SMILE: Scalable Modular Instrumentation for Laboratory Experiments

Scalable Modular Instrumentation for Laboratory Experiments (SMILE) is a lightweight framework for the rapid development and networking of laboratory instrumentation demonstrated with a low-cost Arduino micro-controller. The approach extends the fast-prototyping paradigm of Arduino by enabling a seamless transition from standalone devices to distributed, network-accessible systems without requiring complex control infrastructures. The system architecture follows a simplistic and intuitive development workflow: devices are first implemented and defined through a human-readable serial interface, which is then reused without modification by a Python-based driver. The driver can be directly accessed or enabled as a network service via ZeroRPC, allowing transparent remote access to instrument’s functionality. A key feature of SMILE is the automatic mapping of serial commands to Python functions, which facilitates immediate integration of newly defined device commands into higher-level control and automation workflows. SMILE design allows heterogeneous system integration with both custom-built instruments and laboratory equipment with standard interfaces (e.g., GPIB, RS232/485, USB, Ethernet) to be incorporated into a unified distributed system through lightweight software layers. Presented demonstrator examples and test results show that SMILE provides a lightweight and accessible approach for physics laboratory automation, conceptually inspired by distributed control systems such as TANGO and EPICS, while remaining focused on small-scale experiments and rapid prototyping.