Tutorial 3 · Running a Sequence¶

Goal: run several procedures automatically, one after another. Time: ~10 minutes. Hardware: none (-d).

What you'll learn

What a sequence is and when to use one.
How to launch the built-in TestSequence.
How common vs. per-procedure parameters work.

What is a sequence?¶

A sequence chains procedures so they run in order without you re-queueing each one. Sequences are perfect for measurement protocols, like the LED protocol: IVg → It → IVg → Wait → IVg.

Sequences are defined in sequences.yaml. The repository ships three examples:

Sequence	Runs	Purpose
`TestSequence`	`FakeProcedure → Wait`	A safe, hardware-free demo.
`MainSequence`	`IVg → It → IVg → Wait → IVg`	The standard LED measurement flow.
`ItMadness`	`IVg → It×N (temperature sweep) → IVg`	A parameter-sweep example.

Step 1 — Launch the demo sequence¶

Start the app's main window (sequences are launched from there):

uv run laser_setup -d

In the menu bar, open Sequences → Test Sequence (or press Ctrl+Shift+1). A Sequence Window appears showing the procedures it will run, each with a status icon and timers.

Step 2 — Understand the layout¶

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Common parameters (shared by all procedures)  │
│   Chip group ▼   Chip number   Sample ▼       │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  1. FakeProcedure   2. Wait                   │
│   ◴ running          ◴ pending                │
│   +0:03  =0:03       +0:00  =0:03             │
│   (its inputs)       (its inputs)             │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│              [ Queue ]   [ Abort ]            │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Common parameters come from the sequence's common_procedure (here, ChipProcedure). They are set once and applied to every procedure in the sequence — so you enter the chip/sample only one time.
Per-procedure inputs are the parameters unique to each step.
Each step shows a status icon (color-coded: running, finished, aborted) and two timers: + time in the current step and = cumulative time.

inputs_ignored

Sequences hide noisy parameters (show_more, skip_startup, skip_shutdown) from the common panel via inputs_ignored. You'll see this key in sequences.yaml.

Step 3 — Queue the sequence¶

Pick a chip/sample in the common panel, then click Queue. Watch the steps light up one by one: FakeProcedure runs to completion, then Wait runs.

If a step fails, an abort dialog appears with a countdown (default 30 s, set by Qt.SequenceWindow.abort_timeout). If you don't respond it defaults to continue; click Yes to abort the whole sequence.

Instruments shut down at the end

The sequence powers instruments down after the last step, not between steps. This lets consecutive procedures reuse a warmed-up, connected instrument — but it means a step that leaves an instrument in a bad state can affect the next. Procedures use skip_startup/skip_shutdown to manage this (see ItMadness in sequences.yaml).

Step 4 — Peek at the definition¶

Open laser_setup/assets/templates/sequences.yaml and find TestSequence:

TestSequence:
  name: Test Sequence
  description: Runs FakeProcedure, Wait
  common_procedure: ${class:laser_setup.procedures.ChipProcedure}
  inputs_ignored: ['show_more', 'skip_startup', 'skip_shutdown']
  procedures:
  - FakeProcedure
  - Wait

That's the whole thing: a name, a common base procedure, which inputs to hide, and an ordered list of procedures. You can override any parameter for a specific step, and even sweep a parameter across many runs with a sequencer block — see Sequences for the full syntax.

Recap¶

A sequence runs procedures in order from a single window.
common_procedure factors out shared inputs (chip, sample…).
Steps show live status and timers; aborting is guarded by a countdown.
Sequences are plain YAML — easy to read, copy and extend.

Next: stop editing the bundled templates and make your own configuration → Tutorial 4: Your own configuration.