving electrochemical actuators (ECAs). Coordinates multiple laboratory instruments including digital multimeters, DC power supplies, relay boards, and cameras for precise, reproducible actuator measurements.

Features

  • Real-time Data Visualization: Live voltage graphs from two DMMs with adjustable scales
  • Synchronized Control: Coordinated control of power supply, relays, and camera
  • Programmable Stages: Configure up to 10 voltage/relay stages with precise timing
  • Data Logging: Automatic CSV logging with timestamped sessions
  • REST API: Full API access for automation and integration
  • WebSocket Streaming: Real-time data push for live monitoring
  • Modern UI: Built with React, Next.js, and shadcn/ui components

Architecture

Backend (Python + FastAPI)

  • FastAPI server with REST and WebSocket endpoints
  • Instrument drivers for DMMs, power supply, relay board
  • Data logger for CSV recording and session management
  • Camera controller bridge to C++ camera service
  • Async scheduler for precise timing control

Frontend (Next.js + React)

  • Next.js with TypeScript
  • shadcn/ui component library
  • Recharts for live data visualization
  • WebSocket client for real-time updates

Camera Service (C++ + Python)

  • C++ executables for Canon camera control
  • Python HTTP bridge for API integration

Supported Instruments

Instrument Model Communication Purpose
DMM ×2 Keithley 2110 VISA/USB Voltage measurement
Power Supply IT6412 VISA/USB Programmable voltage output
Relay Board Devantech USB-RLY08C USB Serial Channel switching
Camera Canon 2000D DSLR USB (via C++ SDK) Video recording

Prerequisites

Backend

  • uv package manager
  • VISA drivers (NI-VISA or compatible)
  • USB drivers for instruments

Frontend

  • Node.js 18 or higher
  • npm or yarn

Camera (Optional)

  • Canon EDSDK (for camera control)
  • C++ compiler (Visual Studio or MinGW on Windows)

Installation

1. Clone Repository

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/eca-actuation-test.git
cd eca-actuation-test

2. Backend Setup

Using uv:

# Install dependencies
cd eca-actuation-test
uv sync

3. Frontend Setup

cd frontend
npm install

4. Camera Service Setup (Optional)

See camera/README.md for compilation instructions.

Quick Start

1. Start Backend Server

# From project root
cd eca-actuation-test
uv run run_backend.py

The backend will start on http://localhost:8000

2. Start Camera Service (Optional)

In a separate terminal:

cd camera
uv run camera_service.py

The camera service will start on http://localhost:8001

3. Start Frontend

In another terminal:

cd frontend
npm run dev

The frontend will start on http://localhost:3000

4. Open Browser

Navigate to http://localhost:3000

5. Stop Services

When finished, stop all services:

Windows:

.\stop.ps1

Linux/Mac:

./stop.sh

Usage

Basic Workflow

  1. Connect Instruments

    • Connect DMMs, power supply, and relay board via USB
    • Ensure instruments are powered on
    • The webapp will auto-detect available VISA resources

  2. Configure Test

    • Enter a test name
    • Select VISA IDs for DMMs and power supply
    • Select serial port for relay board
    • Set sampling rate (default: 10 Hz)

  3. Set Up Stages (Optional)

    • Add voltage stages for power supply (up to 10)
    • Add relay stages for channels 1 and 2 (up to 10 each)
    • Configure start time, end time, and values

  4. Start Measurement

    • Click "Start Measurement"
    • Camera begins recording (if available)
    • DMMs start logging data
    • Voltage/relay stages execute automatically

  5. Monitor Progress

    • Watch live voltage graphs
    • Check camera recording status
    • View elapsed time

  6. Stop Measurement

    • Click "Stop Measurement"
    • Camera stops recording
    • Data is saved to CSV
    • Session folder created in data/

Data Output

Each measurement session creates a timestamped folder in data/:

data/
  └── 2025-10-13_14-30-15_test1/
      ├── readings.csv      # Time, DMM1, DMM2 voltages
      ├── config.json       # Test configuration
      ├── log.txt           # Session log
      └── video.mp4         # Camera recording (manual transfer)

API Documentation

REST Endpoints

Start Measurement

POST /api/start_measurement
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "config": {
    "test_name": "test1",
    "dmm1_visa_id": "USB0::0x05E6::0x2110::...",
    "dmm2_visa_id": "USB0::0x05E6::0x2110::...",
    "power_supply_visa_id": "USB0::...",
    "relay_port": "COM3",
    "voltage_stages": [
      {"start_time": 0, "end_time": 5, "voltage": 0.2},
      {"start_time": 5, "end_time": 10, "voltage": 0.4}
    ],
    "relay_ch1_stages": [
      {"start_time": 0, "end_time": 5, "state": "closed"}
    ],
    "relay_ch2_stages": [],
    "sampling_rate_hz": 10
  }
}

