Real World Instrumentation with Python

Methodology

Using a step-by-step approach and real-world examples, we will examine the processes necessary to define the instrumentation application, select the appropriate interfaces and hardware, and create the low-level extension modules needed (if any) to interface Python with instrumentation hardware. We will also investigate the use of TkInter, wxPython, and curses for graphical and text-based user interfaces.

The book includes sections describing what is involved in writing an extension for Python in order to encapsulate a hardware vendor’s DLL; how to communicate with USB-based I/O devices; and how to use industry-standard interfaces such as RS-232, RS-485, and GPIB, along with a survey of what types of hardware one might expect to find using these interfaces. It also provides references to readily available open source tools and libraries to reduce, as much as possible, the amount of time spent implementing functionality from scratch.