PyMeasure

0.15.0 verified Fri May 01 auth: no python

PyMeasure is a scientific measurement library for Python that provides instrument communication, experiment management, and live-plotting. As of version 0.15.0 (January 2025), it supports Python >=3.8 and has moved to pyproject.toml. The library is actively maintained with frequent releases featuring new instrument drivers and improvements.

pip install pymeasure

Common errors

error ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'pymeasure.instruments' ↓

cause PyMeasure is not installed or installed incorrectly (e.g., missing subpackage).

fix

Ensure correct installation: pip install pymeasure (or pip install --upgrade pymeasure). Also check for pip conflicts (e.g., multiple environments).

error AttributeError: module 'pymeasure' has no attribute 'instruments' ↓

cause The top-level pymeasure package does not export subpackages; you must import from the correct subpackage.

fix

Use from pymeasure.instruments import Instrument instead of from pymeasure import instruments.

error VisaIOError: VI_ERROR_TMO (-1073807339) – Timeout expired before operation completed ↓

cause The instrument did not respond within the default timeout. This often happens with slow instruments or incorrect connection settings.

fix

Increase the timeout: instrument = Keithley2400("GPIB0::24::INSTR", timeout=5000) or check the physical connection and address.

Warnings

deprecated The FSL class from `pymeasure.instruments.rohdeschwarz.fsl` is deprecated. Use `pymeasure.instruments.rohdeschwarz.fsseries` instead. ↓

fix Replace `from pymeasure.instruments.rohdeschwarz.fsl import FSL` with `from pymeasure.instruments.rohdeschwarz.fsseries import FSL`

deprecated Attocube ANC300: `stepu` and `stepd` properties are deprecated. ↓

fix Use the new `move_raw` method instead.

breaking In version 0.13.0, support for Python 3.7 was dropped. Python 3.8+ required. ↓

fix Upgrade Python to 3.8 or later. For older Python, use pymeasure<0.13.0.

gotcha Instrument initialization often requires a connection string. Using an incorrect string (e.g., missing protocol prefix) can cause cryptic VISA errors. ↓

fix Use proper connection strings like 'GPIB0::24::INSTR', 'ASRL/dev/ttyUSB0::INSTR', or 'TCPIP0::192.168.1.1::inst0::INSTR'.

Install

pip install pymeasure[all]

Imports

Instrument

wrong

from pymeasure import Instrument

correct

from pymeasure.instruments import Instrument

Instrument is in the instruments subpackage

ManagedWindow

wrong

from pymeasure import ManagedWindow

correct

from pymeasure.display import ManagedWindow

ManagedWindow is in the display subpackage

Procedure

wrong

from pymeasure import Procedure

correct

from pymeasure.experiment import Procedure

Procedure is in the experiment subpackage

Quickstart

Quickstart: import PyMeasure, create an instrument, define a procedure, and run it.

import pymeasure
from pymeasure.instruments.keithley import Keithley2400
from pymeasure.experiment import Procedure, Results
from pymeasure.display import ManagedWindow

# Check version
print(pymeasure.__version__)

# Example: create a Keithley 2400 instrument (simulated if no hardware)
try:
    keithley = Keithley2400("GPIB0::24::INSTR")
    print(keithley.id)
except Exception as e:
    print(f"Could not connect: {e}")

# Define a simple procedure
class MyProcedure(Procedure):
    def execute(self):
        import time
        for i in range(5):
            self.emit('data', {'i': i})
            time.sleep(0.1)

# Create and run procedure
results = Results(MyProcedure(), 'test.csv')
print('Procedure created. See framework documentation for full GUI usage.')