PyRPL (Python RedPitaya Lockbox) turns your RedPitaya into a powerful DSP device, especially suitable as a digital lockbox and measurement device in quantum optics experiments. A detailed scientific article describing PyRPL's architecture and functions can be found here:
The official PyRPL website address is http://pyrpl.readthedocs.io/.
The easiest way to run PyRPL is to download the latest precompiled application for Windows, macOS, or Linux from the releases page. It does not require a separate Python installation.
For a Python installation, we recommend uv. PyRPL supports Python 3.8 through 3.13; Python 3.12 is a conservative choice with broad Qt support:
uv python install 3.12
uv venv --python 3.12
uv pip install "pyrpl[qt-pyqt5]"
uv run python -m pyrpl your_configuration_namePyRPL requires one Qt binding. You can replace qt-pyqt5 with qt-pyqt6,
qt-pyside2, or qt-pyside6.
To work on the source code:
git clone https://github.com/pyrpl-fpga/pyrpl.git
cd pyrpl
uv sync --extra qt-pyqt5 --extra dev
uv run pytestStandard venv and pip remain supported. Create and activate a virtual environment,
then run python -m pip install "pyrpl[qt-pyqt5]", or install a checkout with
python -m pip install -e ".[qt-pyqt5]".
If your laboratory already uses conda, it can manage the environment while pip installs PyRPL from PyPI:
conda create -n pyrpl-env python=3.12 pip
conda activate pyrpl-env
python -m pip install "pyrpl[qt-pyqt5]"uv sync --extra qt-pyqt5 --extra testuv sync --extra qt-pyqt5 --extra ipythonuv sync --extra qt-pyqt5 --extra devFirst, hook up your Red Pitaya / STEMlab to a LAN accessible from your computer (follow the instructions for this on redpitya.com and make sure you can access your Red Pitaya with a web browser by typing its ip-address / hostname into the address bar). In a command line terminal, type
python -m pyrpl your_configuration_name
A GUI should open, let you configure the RedPitaya device you would like to use, and you can start playing around with pyrpl. Different strings for 'your_configuration_name' create different configurations that will be automatically remembered by PyRPL, for example if you have several different redpitayas. Different RedPitayas with different configuration names can be run simultaneously in separate terminals. A GUI should open, let you configure the RedPitaya device you would like to use, and you can start playing around with pyrpl. Different strings for 'your_configuration_name' create different configurations that will be automatically remembered by PyRPL, for example if you have several different redpitayas. Different RedPitayas with different configuration names can be run simultaneously in separate terminals.
We collect a list of common problems on the documentation website. If you do not find your problem listed there, please report all problems or wishes as new issues on this page, so we can fix it and improve the future user experience.
If you want to check whether PyRPL works correctly on your machine, navigate with a command line terminal into the pyrpl root directory and type the following commands (by substituting the ip-address / hostname of your Red Pitaya, of course)
uv sync --extra qt-pyqt5 --extra test
set REDPITAYA_HOSTNAME=your_redpitaya_ip_address
uv run pytest
All tests should take about 3 minutes and finish without failures or errors. If there are errors, please report the console output as an issue (see the section "Issues" below for detailed explanations).
The full html documentation is hosted at http://pyrpl-fpga.github.io/pyrpl/. Alternatively, you can download a .pdf version at https://media.readthedocs.org/pdf/pyrpl/latest/pyrpl.pdf. We are still in the process of creating an fully up-to-date version of the documentation of the current code. If the current documentation is wrong or insufficient, please post an issue and we will prioritize documenting the part of code you need.
Since PyRPL is continuously improved, you should install upgrades if you expect bugfixes. If you have cloned the GitHub repository (recommended for bleeding-edge updates), navigate into the pyrpl root directory on your local harddisk computer and type
git pull
In case you would like to modify the logic running on the FPGA, you should make sure that you are able to generate a working bitfile on your machine. In short, to do so, you must install Vivado 2024.2 [(64-bit windows](windows web-installer](https://www.xilinx.com/member/forms/download/xef.html?filename=Xilinx_Vivado_SDK_2024.2_1118_2_Win64.exe&akdm=1) or Linux) together with a working license. Next, with a terminal in the pyrpl root directory, type
cd pyrpl/fpga
make
Compilation should take between 10 and 30 minutes, depending on your machine. If there are no errors during compilation, the new bitfile will be in the (pyrpl/fpga/out) repository. If you replace the (pyrpl/fpga/red_pitaya.bin), it will be automatically used at the next restart of PyRPL. The best way to getting started is to skim through the very short Makefile in the fpga directory and to continue by reading the files mentioned in the makefile and the refences therein. All verilog source code is located in the subdirectory pyrpl/fpga/rtl/.
Please read our license file LICENSE for more information.