pyepics

What it is and what it does

PyEpics is a Python wrapper around the EPICS Channel Access (CA) protocol, a standard for controlling scientific instruments and distributed systems in research facilities. It uses ctypes to bind the underlying C library, avoiding the need for compiled C extensions while maintaining thread safety and cross-platform compatibility.

The package offers two main interfaces: simple procedural functions (caget, caput, cainfo) for quick queries, and an object-oriented PV class for sustained interaction with process variables. It handles connection management transparently, supports user callbacks when values or connection status change, and provides access to full control records and enumeration strings. It is actively maintained and supports modern Python versions.

Use it for:

• Query and modify EPICS process variables from Python scripts in scientific or accelerator control environments.
• Monitor EPICS PV changes in real time using callback functions to trigger actions when values or connection status change.
• Build Python-based control applications that interact with EPICS motors, detectors, and other instrumentation.
• Integrate EPICS data acquisition into data analysis pipelines alongside numpy and other scientific tools.
• Automate routine operations on EPICS systems without writing C code or using command-line utilities.

Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying

PyEpics provides a Python interface to the EPICS Channel Access protocol, enabling read/write access to EPICS control system process variables through both simple functions and object-oriented abstractions.

Yes, if you work with EPICS control systems. The package is actively maintained, has low install friction, no known vulnerabilities, and provides a well-established interface to a standard scientific control protocol. Verify the Epics Open License terms for your use case before committing to a production deployment.

Install

pyepics on PyPI

pip install pyepics

uv add pyepics

poetry add pyepics

Installing pyepics

Before you install

Low install friction with a pure-Python wheel distribution. Maintenance is active with a recent release (86 days ago) and ongoing repository activity. Runtime dependencies are minimal: numpy and pyparsing.

License in practice

License treatment is unclear in the metadata; the package description states it is distributed under the Epics Open License, but this is not formally declared in standard SPDX or license_raw fields. Verify the actual license terms before use in proprietary or restricted contexts.

Quickstart

pip install pyepics

from epics import caget, caput, cainfo
value = caget('XXX:m1.VAL')
caput('XXX:m1.VAL', 2.30)
cainfo('XXX:m1.VAL')

Requires Python 3.10 or later. EPICS Channel Access shared libraries are provided for Windows, MacOS, and Linux by default, but can be overridden via environment variable if you wish to use your own CA library versions.

Verify before relying

• Whether the Epics Open License is compatible with your project's licensing requirements (not formally declared in package metadata).
• Whether wxPython widget integration mentioned in the description is actively maintained and documented.
• Support status for Python 3.13 and 3.14, which appear in classifiers but are beyond the stated 3.8-3.12 testing range.

Package facts

Evidence: pyepics-3.5.10-py3-none-any.whl

Keywords: epics

Tags

More Scientific/Engineering packages