What software do you use in your field of study?

[Stephen Tashi]

In the spirit of "It's fun to make lists", tell the forum what software you use in your field of study - with emphasis on what programs you use, rather than what general purpose computer languages you use.

How much of your software is used because its a favorite of a particular department at a particular university ?

Physicists and astronomers often make posts with acronyms designating programs I've never hear of - what are their full names? What do they do?

Electrical engineers use programs to set up "programmable logic devices". Are there lots of programs of this type?

Nothing much to report, myself - I'm retired and my only work is serving as executor of an estate - for which LibreOffice writer and calculator come in handy.

 

[berkeman]

From an EE standpoint, it's good to be comfortable with using several software tools:

** C -- you use this for many test programs to test your designs or help with manufacturing test fixtures
** Tcl/TL or Python -- for automating your manual scripts or other test applications
** MATLAB -- for your design work, especially simulating your algorithms on large datasets and plotting/visualization
** SPICE -- Using any of the many SPICE circuit simulation packages to optimize your designs
** Verilog -- For your ASIC designs
** Xilinx Integrated Design Suite for CPLDs and FPGAs -- https://www.xilinx.com/products/design-tools/ise-design-suite.html

and so on...

 

[rcgldr]

Some of the analog EE's at a company I worked for used Visual Basic's drag and drop tool to create a GUI with charts and graphs to display data output by devices in the design stage. Visual Basic generates the user interface code, so the EE's only need to add code to capture and interpret the data from such devices.

 

[FactChecker]

For flight controls software (retired now):
MATLAB and Simulink. Was MATRIXX and SystemBuild years ago.
R
Git

 

[mfb]

Experimental particle physics:
- ROOT and its variants, based on C++ or python. Most software frameworks (specific to the experiments) are based on ROOT.
- Various programs written for particle physics, obviously (Monte Carlo generators, GEANT 4, ...)
- Matlab for some hardware-based tasks.
- Xilinx for FPGAs
- The usual office programs for some quick calculations, presentations, forms, ...
- LaTeX for presentations and publications
- various text editors
- browser and so on, obviously

 

[Dr. Courtney]

Most of my real work:

LibreOffice Calc (spreadsheet)
Graph.exe (https://www.padowan.dk/download/)
Gnuplot
SciDavis
Tracker video analysis (http://physlets.org/tracker/ )
LibreOffice Writer
TeXWorks
ImageJ (https://imagej.nih.gov/ij/)
Vernier Logger Pro
GIMP
MotionStudio (high speed video capture and analysis)
AMoreAccurateFourierTransform (https://sourceforge.net/projects/amoreaccuratefouriertransform/)
NIScope
QuickLOAD (Internal ballistics)
JBM (External Ballistics, http://www.jbmballistics.com/cgi-bin/jbmtraj-5.1.cgi )
GCC (C compiler)

When I was on the USAFA math faculty, we used Matlab and MMa a lot for teaching, and a colleague and I introduced Graph.exe for early math courses. The only one I still use regularly is Graph.exe, though we did recently get one of the lab assistants a subscription to Wolfram Alpha.

 

[ShayanJ]

SciPy
Maxima
Gnuplot
C++
Python
Gummi
(I'm a particle physics master's student!)

 

[f95toli]

Experimental device physics/low temperature physics

• Matlab- for most things including controlling instrumentation
• Labview -controlling instrumentation (albeit less and less, these days we mainly use Matlab with the Instrumentation control toolbox)
• Scipy/Python -for some type of modelling (mainly with toolboxes such as Qutip)
• COMSOL- for FEM simulations
• Sonnet - for simulating microwave circuits
• Latex- for writing papers
• MS Office- for day to day office stuff
• Origin- for creating graphs for publications (although I mainly use Matlab for this as well)
• Inkscape, GIMP etc for creating illustrations

 

[DrClaude]

For research in atomic and molecular physics:
Matlab
Mathematica
Gaussian

For research in combustion:
OpenFOAM
CHEMKIN
Tecplot
VisIt

For teaching in engineering physics:
Matlab
COMSOL

General purpose:
Emacs (for editing all kind of files)
Igor Pro (for plotting)

 

[vanhees71]

-Emacs as editor; sometimes vi for smaller tasks
-LaTeX for text processing
-Fortran
-Mathematica
-gnuplot

 

[clope023]

Python via Enthought Canopy
LabVIEW
LaTeX
Eagle PCB CAD
SPICE Circuit Simulation
SolidWorks
Elsyca (electrochemical FEM)
Gamry Framework (electrochemical impedance modeling)
Excel
Played with Matlab, Fortran, C++, TecPlot and ImageJ.

