Anton-Paar iSorb: Add Remote Control

[davidkeymer]

Feature Description

As a scientist, user or technician, I would like to be able to remotely control the "Anton-Paar iSorb High Pressure Gas Sorption System".

Explanation

The device is controlled by its own PC running a bespoke application, "iSorb HPwin". This runs custom sequences of pressure setpoints, taking sorption data at each one. The very minimum that is required is for the device to be integrated into a beamline is for it to pause at each of these setpoints so that neutron data can be collected.

This device was supplied without the ability to remotely control it, and so it has been requested that this be added retrospectively. The manufacturers seem not to be able to do this.

Options

• Use iSorb HPwin's ability to control valves (or other internal devices) to interact with an external system. e.g. a signal to open a valve would be sent, but read by a DIO device and fed to IBEX. A neutron data run would then be started, and when sufficient data collected, a signal sent back to the DIO device to mimic the valve being closed. The iSorb would then move on to its next pressure setpoint. This would use the iSorb's internal scripting and/or "direct commands" functionality.
• Use AutoIt (located in ICP_Binaries) to operate the iSorb HPwin software programmatically. A menu item could be selected to pause the sequence, knowing the ID of the item in advance.
• Reverse-engineer iSorb HPwin to add the missing functionality.

Additional Information

• Manual for the device is in <network share>\ISIS_Experiment_Controls\Manuals\Anton-Paar iSorb\ along with some brochures.
• Control software installation file is located here: <network share>\ISIS_Experiment_Controls\Anton-Paar iSorb HP Control Software (USB drive copy)\iSorbHP Suite PO1950787\iSorbHP Software\iSorbHP Suite v3.2.1\. Manual for this is in a couple of directories above.

_{See our Git Workflow.}

Acceptance Criteria

• iSorb can be remotely controlled

_{To the reviewer: Make sure to update submodules!}

[davidkeymer]

A very brief investigation of the iSorb HPwin software in operation was conducted on 23/03/2026. Initial findings:

• No spare 'channels' exist to mimic a valve to interact with IBEX

With a view to AutoIT being the preferred option at this stage:

• A pause function exists in the menu Analysis -> Adsorption-Desorption -> Pause Analysis
• No obvious indication of when a pressure setpoint has been reached (e.g. LED/message in status bar or dialogue box). Only mention is in view of log window. (Need to pause analysis/sequence here and begin neutron data collection).
• Displayed log is written to file (at unknown frequency) in C:\QCdata\iSorbHP Data\log\ along with other diagnostic data.
• Filename has the word 'analysis' in it
• Human-readable entries have log at start of line, followed by timestamp and message text (which also appears in log window of GUI).
• Pressure setpoint reached when log entry: Dosing manifold to xx bar appears in uppercase
• Inspection of log file entries determined that once pressure setpoint been reached, remains in equilibrium for ~2 minutes i.e. something will need to pause the sequence within this timeframe

[davidkeymer]

JT will ask DI to check iSorb control PC with intention of connecting it to the ISIS network. That will at least give users the ability to RDP/VNC to machine and avoid the need to be physically present to pause the pressure setpoint sequence (manually select menu entry) and control neutron data collection. Will also aid remote fault diagnosis.