HW_micos_hydra (ScopeFoundry)

pi micos hydr tt

GitHub Repository
Last Updated: 2026-09-04T01:41:10Z

To add to your app:

cd to/your_project_folder/ and use the following cmd (requires git)

git submodule add https://github.com/ScopeFoundry/HW_micos_hydra ScopeFoundryHW/micos_hydra

Readme

ScopeFoundryHW.pi_micos_hydra_tt

ScopeFoundry hardware plug-in to control a PI/miCos SMC Hydra TT XY stage controller over its native Venus-3 serial protocol.

ScopeFoundry is a Python platform for controlling custom laboratory experiments and visualizing scientific data.

http://www.scopefoundry.org

This software is not made by or endorsed by the device manufacturer.

Author

Tim Kodalle

Requirements

* ScopeFoundry
* pyserial

No vendor SDK or DLL is required – this plug-in talks to the controller directly over RS-232 (115200 baud, 8N1, no handshake) using the controller’s native Venus-3 command set (see the manufacturer’s Hydra TT command reference manual).

Usage

MicosHydraTtHW exposes X/Y position, target, velocity, acceleration, stop deceleration, and moving/emergency-switch status as ScopeFoundry settings, plus operations to initialize (enable), home/calibrate, and halt each axis.

The controller powers up with both axes’ motors disabled, so MicosHydraTtHW.connect() automatically initializes (enables) both axes on connect – no manual “Init” click is needed before a move will work.

Files

* micos_hydra_venus_dev.py     -- low-level Venus-3 serial driver
* micos_hydra_venus_hw.py      -- ScopeFoundry HardwareComponent
* micos_hydra_venus_readout.py -- example Measurement/readout
* micos_hydra_venus_test_app.py -- minimal standalone test app

Run the test app from a project that has this plug-in and ScopeFoundry installed:

python -m ScopeFoundryHW.pi_micos_hydra_tt.micos_hydra_venus_test_app

Known quirks

* Sending `init` to an axis (including the automatic init-on-connect)
  causes a small (few-micron) physical position nudge on that axis.
  Not currently compensated for -- worth revisiting if your application
  needs micron-level positioning accuracy right after connecting.