=pod

=encoding utf-8

=head1 Lab::Measurement 3.10

=head2 Lab::Bus and Lab::Connection classes

=over

=item * 
Initial support for the USBtmc Linux kernel driver

=item *
GPIB termination characters are now handled identically in LinuxGPIB and VISA_GPIB

=item *
New VISA_RS232 connection which takes all arguments as RS232

=back

=head2 Lab::Instrument classes

=over

=item *
HP34420A nanovoltmeter re-added

=item *
Many improvements in the Oxford Instruments ITC503 driver

=item *
Re-named the Oxford Instruments IPS12010 driver to OI_IPS, since it works with not only the IPS 120-10

=item *
New driver: Trinamic PD-110-42 stepper motor

=back

=head2 Lab::Measurement classes

=over

=item *
Started refactoring the keyboard handling code

=back

=head1 Lab::Measurement 3.00 (initial release)

This section gives an overview of the most important points when you port
a measurement script from the old (i.e., pre-2.9 or distributed under the name Lab::VISA)
C<Lab::Instrument> and C<Lab::Tools> distribution to C<Lab::Measurement>.

=head2 Lab::Instrument classes

=over

=item * 
The abbreviated way of specifying a GPIB board and address in the constructor
is not supported anymore. Instead of the old

  my $hp=new Lab::Measurement::HP34401A($board, $address);

you now have to explicitly provide

  my $hp=new Lab::Measurement::HP34401A({
	connection_type => 'LinuxGPIB', 
        gpib_board      => $board,
        gpib_address    => $address,
  });

=item *
The configuration parameters "gpib_board" and "gpib_address" are now for
consistency spelled all in lowercase. Your script will fail if you use the 
uppercase "GPIB" variant.

=item * 
Every device now needs a configuration parameter "connection_type" (see above).

=item *
In general, functions that read out device values are all prefixed with "get_" now, 
instead of "read_".

=item *
Since the Lab::Instrument::Source class has been extended to cover current and voltage
sources, the parameters for influencing gate protect have been renamed. Instead of 
"gp_max_voltage" you now have to use "gp_max_units", and analogously for all other 
gateprotect parameters.

=item * 
SR830 functions like get_range and get_tc do not return strings anymore, 
but values in SI base units

=back

=head2 Lab::Measurement class

=over

=item *
The default file suffixes have been changed from "DATA" and "META" to "dat" 
and "meta".

=item *
You can not abort the scripts using Lab::Measurement with "CTRL-C" anymore. Instead, just
press "q", and the script will cleanly terminate at the next measurement point. 
The background for this is that some device drivers cannot handle an interruption, 
leading to undefined hardware behaviour.

=back

=head1 COPYRIGHT AND LICENCE

 (c) 2011,2012 Andreas K. Hüttel

=cut
