Installation

Getting Python

pypogs is written for Python 3.7 (and therefore runs on almost any platform) and should work with most modern Python 3 installations. However, it is strongly recommended to use a separate Python environment for pypogs to avoid issues with clashing or out-of-date requirments as well as keeping your environment clean. Therefore the preferred method of getting Python is by downloading Miniconda for Python 3+. If you are on Windows you will be given the option to add conda to PATH during installation. If you do not select this option, the instructions (including running Python and pypogs) which refer to the terminal/CMD window will need to be carried out in the Anaconda Prompt instead.

Now, open a terminal/CMD window and test that you have conda and python by typing:

conda
python
exit()

(On Windows you may be sent to the Windows Store to download Python on the second line. Do not do this, instead go to Manage app execution aliases in the Windows settings and disable the python and python3 aliases to use the version installed with miniconda.)

Now ensure you are up to date:

conda update conda

You can now run any Python script by typing python script_name.py.

Create environment for pypogs

Now create an environment specific for pypogs by:

conda create --name pypogs_env python=3.7 pip
conda activate pypogs_env

You will need to activate the environment each time you restart the terminal/CMD window. (To go to your base environment type conda deactivate.)

Getting pypogs

pypogs is not available on PIP/PyPI (the Python Package Index). Instead you need to get the software repository from GitHub and place it in the directory where you wish to use it. (I.e. as a folder next to the Python project you are writing, or alone if you will just use the provided Graphical User Interface).

The quick way

Go to the GitHub repository, click Clone or Download and Download ZIP and extract the pypogs directory to where you want to use it. You will notice that the pypogs/tetra3 directory is empty (thus pypogs will not work). Therefore also follow the link to tetra3 in the GitHub repository, download it the same way and place the contents in the pypogs/tetra3 directory.

The good way

To be able to easily download and contribute updates to pypogs you should install Git. Follow the instructions for your platform over here.

Now open a terminal/CMD window in the directory where you wish to use pypogs and clone the GitHib repository:

git clone --recurse-submodules "https://github.com/esa/pypogs.git"

You should see the pypogs directory created for you with all neccessary files, including that the pypogs/tetra3 directory Check the status of your repository by typing:

cd pypogs
git status

which should tell you that you are on the branch “master” and are up to date with the origin (which is the GitHub version of pypogs).

If you find that pypogs/tetra3 is empty (due to cloning without recursion), get it by:

git submodule update --init

If a new update has come to GitHub you can update yourself by typing:

git pull --recurse-submodules

If you wish to contribute (please do!) and are not familiar with Git and GitHub, start by creating a user on GitHub and setting you username and email:

git config --global user.name "your_username_here"
git config --global user.email "email@domain.com"

You will now also be able to push proposed changes to the software. There are many good resources for learning about Git, the documentation which includes the reference, a free book on Git, and introductory videos is a good place to start. Note that if you contribute to tetra3 you should push those changes to <https://github.com/esa/tetra3.git>.

Installing pypogs

To install the requirements open a terminal/CMD window in the pypogs directory and run:

pip install -r requirements.txt

to install all requirements. Test that everything works by running an example:

cd examples
python run_pypogsGUI.py

which should create an instace of pypogs and open the Graphical User Interface for you.

Adding hardware support

To connect hardware devices you need to download and install both drivers and Python packages for the respective device.

Missing support for your hardware? File an issue and we will work together to expand pypogs hardware support!

Mount: Celestron, Orion, or SkyWatcher

Use model=’celestron’ in pypogs. No extra drivers or packages are neccessary.

Camera: FLIR/PointGrey

Use model=’ptgrey’ in pypogs. You will need both the FLIR Spinnaker drivers and the pyspin Python package. How to install:

  1. Go to FLIR’s Spinnaker page, and click Download Now to go to their “download box”. Download Latest Spinnaker Full SDK/SpinnakerSDK_FULL_{…}.exe for your system (most likely Windows x64), and Latest Python Spinnaker/spinnaker_python-{….}.zip. Take note that the python .zip should say cp37 (for Python 3.7) and amd64 for x64 system or win32 for x86 system (matching the SpinnakerSDK you downloaded previously).

  2. Run the Spinnaker SDK installer, “Camera Evaluation” mode is sufficient for our needs.

  3. Run the newly installed SpinView program and make sure your camera(s) work as expected.

  4. Extract the contents of the spinnaker_python .zip archive.

  5. Open a terminal/CMD window (or Anaconda Prompt); activate your pypogs_env environment. Go to the extracted .zip archive, where the file spinnaker_python-{…}.whl is located.

  6. Install the package by:

    pip install spinnaker_python-{...}.whl

You should now be ready to load and use your FLIR/PointGrey camera! Try running the GUI and add the camera with model ptgrey and the serial number printed on the camera (and shown in SpinView).

Receiver: National Instruments DAQ

Use model=’ni_daq’ in pypogs. Yoy will need both the NI DAQmx drivers and the nidaqmx Python package.

TODO: Detailed steps.

If problems arise

Please get in touch by filing an issue.