Python replacement for LabVIEW instrument control server

[formeo]

Hi,

I've been working on a hardware abstraction layer for STM automation
(amrl-transport) and as part
of it I reverse-engineered the DeepSPM wire protocol from your source code
and implemented a pure Python asyncio server that speaks the same protocol.

What it does:

• Drop-in replacement for the LabVIEW instrument control server
• Implements all 6 commands: scan, tipshaping, tipclean, getparam, approach, movearea
• Same binary response format (big-endian float32 scan data)
• Existing DeepSPM agent code connects to it without changes — just point to localhost:5556
• Works with a simulated STM backend for development without hardware

Why this might be useful:

• Removes the LabVIEW dependency (proprietary, Windows-only, ~$3500/yr)
• Cross-platform: runs on Linux/Mac/Windows
• Easier to extend with new commands or backends
• Enables CI testing of the agent code without a real microscope

The implementation is at:

• Server: amrl_transport/deepspm/server.py
• Protocol parser: amrl_transport/deepspm/protocol.py
• Compatible client: amrl_transport/deepspm/client.py

Usage:

pip install amrl-transport
python -m amrl_transport.deepspm --transport simulator
# Agent connects to localhost:5556 as usual

I'd be happy to contribute this as a PR if you're interested — either as a
standalone pyserver/ directory alongside labview/, or however you'd
prefer to integrate it.

The package is MIT-licensed, so there are no licensing conflicts with BSD-3.