Narda Script Launcher

What Is the Use of Scripting?

SignalShark has many features and options making it a powerful real-time spectrum analyzer, monitoring receiver and direction finding system. In everyday work life, many different applications may slightly differ in their detail requirements. To meet also these specific needs, SignalShark supports Python based scripting. This means that users can write their individual Python code and implement customized functions.

Narda Script Launcher allows SignalShark users to select and run these apps from within the SignalShark application to:

Automate routine tasks
The daily work routine is often characterized by routine measurement tasks. Routine measurement tasks can be automated by using suitable scripts. This saves valuable time, ensures a consistently high quality of the measurement results and provides a homogenous appearance of measurements e.g. for documentation.
Provide guided measurements for novices using message boxes or wizards
It often takes some time for new employees to be trained to the extent that they can independently perform and record measurements on site. Scripts offer the possibility to guide the user through a measuring task by means of wizards and dialog boxes and thus enable a quick start into new measuring tasks.
Add new measurement evaluation functions
SignalShark covers a wide range of measurement and evaluation functions. Nevertheless, it can happen that a specific function is not yet available. The functional range of SignalShark can be extended by scripts to include own measurement and evaluation functions. Narda periodically provides new ready-to-use scripts, partially for free.
Provide complete measurement automation
Complex measurements often consist of different measurement sequences where often additional sensors, measuring devices and generators have to be operated. Scripts make it possible to automate even complex measurement tasks. Since SignalShark is based on Windows 10, and by that provides an open platform, various external devices can be connected, controlled and read out via script functions. This eliminates the need for an additional measurement computer, making the measurement solution compact and mobile.

What Is Narda Script Launcher?

If “Narda Script Launcher” is installed on SignalShark, the graphical user interface allows to select and start a script directly from within the SignalShark application (requires “Option, SCPI Remote Control”).

Narda Script Launcher Selector

Narda Script Launcher can also be installed on a computer so that scripts can be debugged and operated remotely from computer via network to SignalShark. In such case, the scripts remain stored on the computer.

Narda Script Launcher Setup PC SignalShark

In a script, you have access to numerous SCPI commands of SignalShark as native Python functions provided by the nardascripting API (Application Programming Interface) of the “Narda Script Launcher”. The API also handles the network-based communication with the device and provides additional functionality like loading and saving configuration parameters.

Using the nardascripting API and the provided templates, you can create your own apps fast and easy. See also: Scripting Tutorial.

Narda Script Launcher Structure

The Narda Script Launcher is a useful tool even without creating your own scripts. The Narda homepage provides ready-to-use scripts for download, which are being continually expanded.