NXsensor_scan

Status:

application definition, extends NXobject

Description:

Application definition for a generic scan using sensors.

In this application definition, times should be specified always together with an UTC offset.

Symbols:

Variables used to set a common size for collected sensor data.

N_scanpoints: The number of scan points measured in this scan.

Groups cited:

NXdata, NXentry, NXenvironment, NXinstrument, NXpid, NXprocess, NXsample, NXsensor, NXuser

Structure:

ENTRY: (required) NXentry

definition: (required) NX_CHAR

Obligatory value: NXsensor_scan

@version: (required) NX_CHAR

experiment_identifier: (recommended) NX_CHAR

experiment_description: (required) NX_CHAR

start_time: (recommended) NX_DATE_TIME

end_time: (recommended) NX_DATE_TIME

PROCESS: (required) NXprocess

Define the program that was used to generate the results file(s) with measured data and metadata.

program: (required) NX_CHAR

Commercial or otherwise defined given name of the program (or a link to the instrument software).

@version: (required) NX_CHAR

Either version with build number, commit hash, or description of an (online) repository where the source code of the program and build instructions can be found so that the program can be configured in such a way that result files can be created ideally in a deterministic manner.

@program_url: (required) NX_CHAR

Website of the software.

USER: (required) NXuser

Contact information of at least the user of the instrument or the investigator who performed this experiment. Adding multiple users if relevant is recommended.

name: (required) NX_CHAR

Name of the user.

affiliation: (recommended) NX_CHAR

Name of the affiliation of the user at the point in time when the experiment was performed.

address: (recommended) NX_CHAR

Full address (street, street number, ZIP, city, country) of the user’s affiliation.

email: (recommended) NX_CHAR

Email address of the user.

orcid: (recommended) NX_CHAR

Author ID defined by https://orcid.org/.

telephone_number: (recommended) NX_CHAR

Official telephone number of the user.

INSTRUMENT: (required) NXinstrument

ENVIRONMENT: (required) NXenvironment

Describes an environment setup for the experiment.

All the setting values of the independently scanned controllers are listed under corresponding NXsensor groups. Similarly, seperate NXsensor groups are used to store the readings from each measurement sensor.

For example, in a temperature-dependent IV measurement, the temperature and voltage must be present as independently scanned controllers and the current sensor must also be present with its readings.

independent_controllers: (required) NX_CHAR

A list of names of NXsensor groups used as independently scanned controllers.

measurement_sensors: (required) NX_CHAR

A list of names of NXsensor groups used as measurement sensors.

SENSOR: (required) NXsensor

value: (required) NX_FLOAT (Rank: 1, Dimensions: [N_scanpoints]) {units=NX_ANY}

For each point in the scan space, either the nominal setpoint of an independently scanned controller or a representative average value of a measurement sensor is registered.

The length of each sensor’s data value array stored in this group should be equal to the number of scan points probed in this scan. For every scan point [N], the corresponding sensor value can be picked from index [N]. This allows the scan to be made in any order as the user describes above in the experiment. We get matching values simply using the index of the scan point.

value_timestamp: (recommended) NX_DATE_TIME

Timestamp for when the values provided in the value field were registered.

Individual readings can be stored with their timestamps under value_log. This is to timestamp the nominal setpoint or average reading values listed above in the value field.

run_control: (recommended) NX_CHAR

@description: (required) NX_CHAR

Free-text describing the data acquisition control: an internal sweep using the built-in functionality of the controller device, or a set/wait/read/repeat mechanism.

calibration_time: (required) NX_DATE_TIME

ISO8601 datum when calibration was last performed before this measurement. UTC offset should be specified.

DATA: (recommended) NXdata

Plot of measured signal as a function of the timestamp of when they have been acquired is also possible.

PID: (required) NXpid

SAMPLE: (required) NXsample

name: (required) NX_CHAR

DATA: (required) NXdata

A scan specific representation of the measured signals as a function of the independently controlled environment settings. Plot of every measured signal as a function of the timestamp of when they have been acquired is also possible.

Hypertext Anchors

List of hypertext anchors for all groups, fields, attributes, and links defined in this class.

NXDL Source:

https://github.com/FAIRmat-Experimental/nexus_definitions/tree/fairmat/contributed_definitions/NXsensor_scan.nxdl.xml