Nets - Lager

Nets are the core abstraction in Lager for representing physical test points, signals, or buses on your device under test. Each net maps a friendly name to a specific instrument channel.

Syntax

lager nets [OPTIONS] [COMMAND]

Global Options

Option	Description
`--box TEXT`	Lagerbox name or IP address
`--help`	Show help message and exit

Commands

Command	Description
(none)	List all saved nets (default)
`delete`	Delete a specific net by name and type
`delete-all`	Delete all saved nets (dangerous)
`rename`	Rename an existing net
`create`	Create a new net
`create-all`	Auto-create all available nets from connected instruments
`create-batch`	Create multiple nets from a JSON file
`tui`	Launch interactive Net Manager TUI
`set-script`	Attach a J-Link script or OpenOCD `.cfg`/`.tcl` to a debug net (backend auto-detected)
`remove-script`	Remove the debug script (J-Link or OpenOCD) attached to a debug net
`show-script`	Display the debug script attached to a debug net

Command Reference

List Nets (Default)

List all saved nets on a Lager Box. This is the default behavior when no subcommand is provided.

lager nets --box my-lager-box

Output Columns:

Column	Description
`Name`	User-friendly net identifier
`Net Type`	Role/type of net (supply, debug, adc, gpio, i2c, spi, etc.)
`Instrument`	Physical equipment (Rigol_DP811, Keithley_2281S, etc.)
`Channel`	Specific channel on the instrument
`Address`	VISA or USB address of the instrument
`Script`	Whether a J-Link script is attached (debug nets only)

The Script column only appears if any debug net has a J-Link script attached. Example Output:

Name        Net Type    Instrument        Channel  Address
================================================================================
supply1     supply      Rigol_DP811       1        TCPIP::192.168.1.100::INSTR
battery1    batt        Keithley_2281S    1        TCPIP::192.168.1.101::INSTR
debug1      debug       J-Link            STM32F4  USB::001::002
adc1        adc         LabJack_T7        AIN0     USB::470026574
gpio1       gpio        LabJack_T7        FIO0     USB::470026574
i2c1        i2c         LabJack_T7        0        USB::470026574
spi1        spi         Aardvark          0        USB::2238595116
uart1       uart        Prolific_USB      0        /dev/ttyUSB0

`create`

Create a new net by specifying its name, type, channel, and instrument address.

lager nets create NAME ROLE CHANNEL ADDRESS [OPTIONS]

Arguments:

NAME - Unique name for the net (e.g., supply1, debug_main)
ROLE - Type of net: supply, batt, solar, debug, adc, dac, gpio, scope, eload, uart, usb, camera, arm, watt-meter, thermocouple, i2c, spi
CHANNEL - Channel identifier (e.g., 1, AIN0, FIO0, STM32F4, 0)
ADDRESS - VISA address or device path (e.g., TCPIP::192.168.1.100::INSTR)

Options:

--box TEXT - Lagerbox name or IP
--jlink-script FILE - J-Link script file for debug nets (stored on box)

Examples:

# Create a power supply net
lager nets create supply1 supply 1 TCPIP::192.168.1.100::INSTR --box my-lager-box

# Create a debug net for STM32
lager nets create debug1 debug STM32F407VG USB::001::002 --box my-lager-box

# Create a debug net with J-Link script
lager nets create debug1 debug STM32F407VG USB::001::002 --jlink-script ./my_device.JLinkScript --box my-lager-box

# Create an ADC net on LabJack
lager nets create temp_sensor adc AIN0 USB::470026574 --box my-lager-box

# Create an I2C net on LabJack
lager nets create i2c_bus i2c 0 USB::470026574 --box my-lager-box

# Create an I2C net on Aardvark
lager nets create i2c_aardvark i2c 0 USB::2238595116 --box my-lager-box

# Create an SPI net on LabJack
lager nets create spi_bus spi 0 USB::470026574 --box my-lager-box

# Create an SPI net on Aardvark
lager nets create spi_aardvark spi 0 USB::2238595116 --box my-lager-box

# Create a UART net
lager nets create serial1 uart 0 /dev/ttyUSB0 --box my-lager-box

The --jlink-script option is only applicable for debug nets. If used with other net types, a warning is printed and the option is ignored.