Stop Measurement

POST /api/stop_measurement

Get Status

GET /api/status

List Instruments

GET /api/list_instruments

List Sessions

GET /api/sessions

Get Session Data

GET /api/session/{session_id}/data

WebSocket

Connect to ws://localhost:8000/api/live for real-time DMM readings:

const ws = new WebSocket('ws://localhost:8000/api/live');
ws.onmessage = (event) => {
  const reading = JSON.parse(event.data);
  // { time: 1.23, dmm1_voltage: 0.45, dmm2_voltage: 0.67 }
};

Development Mode

The system can run in development mode without physical instruments:

  • Mock VISA resources: Backend will simulate instruments if none detected
  • Mock camera: Camera service runs in mock mode without C++ executables
  • Data logging: CSV logging still works with simulated data

Project Structure

eca-actuation-test/
├── camera/                    # Camera control C++ code and service
│   ├── StartRecord.cpp
│   ├── StopRecord.cpp
│   ├── camera_service.py
│   └── README.md
├── eca-actuation-test/        # Python backend
│   ├── instruments/           # Instrument drivers
│   │   ├── dmm.py
│   │   ├── power_supply.py
│   │   └── relay_board.py
│   ├── app.py                 # FastAPI application
│   ├── api_models.py          # Pydantic models
│   ├── camera_controller.py   # Camera service bridge
│   ├── data_logger.py         # Data logging
│   └── measurement_controller.py
├── frontend/                  # Next.js frontend
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── app/              # Next.js app directory
│   │   ├── components/       # React components
│   │   │   ├── ui/          # shadcn/ui components
│   │   │   ├── DMMGraph.tsx
│   │   │   ├── VoltageStageConfigurator.tsx
│   │   │   └── RelayStageConfigurator.tsx
│   │   └── lib/             # Utilities
│   ├── package.json
│   └── next.config.js
├── data/                      # Measurement data (auto-created)
├── docs/                      # Documentation
│   └── PRD.md                # Product Requirements Document
├── labview/                   # Legacy LabVIEW code
├── pyproject.toml            # Python dependencies
└── README.md                 # This file

Troubleshooting

Frontend Won't Start / Module Not Found

If you see Module not found: Can't resolve '@/lib/utils':

  1. The frontend/src/lib/utils.ts file is required for shadcn/ui components
  2. Ensure npm install completed successfully in the frontend/ directory
  3. If the file is missing after cloning, it should be created during first build
  4. Verify the file exists: frontend/src/lib/utils.ts

VISA Connection Issues

If instruments are not detected:

  1. Install NI-VISA or compatible driver
  2. Verify instruments appear in NI MAX (National Instruments Measurement & Automation Explorer)
  3. Check USB connections
  4. Restart instruments

Camera Not Available

The webapp works without the camera in mock mode. To use real camera:

  1. Compile C++ executables (see camera/README.md)
  2. Ensure Canon EDSDK DLLs are in PATH
  3. Connect camera via USB and power on
  4. Start camera service

Port Already in Use

If port 8000 or 3000 is busy:

  • Backend: Edit app.py and change uvicorn.run(app, port=XXXX)
  • Frontend: Edit package.json dev script: next dev -p XXXX

WebSocket Connection Failed

Ensure backend is running on localhost:8000 before starting frontend.

Performance

  • DMM Sampling: Up to 100 Hz per channel (configurable)
  • WebSocket Update: 10 Hz default
  • Data Logging: Buffered writes, no data loss
  • Timing Precision: <10 ms drift for voltage/relay stages

Safety Notes

⚠️ Important Safety Considerations:

  1. Voltage Limits: Verify voltage stages are within safe limits for your setup
  2. Current Protection: Always set appropriate current limits on power supply
  3. Emergency Stop: Stop button immediately halts all operations
  4. Relay Ratings: Do not exceed relay board specifications
  5. Supervision: Always supervise experiments, especially with new configurations

Future Enhancements

  • Oscilloscope integration
  • Function generator support
  • Cloud data logging
  • Multi-session comparison and analytics
  • Real-time impedance measurements
  • AI-driven experiment optimization

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please:

  1. Fork the repository
  2. Create a feature branch
  3. Make your changes
  4. Add tests if applicable
  5. Submit a pull request

License

See LICENSE file for details.

Support

For issues, questions, or suggestions:

  • Open an issue on GitHub
  • Check docs/PRD.md for detailed specifications

Acknowledgments

  • Built with FastAPI, Next.js, and shadcn/ui
  • Instrument control via PyVISA and pyserial
  • Camera control via Canon EDSDK

Made for electrochemical actuator research and testing

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An app to automate actuation performance testing of electrochemical actuators (ECAs)

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MIT license
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