Python for the Lab (PFTL) is a simple program to acquire data from a DAQ device. It is designed following the MVC design pattern, splitting the code into Controllers for defining drivers, Models for specifying the logic on how to use devices and perform an experiment. The View is where all the GUI is developed.
PFTL was developed by Aquiles Carattino to explain to researchers, through simple examples, what can be achieved quickly with little programming knowledge. The ultimate goal of this project is to serve as a reference place for people interested in instrumentation written in Python.
You can find the code of this package at Github, the documentation is hosted at Read The Docs. If you are interested in learning more about Python For The Lab, you can check the courses or buy a copy of the book.
If you follow the Python for the Lab course, the GUI is going to be the last step. You perform an analog output scan while acquiring the voltage on a different port. This will allow the users to acquire an I-V scan or any other voltage-dependent measurement.
The objective of PFTL is to control a device to measure the IV curve of an LED. The device is built on an Arduino DUE which has two Digital-to-Analog channels. The program monitors the voltage across a resistance while increasing the voltage applied to an LED. We can change all the parameters of the scan, including the input and output channels, the range, time delay, etc.
Aditional documentation can be found at Read the Docs, at Python for the Lab or in the book.