Validation Rules:

Net names must be globally unique across all types
The (role, instrument, channel, address) tuple must match a connected instrument
Channel binding follows the per-instrument rules described in Channel & Role Constraints below

Channel & Role Constraints

Different instrument families bind nets to channels differently. Lager classifies every supported instrument into one of three categories and enforces the rules consistently across create, create-all, and the TUI.

1. Multi-channel instruments

Instruments with physically independent outputs / inputs. Each channel is its own circuit and can host its own net.

Instrument	Channels	Notes
`Rigol_DP811` / `DP821` / `DP831` / `DP832`	`1`, `2`, `3`	One `supply` net per output
`KEYSIGHT_E36233A`	`1`, `2`	Dual-output supply
`KEYSIGHT_E36313A` / `E36312A`	`1`, `2`, `3`	Triple-output supply
`LabJack_T7`	`AIN0`–`AIN13`, `FIO0`–`FIO7`, `DAC0`–`DAC1`, etc.	One net per pin
`Aardvark`	`SPI0`, `I2C0`, GPIO pins	Mixed-mode multi-channel
`MCC_USB-202`	`CH0`–`CH7`, `DIO0`–`DIO7`, `DAC0`–`DAC1`	One net per channel
`Phidget`	`0`–`3`	One `thermocouple` net per channel
`Acroname_8Port` / `4Port`, `YKUSH_Hub`	Port indices	One `usb` net per port

Rule: at most one net per (instrument, address, role, channel) tuple. Two nets that share (instrument, address, role) but differ in channel are fine — that’s exactly what multi-channel is for.

2. Single-channel, multi-mode instruments

Instruments with one physical channel that can run in one of several modes but not multiple modes at once. The role tells the box which firmware mode to flip the chip into.

Instrument	Allowed roles	Why exclusive
`Keithley_2281S`	`batt` or `supply`	One channel: battery-simulator firmware OR power-supply firmware
`EA_PSB_10080_60`	`solar` or `supply`	One channel: solar-array simulator OR straight supply
`EA_PSB_10060_60`	`solar` or `supply`	Same as above
`FTDI_FT232H`	`spi` or `i2c` or `gpio` or `debug` or `uart`	One channel hardware-multiplexed between MPSSE (libftdi) and async-serial (`ftdi_sio`) modes

Rule: at most one net per (instrument, address). Once any role is saved on the chip, every other role disappears from the add list. To switch modes, delete the existing net first. These chips are tracked in _SINGLE_CHANNEL_INST (Keithley, EA) and _MODE_EXCLUSIVE_INST (FTDI_FT232H) in cli/commands/box/nets.py and cli/commands/box/net_tui.py.

3. Single-role debug probes

Standalone debugger boxes — one probe drives one target MCU.

Instrument	Backend	Role
`J-Link` / `J-Link_Plus` / `Flasher_ARM` / `J-Link_Flasher_Pro`	J-Link (SEGGER)	`debug`
`STLink_v2` / `v2_1` / `v3` / `v3_Mini` / `v3_2VCP`	OpenOCD	`debug`
`RP2040_Picoprobe`	OpenOCD (CMSIS-DAP)	`debug`
`Atmel_EDBG`	OpenOCD (CMSIS-DAP)	`debug`
`DAPLink`	OpenOCD (CMSIS-DAP)	`debug`

Rule: at most one debug net per (instrument, address).

4. Multi-channel FTDI debug adapters

FT2232H (2 channels: A, B) and FT4232H (4 channels: A, B, C, D) physically expose multiple USB interfaces. Channels A and B are MPSSE-capable (JTAG/SWD via OpenOCD); channels C and D on the FT4232H are UART-only. The user picks an interface per net via an @ suffix on the device type. Debug nets encode the channel in the device field:

# Channel A (interface 0) — by far the most common
lager nets create debug_a debug STM32F4x@A USB0::0x0403::0x6010::ABCDEF::INSTR

# Channel B (interface 1) — second target on the same FT2232H
lager nets create debug_b debug NRF52840_XXAA@B USB0::0x0403::0x6010::ABCDEF::INSTR

Equivalent forms: @A/@0, @B/@1, @C/@2, @D/@3. Devices without an @ suffix default to the interface OpenOCD’s interface config picks (typically channel A). UART nets distinguish channels by their tty path. The USB scanner enumerates every /dev/ttyUSB<N> bound to the chip’s USB serial; each shows up as a separate add-list entry, so on an FT4232H you’ll see up to four UART options. Rule: a debug net is unique per (instrument, address, channel-suffix). So a single FT2232H can host:

one debug net on @A
one debug net on @B
one uart net on a /dev/ttyUSB<N> belonging to whichever channels you didn’t claim for MPSSE
one each of spi / i2c / gpio (which all bind to channel A in the OpenOCD interface config — incompatible with debug@A)

The user is responsible for not double-booking channel A (e.g. picking debug@A and spi); the box doesn’t validate that today.

