Tutorial 1: Installing MSW¶

Prerequisites¶

What you'll learn¶

How to install MSW and confirm the msw command works.
Which optional extras exist and when you need them.
That the smoke test in the next tutorial needs no hardware.

1. Install the package¶

MSW is published on PyPI. A plain install gives you the msw command and the core framework:

pip install murineshiftwork

To run the bundled calibration and hardware-test tasks (used in later tutorials), add the tasks extra:

pip install "murineshiftwork[tasks]"

2. Verify the install¶

msw --version

Expected output (the version number will differ):

msw 2.1.1

If the command is found and prints a version, MSW is installed correctly.

3. Know which extras you may want later¶

A plain install is enough for the next two tutorials. Hardware drivers and optional features are packaged as extras so a minimal rig stays small. You only need an extra when you reach the feature it provides.

Extra	Adds	Needed for
`tasks`	bundled calibration and test tasks	the smoke test in Tutorial 2
`qt`	PyQt and pyqtgraph	the live plot (Tutorial 9)
`calibration`	serial scale drivers	valve calibration (Tutorial 14)
`oe`	Open Ephys controller	ephys-linked sessions
`pulsepal`	PulsePal driver	optogenetic stimulation
`full`	all of the above	a complete acquisition rig

pip install "murineshiftwork[full]"   # everything for a real rig

4. No hardware needed yet¶

The next tutorial runs a real session end to end without any rig attached, using simulation mode. You do not need a Bpod, valves, or any serial device to follow along. A laptop is enough.

You now know¶

You have MSW installed and confirmed msw --version works, and you know that optional hardware features are opt-in extras you add only when you reach them. The next tutorial runs a full session with no hardware attached.

Next¶

Tutorial 2: Your first session. For the full extras table, see Installation.