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Devices

LabStream supports a wide range of laboratory devices used for measurement and control. Devices can connect via serial ports or ethernet networks, and are organized to make setup simple and experiments reliable.

Device Types

  • IO Devices: External input/output modules that connect to sensors or control actuators through IO ports. These devices provide raw signals that LabStream reads or drives.
  • Smart Devices: Instruments that incorporate sensors or controllers internally. They expose readings or controls directly without requiring external wiring to separate sensors/actuators.

Connectivity

  • Serial Port Devices: Supported via common serial protocols (e.g., RS-485/RS-232). For reliability, connect no more than three devices to the same serial bus; otherwise, the fixed 1-second sampling period may be exceeded.
  • Ethernet Devices: Supported over TCP/UDP where applicable. These devices can be discovered or configured via IP and communicate over the local network.

Channels

LabStream treats all IO ports and internal sensors/controllers as channels.

  • Channel Role: Each channel either measures a physical value (sensor).
  • Physical vs Display Values: A channel’s physical measurement depends on the sensor. LabStream can convert the physical value to a target display reading using configured coefficients.
  • Conversion Coefficients: Configure coefficients to convert from physical measurement (raw units) to display value (target units) for consistent visualization and analysis.

Device Center vs My Devices

  • Device Center: Lists all supported device models and provides documentation and setup guidance.
  • My Devices: Shows the devices added to your local system. You can add, configure, and remove devices from here.

Sampling & Performance Notes

  • Fixed Sampling Interval: LabStream samples connected devices every 1 second.
  • Serial Bus Load: It’s recommended to connect fewer than 3 devices on the same serial port to avoid exceeding the sampling interval.
  • System Bandwidth: Remove any devices not used by the current experiment to reduce bandwidth and improve responsiveness.

Supported Devices

The following device pages provide model-specific wiring, channel maps, configuration parameters, and usage notes:

Adding and Managing Devices

  1. Open Device Center to select a supported device.
  2. Click Add Device and choose serial or ethernet as appropriate.
  3. Configure channels (measurement units, display conversion coefficients, sampling options).
  4. Save. The device appears under My Devices and begins participating in experiments.