Quick decision table

You want to add a second net on the same chip	Allowed?
`supply` on `Rigol_DP811` CH1 + `supply` on Rigol_DP811 CH2	Yes
`batt` on `Keithley_2281S` + `supply` on the same Keithley	No — pick one
`solar` on `EA_PSB_10080_60` + `supply` on the same EA	No — pick one
`spi` on `FTDI_FT232H` + `uart` on the same FT232H	No — pick one
`debug@A` on `FTDI_FT2232H` + `uart` on a different interface of the same FT2232H	Yes
Two `debug@A` nets on the same `FTDI_FT2232H`	No — same channel
Two `debug` nets on the same J-Link	No — single-target probe

`create-all`

Automatically create nets for all available channels on all connected instruments. This is useful for quickly setting up a new Lager Box.

lager nets create-all [OPTIONS]

Options:

--box TEXT - Lagerbox name or IP
--yes - Skip confirmation prompt

Example:

# Preview what nets would be created
lager nets create-all --box my-lager-box

# Create all nets without prompting
lager nets create-all --box my-lager-box --yes

Output:

Found 8 nets that can be created:
  - supply1 (supply) on Rigol_DP811 channel 1
  - adc1 (adc) on LabJack_T7 channel AIN0
  - adc2 (adc) on LabJack_T7 channel AIN1
  - gpio1 (gpio) on LabJack_T7 channel FIO0
  - i2c1 (i2c) on LabJack_T7 channel 0
  - spi1 (spi) on LabJack_T7 channel 0
  - debug1 (debug) on J-Link channel STM32F4

Create all 8 nets on box <BOX_IP>? [y/N]:

`create-batch`

Create multiple nets from a JSON file for efficient bulk setup.

lager nets create-batch JSON_FILE [OPTIONS]

Arguments:

JSON_FILE - Path to JSON file containing net definitions

Options:

--box TEXT - Lagerbox name or IP

JSON Format:

[
  {
    "name": "supply1",
    "role": "supply",
    "channel": "1",
    "address": "TCPIP::192.168.1.100::INSTR"
  },
  {
    "name": "i2c_bus",
    "role": "i2c",
    "channel": "0",
    "address": "USB::470026574"
  },
  {
    "name": "spi_bus",
    "role": "spi",
    "channel": "0",
    "address": "USB::2238595116"
  }
]

Example:

lager nets create-batch nets.json --box my-lager-box

`delete`

Delete a specific net by its name and type.

lager nets delete NAME NET_TYPE [OPTIONS]

Arguments:

NAME - Name of the net to delete
NET_TYPE - Type of the net (supply, debug, adc, i2c, spi, etc.)

Options:

--box TEXT - Lagerbox name or IP
--yes - Skip confirmation prompt

Example:

# Delete a supply net (with confirmation)
lager nets delete supply1 supply --box my-lager-box

# Delete without confirmation
lager nets delete temp_sensor adc --box my-lager-box --yes

# Delete an I2C net
lager nets delete i2c_bus i2c --box my-lager-box --yes

`delete-all`

Delete all saved nets on a Lager Box. This is a dangerous operation.

lager nets delete-all [OPTIONS]

Options:

--box TEXT - Lagerbox name or IP
--yes - Skip confirmation prompt

Example:

# Delete all nets (requires confirmation)
lager nets delete-all --box my-lager-box

# Delete all nets without prompting
lager nets delete-all --box my-lager-box --yes

`rename`

Rename an existing net.

lager nets rename NAME NEW_NAME [OPTIONS]

Arguments:

NAME - Current name of the net
NEW_NAME - New name for the net (must be unique)

Options:

--box TEXT - Lagerbox name or IP

Example:

lager nets rename supply1 main_power --box my-lager-box

`tui`

Launch an interactive terminal-based UI for managing nets. The TUI provides a visual interface for viewing, creating, and deleting nets.

