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Last Updated: August 14, 2026

Getting a working Python setup, and the habits that make the rest of the site usable. Everything in the other sections assumes this material.

  • Setup & Installation — installing Python, VS Code, the scientific stack, and the hardware drivers for the instruments you actually use (NI-VISA, NI-488.2/GPIB, NI-DAQmx, Thorlabs Kinesis).
  • Workflows — notebooks vs. scripts and when to reach for each; working in VS Code.
  • Python Basics — a refresher on the language itself: values, functions, loops, imports, and the errors you’ll meet first.
  • Working Effectively — writing calculations as reusable functions, building your own module, and keeping raw data separate from analysis.

Back to Python for Lab Work