Slow counter overhaul

config/example/default.cfg

@@ -32,6 +32,23 @@ hardware:
         connect:
             fitlogic: 'fitlogic'
 
+    mydummyinstreamer:
+        module.Class: 'data_instream_dummy.InStreamDummy'
+        digital_channels:  # optional, must provide at least one digital or analog channel
+            - 'digital 1'
+            - 'digital 2'
+            - 'digital 3'
+        analog_channels:  # optional, must provide at least one digital or analog channel
+            - 'analog 1'
+            - 'analog 2'
+        digital_event_rates:  # optional, must have as many entries as digital_channels or just one
+            - 10
+            - 1000
+            - 10000
+        analog_amplitudes:  # optional, must have as many entries as analog_channels or just one
+            - 5
+            - 10
+
     mydummycounter:
         module.Class: 'slow_counter_dummy.SlowCounterDummy'
         source_channels: 4
@@ -84,6 +101,13 @@ hardware:
     cameradummy:
         module.Class: 'camera.camera_dummy.CameraDummy'
 logic:
+    timeserieslogic:
+        module.Class: 'time_series_reader_logic.TimeSeriesReaderLogic'
+        max_frame_rate: 20
+        connect:
+            _streamer_con: 'mydummyinstreamer'
+            _savelogic_con: 'savelogic'
+
     simpledatalogic:
         module.Class: 'simple_data_logic.SimpleDataLogic'
         connect:
@@ -334,10 +358,10 @@ gui:
     man:
         module.Class: 'manager.managergui.ManagerGui'
 
-    counter:
-        module.Class: 'counter.countergui.CounterGui'
+    timeseries:
+        module.Class: 'time_series.time_series_gui.TimeSeriesGui'
         connect:
-            counterlogic1: 'counterlogic'
+            _time_series_logic_con: 'timeserieslogic'
 
     confocal:
         module.Class: 'confocal.confocalgui.ConfocalGui'
@@ -459,3 +483,8 @@ gui:
         connect:
             camera_logic: 'camera_logic'
             savelogic: 'savelogic'
+
+    counter:
+        module.Class: 'counter.countergui.CounterGui'
+        connect:
+            counterlogic1: 'counterlogic'

documentation/changelog.md

@@ -55,6 +55,12 @@ The potential sequence_options are:
   * `FORCED` (only output as sequence possible)
 * Added interfuse to correct geometrical aberration on scanner via polynomial transformations
 * added the option to do a purely analog ODMR scan.
+* Added new GUI, logic, interface and hardware modules to replace the "slow counter" tool in the 
+future. The new tools are designed to be able to stream any kind of time series data efficiently 
+for multiple analog and digital channels. See example config on how to set up the 
+time series/streaming modules (_time_series_gui.py_, _time_series_reader_logic.py_). 
+For a drop-in replacement of the obsolete slow counter together with a NI x-series card, 
+please use _ni_x_series_in_streamer.py_ as hardware module.
 * added multi channel option to process_interface and process_control_interface
 * added the option of an additional path for fit methods
 * added a hardware file for power supply  Teledyne T3PS3000
@@ -70,6 +76,7 @@ The potential sequence_options are:
 * reworked the QDPlotter to now contain fits and a scalable number of plots. Attention: custom notebooks might break by this change.
 * Set proper minimum wavelength value in constraints of Tektronix AWG7k series HW module
 * Fixed bug affecting interface overloading of Qudi modules
+*
 
 
 Config changes:

gui/counter/countergui.py

@@ -64,7 +64,6 @@ def __init__(self, config, **kwargs):
     def on_activate(self):
         """ Definition and initialisation of the GUI.
         """
-
         self._counting_logic = self.counterlogic1()
 
         #####################
@@ -193,6 +192,32 @@ def on_activate(self):
         self._counting_logic.sigCountingModeChanged.connect(self.update_counting_mode_ComboBox)
         self._counting_logic.sigCountStatusChanged.connect(self.update_count_status_Action)
 
+        # Throw a deprecation warning pop-up to encourage users to switch to
+        # TimeSeriesGui/TimeSeriesReaderLogic
+        dialog = QtWidgets.QDialog(self._mw)
+        dialog.setWindowTitle('Deprecation warning')
+        label1 = QtWidgets.QLabel('Deprecation Warning:')
+        label1.setAlignment(QtCore.Qt.AlignHCenter | QtCore.Qt.AlignVCenter)
+        font = label1.font()
+        font.setPointSize(12)
+        label1.setFont(font)
+        label2 = QtWidgets.QLabel('The modules CounterGui, CounterLogic and '
+                                  'NationalInstrumentsXSeries are deprecated for time series '
+                                  'streaming (also called "slow counting") and will be removed in '
+                                  'the future.\nPlease consider switching to TimeSeriesGui, '
+                                  'TimeSeriesReaderLogic and NIXSeriesInStreamer.\nSee default.cfg '
+                                  'for a configuration template.')
+        label2.setAlignment(QtCore.Qt.AlignVCenter)
+        label2.setWordWrap(True)
+        button_box = QtWidgets.QDialogButtonBox(QtWidgets.QDialogButtonBox.Ok)
+        button_box.setCenterButtons(True)
+        layout = QtWidgets.QVBoxLayout()
+        layout.addWidget(label1)
+        layout.addWidget(label2)
+        layout.addWidget(button_box)
+        button_box.accepted.connect(dialog.accept)
+        dialog.setLayout(layout)
+        dialog.exec()
         return 0
 
     def show(self):