lager nets tui [OPTIONS]

Options:

--box TEXT - Lagerbox name or IP

Example:

lager nets tui --box my-lager-box

TUI Features:

Browse all connected instruments and their channels
Create new nets with guided prompts
Delete existing nets
View net details and instrument information
Keyboard navigation

`set-script`

Attach a debug script — either a JLinkScript or an OpenOCD .cfg/.tcl — to an existing debug net. The file is stored on the box and used automatically during connect, flash, erase, and reset operations. The backend (J-Link vs. OpenOCD) is auto-detected from two signals:

The probe’s USB VID on the net’s address field (J-Link → jlink; ST-Link, FTDI, CMSIS-DAP, etc. → openocd).
The file — extension first (.JLinkScript → jlink; .cfg/.tcl/.ocd → openocd), with a content sniff as a tie-breaker for extensionless files or stdin.

If the two signals disagree, set-script refuses with a clear error and asks you to pick one via --backend. A debug net only carries one script at a time. If the other field is already set, set-script clears it and prints a yellow notice on stderr so nothing disappears silently.

lager nets set-script NAME SCRIPT_PATH [OPTIONS]

Arguments:

NAME - Name of the debug net
SCRIPT_PATH - Path to the script file, or - to read from stdin

Options:

--backend [jlink|openocd] - Force a specific backend instead of auto-detecting (required if the probe and file disagree)
--box TEXT - Lagerbox name or IP

Example:

# Attach a J-Link script to a J-Link net (auto-detected)
lager nets set-script debug1 ./custom_connect.JLinkScript --box my-lager-box

# Attach an OpenOCD config to an FTDI/ST-Link/CMSIS-DAP net (auto-detected)
lager nets set-script debug1 ./probe.cfg --box my-lager-box

# Read the script from stdin
cat probe.cfg | lager nets set-script debug1 - --box my-lager-box

# Force a specific backend when the file or probe is ambiguous
lager nets set-script debug1 ./generic_script --backend openocd --box my-lager-box

`remove-script`

Remove the debug script (J-Link or OpenOCD) attached to a debug net.

lager nets remove-script NAME [OPTIONS]

Arguments:

NAME - Name of the debug net

Options:

--backend [jlink|openocd] - Only remove the named backend’s script (default: remove whichever is set)
--box TEXT - Lagerbox name or IP

Example:

# Remove whichever script is attached
lager nets remove-script debug1 --box my-lager-box

# Only remove the J-Link script (leave any OpenOCD config in place)
lager nets remove-script debug1 --backend jlink --box my-lager-box

`show-script`

Display the contents of the debug script attached to a debug net. The script content is written to stdout (so > out.cfg works); a one-line summary like # OpenOCD config, 1247 bytes is written to stderr so interactive use tells you which backend’s script you’re looking at without polluting redirects.

lager nets show-script NAME [OPTIONS]

Arguments:

NAME - Name of the debug net

Options:

--backend [jlink|openocd] - Only show the named backend’s script (default: show whichever is set)
--box TEXT - Lagerbox name or IP

Example:

# Display the attached script (J-Link or OpenOCD)
lager nets show-script debug1 --box my-lager-box

# Save to a local file (the stderr banner doesn't end up in the file)
lager nets show-script debug1 --box my-lager-box > script.txt

Net Types Reference

Net Type	Description	Typical Instruments
`supply`	Power supply output	Rigol DP800, Keithley 2200/2280, Keysight E36200
`batt`	Battery simulator	Keithley 2281S
`solar`	Solar simulator	EA PSI/EL series
`eload`	Electronic load	Rigol DL3021
`debug`	Debug probe	J-Link, CMSIS-DAP, ST-Link
`adc`	Analog input	LabJack T7
`dac`	Analog output	LabJack T7
`gpio`	Digital I/O	LabJack T7, MCC USB-202
`i2c`	I2C bus	LabJack T7, Aardvark
`spi`	SPI bus	LabJack T7, Aardvark
`scope`	Oscilloscope	Rigol MSO5000, PicoScope
`uart`	Serial port	Prolific USB, SiLabs CP210x
`usb`	USB port control	Acroname hub, YKUSH
`camera`	Video capture	Logitech BRIO
`arm`	Robot arm	Rotrics Dexarm
`watt-meter`	Power measurement	Yocto Watt
`thermocouple`	Temperature sensor	Phidget thermocouples

Debug Script Workflow

Both J-Link and OpenOCD debug probes can carry a custom script for handling reset sequences, clock initialization, board-specific signal pinning, or other device-specific behavior. Lager stores one script per debug net (either a JLinkScript or an OpenOCD .cfg/.tcl, never both) and applies it automatically during connect, flash, erase, and reset operations.

