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Contents

  • PICA: Advanced High-Precision Transport Measurement Automation with Python
    • 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
        • System Requirements & Compatibility
        • Software Dependencies
      • 3.2 Getting Started
      • 3.3 Running the Software
      • 3.4 Development Dependencies for Testing (Optional)
        • Experimental Linux Instructions
    • 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
      • 5.5 Launcher v2: Quick Select and Advanced Options
    • 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 Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy
      • 6.9 Standalone Temperature Utilities
      • 6.10 Bench Multimeter Logging (Keithley 197A)
      • 6.11 AC Transport (Keithley 6221 AC Current Source)
    • 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
      • 10.1 Preprint
    • 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
  • Instrument Manuals and Reference Documents
    • Keithley Instruments (Tektronix)
    • Lake Shore Cryotronics
    • PyMeasure Software
    • PyVISA Software
    • Keysight Technologies
    • Novocontrol Technologies
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