I built PICA (Python-based Instrument Control and Automation), an open-source software suite designed to handle complex lab measurement instruments and automate experimental workflows. It is a lab-tested, physically accurate alternative to proprietary solutions like LabVIEW.
What it does: PICA provides a professional dashboard to orchestrate high-precision hardware (Keithley SourceMeters, Lakeshore Controllers, LCR Meters) for materials science research. It automates protocols like I-V sweeps, Resistivity vs. Temperature, and Pyroelectric measurement loops.
Key Features:
Open Source & GUI: Includes a full graphical interface for setting parameters and running experiments, making it accessible to researchers without coding experience.
Process Isolation: Uses a multiprocessing architecture to run instrument control loops in isolated processes. This ensures that hardware timeouts or driver crashes do not freeze the main UI.
Live Visualization: Features real-time plotting utilities to monitor measurement data as it is acquired.
Lab-Tested Reliability: The suite is actively used for cryogenic transport measurements (80 K – 320 K) at the UGC-DAE Consortium for Scientific Research, Mumbai Centre,India.