SilQ is a measurement software designed to control and measure quantum systems. It utilizes the QCoDeS data acquisition framework.

Full documentation can be found at https://nulinspiratie.github.io/SilQ/

The key requirements for SilQ outside the default anaconda packages are the following:

name: silq
channels:
  - defaults
dependencies:
  - python=3.9
  - nodejs
  - sidecar
  - pyqtgraph
  - peakutils
  - lmfit
  - ipympl
  - slacker
  - nidaqmx-python
  - pyvisa=1.10.1
prefix: C:\Users\<USERNAME>\anaconda3

N.B. pay close attention to the pyvisa verion (1.10.1). SilQ and the qcodes fork that silq relies on will not work with newer pyvisa versions such as 1.12.0.

It is recommend to install the required packages using conda, instead of pip via conda install -c conda-forge <PACKAGE NAME> as administrator.

Users will also need the following:

dependencies:
  - keysight-hvi
  - keysightSD1

The methods of installing the keysight packages are not elegant and are outlined below:

1. Clone the SilQ and relevant Qcodes fork repo

2. Open anaconda prompt window - run as administrator

3. cd into the SilQ repo directory and create an environment using the spec-file.txt. This will install all the required packages readily available via the conda package manager.

conda create --name myenv --file spec-file.txt

4. Activate the newly created environment

conda activate myenv

5. Install Qcodes. cd into the Qcodes repo directory running the following in your anaconda prompt admin window

pip install -e .

6. Install SilQ. cd into the SilQ repo directory running the following in your anaconda prompt admin window

pip install -e .

7. Download KeysightSD1 2.X software, follow the wizard, use default settings.

8. Install keysight-hvi

cd C:\Program Files\Keysight\PathWave Test Sync Executive 2021\api\Python\Python38

pip install .

9. Install keysightSD1, by copying the the keysightSD1.py file from C:\Program Files (x86)\Keysight\SD1\Libraries\Python to C:\Users\Scarlett\anaconda3\envs\<MY ENV>\Lib\site-packages.

Unfortunately, there is not a prepared conda environment spec-file.txt file for Linux-based operating systems but one can create a new conda environment and install the required packages in the following manner

conda create --name myenv

conda activate myenv

conda install -c forge nodejs sidecar pyqtgraph peakutils lmfit ipympl slacker nidaqmx-python pyvisa=1.10.1

Then continue the installation of Qcodes, SilQ, keysight-hvi and keysightSD1 by carrying out the relevant steps outlined above and replacing the directories for the relevant modules with the Linux-based ones.