====== Use Python to Control Lab Equipment ======

===== I use 3 types of comms. =====


1. USB
The most common one with the simplest HW requirements. USB cable. In linux you just need to install "pyvisa-py", but in windows you need "pyvisa" & Keysight/NI visa driver.

2. RS232
Requires RS232 to USB cable with "pyserial-asyncio".

3. Ethernet sockets
Use built-in "asyncio stream"s to open socket comms. You would need a LAN cable

===== As for python versioning, I would recommend using pyenv =====


Windows -  does not support virtualenv, but it is worth using
https://github.com/pyenv-win/pyenv-win
Linux - pyenv
https://github.com/pyenv/pyenv

Don't have to use pyenv-win but linux pyenv is strongly recommended.

You can refer to this link,

https://elementenergy.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/~5f2d7270cdb7b4001b158ba7/pages/1591345189/Installing+Pyenv

 

 but the github page is kinda self-explanatory

===== IDE =====

I would say eclipse goes well with java & c.  For python, it is either pycharm or vscode. I recommend vscode since it supports remote development