This package provides an object-oriented interface to the Comedi
drivers.  The standard Python interface bundled with Comedilib is a
simple SWIG clone of the C interface.  In PyComedi, we wrap that basic
interface into one which is more transparent.  There are simple
wrappers for common tasks, such as single point digital and analog
input/output (the single_dio and single_aio modules), as well as
synchronized, multipoint analog input/output (ther simult_aio module).

== Installation ==

Non-Python dependencies (Debian packagename):
  easy_install  (python-setuptools)
  Numpy source  (python-numpy-dev)
  Comedi

PyComedi uses `setuptools' for installation.  Setuptools is basically
an extension of the standard Python distutils package which supports
automatic package dependency tracking.  The installation procedure
should be (on Debian-esque systems)
  # apt-get intall python-setuptools python-numpy-dev
  # easy_install -f http://www.physics.drexel.edu/~wking/code/python/ pycomedi

There is a Debian package of Comedi, but in order for the
simultaneous, synchronized input/output to work you need to have both
a DAQ card that supports it (obviously), and a Comedi driver that
supports it.  As of 2008-10-09, CVS versions of Comedi contain a patch
supporting this behavior for National Instruments (ni.com) cards based
on the DAQ-STC timing chip.  I don't know the status of other cards or
drivers.  The Comedi modules must be compiled against your kernel
headers, and the process is described in the Comedi section below.

There is one speedbump you might run into:
  * an outdated version of easy_install (see ez_setup.py section)

** ez_setup.py

This package bundles
  http://peak.telecommunity.com/dist/ez_setup.py
to bootstrap setuputils installation on your machine (if neccessary).

If the bootstrapping doesn't work, you may need to install a current version
of setuptools.  On Debian-based systems `apt-get install python-setuptools'.
Once you have *some* version of setuptools, upgrade with
  easy_install -U setuptools

For more information see
  http://peak.telecommunity.com/DevCenter/EasyInstall
  http://peak.telecommunity.com/DevCenter/setuptools#what-your-users-should-know

** Comedi

TODO (write up source installation)


== Usage ==

See the tests in the various modules for simple examples.


== Licence ==

This project is distributed under the GNU Public License Version 3 or greater.
http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.txt


== Author ==

W. Trevor King
wking@drexel.edu
Copyright 2007, 2008