With this convenient, single-source reference, you'll learn how to develop instrumentation software with Python that lets you monitor or control devices in the physical world. Whether you need to acquire data from a hardware device or automate its functions, this book shows you how to build interfaces that include everything from software to wiring. You get step-by-step instructions, clear examples, and hands-on tips and hints for interfacing a PC to the real world, along with advice to help you avoid common pitfalls. Use the book's hardware survey to discover the interface type for your particular device, and then follow detailed examples to develop the interface with Python and C. Organized by interface type, data processing activities, and user interface implementations, this book is for anyone who works with instrumentation, robotics, data acquisition, or process control. * Understand how to define the scope of an application and determine the algorithms necessary -- and why it's important * Learn how to use industry-standard interfaces such as RS-232, RS-485, and GPIB * Create low-level extension modules in C to interface Python with a variety of hardware and test instruments * Explore the console, curses, TkInter, and wxPython for graphical and text-based user interfaces * Use open source software tools and libraries to reduce cost and avoid implementing functionality from scratch