# Attach a J-Link script to a J-Link probe (auto-detected from .JLinkScript extension)
lager nets set-script debug1 ./my_device.JLinkScript --box my-lager-box

# Attach an OpenOCD config to an FTDI / ST-Link / CMSIS-DAP probe (auto-detected)
lager nets set-script debug1 ./probe.cfg --box my-lager-box

# Verify what's attached (stderr says which backend, stdout has the content)
lager nets show-script debug1 --box my-lager-box

# Scripts are used automatically for all debug operations:
lager debug debug1 flash --hex firmware.hex --box my-lager-box
lager debug debug1 gdbserver --box my-lager-box

# Remove the script when no longer needed
lager nets remove-script debug1 --box my-lager-box

You can also attach a script at net creation time:

lager nets create debug1 debug STM32F407VG USB::001::002 \
  --jlink-script ./my_device.JLinkScript --box my-lager-box

lager nets create debug2 debug d2763 USB::003::004 \
  --openocd-config ./probe.cfg --box my-lager-box

You can also configure J-Link scripts per-project in the local .lager config file:

{
  "DEBUG": {
    "debug1": "./scripts/my_device.JLinkScript"
  }
}

When both a net-level script (via set-script) and a project-level script (via .lager config) exist, the project-level script takes priority.

Examples

# List all nets
lager nets --box my-lager-box

# Create a new power supply net
lager nets create vdd_main supply 1 TCPIP::192.168.1.100::INSTR --box my-lager-box

# Create I2C and SPI bus nets
lager nets create i2c_sensors i2c 0 USB::470026574 --box my-lager-box
lager nets create spi_flash spi 0 USB::2238595116 --box my-lager-box

# Auto-create all available nets
lager nets create-all --box my-lager-box --yes

# Delete a specific net
lager nets delete old_supply supply --box my-lager-box --yes

# Rename a net
lager nets rename supply1 main_power --box my-lager-box

# Launch interactive manager
lager nets tui --box my-lager-box

# Bulk create from JSON file
lager nets create-batch testbed-nets.json --box my-lager-box

# Manage debug-probe scripts (J-Link or OpenOCD, auto-detected)
lager nets set-script debug1 ./custom_init.JLinkScript --box my-lager-box
lager nets set-script debug2 ./probe.cfg --box my-lager-box
lager nets show-script debug1 --box my-lager-box
lager nets remove-script debug1 --box my-lager-box

Notes

Net names are globally unique regardless of type
Use lager instruments --box <lager-box> to see available instruments and channels
The TUI provides the easiest way to set up nets for the first time
Use create-all to quickly configure a new Lager Box with sensible defaults
I2C and SPI nets are supported on LabJack T7 and Aardvark adapters
Debug scripts (both J-Link and OpenOCD) are base64-encoded for storage and decoded automatically during debug operations
A debug net carries at most one script (jlink_script or openocd_config); set-script enforces this by clearing the other field when present

Documentation Index

​Syntax

​Global Options

​Commands

​Command Reference

​List Nets (Default)

​create

​Channel & Role Constraints

​1. Multi-channel instruments

​2. Single-channel, multi-mode instruments

​3. Single-role debug probes

​4. Multi-channel FTDI debug adapters

​Quick decision table

​create-all

​create-batch

​delete

​delete-all

​rename

​tui

​set-script

​remove-script

​show-script

​Net Types Reference

​Debug Script Workflow

​Examples

​Notes

Syntax

Global Options

Commands

Command Reference

List Nets (Default)

`create`

Channel & Role Constraints

1. Multi-channel instruments

2. Single-channel, multi-mode instruments

3. Single-role debug probes

4. Multi-channel FTDI debug adapters

Quick decision table

`create-all`

`create-batch`

`delete`

`delete-all`

`rename`

`tui`

`set-script`

`remove-script`

`show-script`

Net Types Reference

Debug Script Workflow

Examples

Notes