Installation

Installation

PyTestLab requires Python 3.9 or higher.

Standard Installation

We recommend installing PyTestLab in a virtual environment.

python -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate  # On Windows: .venv\Scripts\activate

You can install PyTestLab from PyPI using pip.

Core Package

For the core functionality:

pip install pytestlab

Full Installation

To include all optional dependencies for plotting, extended data formats, and development tools:

pip install pytestlab[full]

VISA Backend Support

To communicate with most physical instruments, you will need to install a VISA backend library. PyTestLab uses pyvisa to interface with these libraries.

1. Install a VISA implementation from your hardware vendor:

   • National Instruments NI-VISA
   • Keysight IO Libraries Suite
   • Rohde & Schwarz VISA

2. Install pyvisa:

   pip install pyvisa

PyTestLab will automatically detect and use the installed VISA backend.

Upgrading

To upgrade PyTestLab to the latest version:

pip install --upgrade pytestlab

Verifying Your Installation

After installation, you can verify that PyTestLab is installed and working:

pytestlab --version
pytestlab profile list

If you see a list of available instrument profiles, your installation is successful.

Troubleshooting

• If you encounter issues with instrument connectivity, ensure your VISA library is installed and accessible in your system's PATH.
• For simulation-only development, you do not need to install any VISA libraries.

Next Steps

• Getting Started Guide
• Connecting to Instruments