# Python as a MATLAB alternative

Python can be used as a MATLAB alternative for scientific analysis. This post contains installation advice and example code in both languages.

# Creating a grid of matplotlib figures

Whenever I'm analyzing a dataset, I tend to create lots of different plots (e.g., y-axis transforms, different x-variables, etc.). Usually, it's a lot more instructive to view all these plots at once so that differences can be readily viewed. Since it rapidly becomes tedious to manually position/resize the automatically-created plotting windows, I created a tool called matplotgrid that tiles the windows.

# Cycling across the U.S.

One year, I got it in my head that I wanted to ride my bicycle across the country. What follows is a description of my approach in the event that someone else is searching for information on this topic.

# Prindle 19 basics

My first sailboat was a Prindle 19 catamaran, and I had no idea what I was doing when I started. This post attempts to document the things I learned.

# Recovering a lost combination

An example of using Python to recover a lock's forgotten combination.

# Controlling instruments over GPIB with SCPI

A quick introduction to interfacing with lab equipment over GPIB with the PyVISA library by sending SCPI commands. A simple script is shown that executes a staircase measurement on an Agilent E5270.

# Pi and Pythagoras

This post contains a derivation of a recurrence relation that can be used to calculate $\pi$. While it's not useful for the purpose of calculating to any decimal place imaginable, what's notable is that it only uses the Pythagorean thereom and should therefore be easy to follow. Unsurprisingly, the recurrence relation is neither original nor unique because it falls under the category of using polygons to compute $\pi$ (attributed to Archimedes). At the end of the notebook, the derived recurrence relation is implemented in code and run.

# Automated drawing of the MOS band diagram

The MOS capacitor's band diagram can be drawn using results from the one-dimensional solution of Poisson's equation. This post uses the results from the MOS capacitor analysis to automate drawing of the band diagram. Written in an IPython notebook so that the code is shown alongside the discussion.

# MOS surface potential equation

A derivation of the surface potential equation of the idealized MOS capacitor. The resulting equation is used by the MOS capacitor derivation post in order to relate applied voltages to semiconductor band-bending.

# Gauss's law as used in MOS derivations

There are two applications of Gauss's Law used in MOS derivations for computing the surface potential equation (SPE). One of the applications is also used in the formulation of semiconductor charge per unit area from the surface field that is found during the solution of Poisson's equation. This post presents both applications of Gauss's law, which are required to complete the MOS capacitor analysis.

# Electrical characteristics of the MOS capacitor

An IPython notebook showing the derivation of the electrical characteristics of the idealized MOS capacitor by using the one-dimensional solution of Poisson's equation. The results of the derivation are entirely physics-based and are coded in Python. The code is used to generate plots showing the derived quantities.

# Converting IPython notebooks to PDFs

A few weeks ago I wanted to share an IPython notebook with a friend who did not have IPython installed. The natural choice was to convert it to a PDF, which turned out to be more painful than expected. The following instructions are written for Windows users and IPython v2 ...

# Getting started with Pelican and IPython notebooks

This site was created with the static site generator, Pelican. I chose Pelican in order to use jakevdp's liquid_tags notebook plugin that allows for posting a subset of IPython notebook cells. The comments below are for Pelican v3.5.0, IPython v1.2, and a December 30, 2014 clone ...