Real World Instrumentation with Python

Summary

The examples in this chapter are just a small sample of what is available in terms of instrumentation hardware, and of what can be done with Python to acquire data and control external devices. We didn’t discuss specific examples of GPIB or bus-based I/O, although these types of devices are used extensively in instrumentation systems. However, if you look back at Chapters 2, 7, and 11, these topics are covered there at length.

The devices discussed in this chapter were selected specifically to illustrate some shared concepts in the world of instrumentation hardware, such as the ubiquitous command-response paradigm. From this perspective a serial data acquisition device is similar in many ways to a GPIB device, and some lab instruments have the ability to communicate via a serial port while still using the SCPI model. The LabJack data acquisition devices employ a driver API and a Python interface layer that is very similar to what you might expect to find with a multifunction I/O card for the PCI bus. Once you understand the basic concepts behind the various interfaces, you’ll be well on your way to being able to deal with just about any kind of instrumentation device.

With a modest outlay you can convert almost any PC into a data acquisition and control system, and with Python you can program it to do what you want it to do and take advantage of the powerful and extensible Python development environment. Your programs can be as simple or as complex as you need them to be, ...