Faculty Mentor(s)
Dr. William F. Polik, Chemistry
Document Type
Poster
Event Date
4-12-2019
Abstract
Laboratory instruments can be interfaced with and controlled from personal computers. Several programs to scan lasers and acquire data have been written by students in the Polik Lab. However, computer hardware and software change more rapidly (3-5 years) than instrument lifetime (20 years). Thus, programs must be replaced to run on modern computers and operating systems. This can be done to minimize dependence on specific hardware and software. PyScan is a laser instrument interface program intended to replace the Polik Lab’s current software. It allows the user to control the laser, setup a scan, acquire data, and store the data for subsequent analysis. PyScan is written in Python 3 in order to run on various computer platforms and access a variety of data acquisition products. This flexibility insulates it from future hardware and software changes.
Recommended Citation
Repository citation: Payne, Julian N. and Timperman, Peter E., "PyScan: Interfacing Laboratory Instruments with Python" (2019). 18th Annual Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2019). Paper 22.
https://digitalcommons.hope.edu/curca_18/22
April 12, 2019. Copyright © 2019 Hope College, Holland, Michigan.
