PICA Documentation

Welcome to the documentation for the Python Instrument Control and Automation (PICA) software.

• Table of Contents
• 1. Overview
• 2. Design Philosophy & Architecture
  • 2.1 The Choice of Python
  • 2.2 The Case for GUIs
  • 2.3 Operational Transparency (No “Black Box”)
  • 2.4 Architecture: Process Isolation
  • 2.5 Self-Contained and Modular Programs
• 3. Installation & Setup
  • 3.1 System Prerequisites
  • 3.2 Getting Started
  • 3.3 Running the Software
  • 3.4 Development Dependencies for Testing (Optional)
• 4. Safety Precautions
• 5. Core Utilities
  • 5.1 VISA Instrument Scanner
  • 5.2 PICA Plotter Utility
  • 5.3 Embedded Document Viewer
  • 5.4 Measurement Module Interface
• 6. Supported Measurement Modules
  • 6.1 Ultra Low Resistance Measurements
  • 6.2 General Transport (Standard I-V & R-T)
  • 6.3 High Precision Transport (mid resistance range)
  • 6.4 Electrometry & High Resistance
  • 6.5 Pyroelectric Current Measurements
  • 6.6 High Voltage Poling
  • 6.7 Dielectric Spectroscopy
  • 6.8 Standalone Temperature Utilities
• 7. Releases and Versions
• 8. Common Issues & Troubleshooting
  • 8.1 VISA Timeout Error or Resource Not Found
  • 8.2 Instrument Control and Delays
  • 8.3 Forcing a Re-installation for Debugging
• 9. Technical Reference
  • 9.1 File Naming Convention
  • 9.2 GPIB Address Guide
  • 9.3 Repository Mirroring
  • 9.4 Data File Format
• 10. Citation & Open Source
• 11. Future Development
  • 11.1 AC Resistivity (Lock-In)
  • 11.2 Standalone Executables
  • 11.3 New Utilities and Analysis Modules
• 12. Adding a New Instrument
• 13. Authors & Acknowledgments
  • Funding
• 14. License
• 15. Appendix A: Project File Structure