Installation¶

Requirements¶

Python 3.10 or later (Python 3.13 recommended)
Anaconda or Miniconda (recommended for managing dependencies)

Step 1: Install Anaconda¶

If you don't already have Anaconda installed, download it from:

Download Anaconda

Follow the installer instructions for your operating system.

Step 2: Install pydvma¶

Option A: Quick Installation (Recommended)¶

Open the Anaconda Prompt (Windows) or terminal (Mac/Linux) and run:

conda install numpy scipy jupyter matplotlib pyqtgraph ipympl ipywidgets jupyterlab
pip install sounddevice pydvma

Option B: Installation in a Dedicated Environment¶

Creating a separate environment keeps pydvma and its dependencies isolated from other projects:

# Create a new environment
conda create --name pydvma-env python=3.13

# Activate the environment
conda activate pydvma-env

# Install dependencies and pydvma
conda install numpy scipy jupyter matplotlib pyqtgraph ipympl ipywidgets jupyterlab
pip install sounddevice pydvma

Activating your environment

Each time you open a new Anaconda Prompt, you'll need to activate your environment with conda activate pydvma-env before using pydvma.

Step 3: Download the Template Notebook¶

Download the template notebook to get started quickly:

Download pydvma_template.ipynb (right-click and "Save link as...")

Save it to a folder on your computer where you want to work with your data.

Step 4: Run Jupyter Notebook¶

Open the Anaconda Prompt and run:

jupyter notebook --notebook-dir="C:\path\to\your\folder"

Replace C:\path\to\your\folder with the path to the folder where you saved the template notebook. This will open Jupyter in your browser where you can open and run the template.

Quick navigation

Alternatively, you can simply run jupyter notebook and navigate to your folder using the Jupyter file browser.

Optional: National Instruments DAQ Support¶

For National Instruments hardware (Windows or Linux — NI-DAQmx is not available on macOS):

Download and install the NI-DAQmx driver:

Download NI-DAQmx

Use the latest version that supports your OS. The nidaqmx Python wrapper tracks NI-DAQmx ABI changes and will print a clear error on mismatch.

Install the Python bindings:

pip install nidaqmx

macOS

NI-DAQmx has no macOS driver, so the NI path is unavailable on Mac. Soundcard acquisition still works on all platforms; analysis functions are pure-Python and run anywhere.

Verifying Installation¶

To verify your installation, open a Python console or Jupyter notebook and try:

import pydvma as dvma
print("pydvma installed successfully!")

If no errors occur, you're ready to go!

Troubleshooting¶

Common Issues¶

Import Error: No module named 'pydvma'

Make sure pydvma is installed in the correct Python environment. If using a dedicated environment, ensure you've activated it with conda activate pydvma-env.

Qt Platform Plugin Error

If you encounter Qt-related errors, try installing qtpy:

pip install qtpy

Matplotlib Backend Issues

If plots don't display correctly in Jupyter, add this to the first cell of your notebook:

%matplotlib widget

Soundcard Not Detected

Ensure sounddevice is installed and your audio device is properly connected:

pip install sounddevice

You can list available audio devices with:

import sounddevice as sd
print(sd.query_devices())

Installation from Source¶

For development or to get the latest changes:

git clone https://github.com/torebutlin/pydvma.git
cd pydvma
pip install -e .

Next Steps¶

Once installation is complete, proceed to the Quick Start guide to begin using pydvma.