 

[zivo]

Undergrad here, I use :
Python, sadly currently the only real tool I know how to use ( Scipy,Sympy,Numpy,matplotlib,VPython(via Jupyter) via Spyder IDE/ yes I use it for everything at the moment )
Desmos online
Emacs
LaTeX ( Our professor obliges properly written papers to be sent to him on email for questions )

 

[newjerseyrunner]

Software engineer here, let's see:

Coding
Code::blocks, Notepad++, Gedit, vim, tail, G++, gdb, valgrind, php, dependency walker, Xcode,

Networking:
Tcpdump, wire shark, fiddler, paros, nmap, telnet

Management:
Svn, git, jenkins, jira, nsis, rpm, yum, phpmysqladmin, liquibase

Math:
Mathematics, matlab

Virtualization:
Vsphere, zen, esxi, virtual box, grub, wine, darwine rdesktop, x11

 

[Dale]

tell the forum what software you use in your field of study - with emphasis on what programs you use, rather than what general purpose computer lang

Outlook, Power Point, Word, ..., Mathematica, R.

 

[mheslep]

Matlab, Matlab, Matlab.

Runners up:
Python and it's various math science pkgs, IDEs.
OpenCV
Excel

 

[Grinkle]

No one has yet mentioned their browser. Outlook and my browser (IE / Mozilla) occupy 90% of my time using software. The rest is Powerpoint, Excel and various only-known-in-my-company point tools for accessing various company data.

 

[vanhees71]

My browsers are chromium and firefox. I don't know, how to work with Microsoft products. E.g., I've been never able to produce a readable text with Word (and I've never seen one written by others ;-)).

 

[fresh_42]

I've been never able to produce a readable text with Word

This is only because the escape button is of no use in Word ...

vi for smaller tasks

 

[vanhees71]

Yeah, that explains it ;-)).

 

[George Jones]

Maple on my office desktop and on my laptop.

 

[.Scott]

Really too many to list but currently:
MSVC 2013
iSystem Debugger/WinIDEA
Altium compiler
Microsoft Office - Excel, Word, Outlook
MatLab
Numerous custom tools for file conversions, radar simulations, etc.
Firefox
Skype
PTC Source Integrity
Jira
Windows tools (notepad, calculator, etc)

 

[deskswirl]

Primary: SumatraPDF, Ruler, Firefox, MATLAB, Mathematica

Secondary: Microsoft Office (hope to be free of soon as I learn LaTeX), LibreOffice, MathType, EndNote

Tertiary: several canned software packages {Advanced Design System, COMSOL Multiphysics, HFSS} but if I can get usable results from the primary I try to avoid using them

field: electromagnetic/optics modeling

 

[HAYAO]

I mainly use Gaussian, Matlab, and Origin. Also Microsoft Office (like Word, Excel, and Powerpoint). I use Firefox for browsers.

My field of research is Photochemistry.

 

[S.G. Janssens]

** Tcl/TL or Python -- for automating your manual scripts or other test applications

Do you happen to also have (good or bad) experiences with using Tcl/Tk for the development of simple GUIs? I started thinking about learning this after I became "inspired" by a book on modern Fortran written by Arjen Markus but I would enjoy hearing more opinions from practitioners.

Here is some of the software I use (numerical analysis, linear algebra, dynamics and control):

• MATLAB: numerical experiments, graphing, scripting
• Maple: symbolic manipulation, exact arithmetic
  
• GNU Emacs: editing of all kinds of manuscripts, text files and source code
• PGF/TikZ: simple diagrams and drawings
  
• Fortran: larger numerical problems, although MATLAB is becoming better at those

During my education most people were using C or C++ (or an unholy mix of those ) but I find Fortran ($\ge 90$) much more natural and expressive for my type of work, mainly because of good intrinsic support for matrices .

 

[berkeman]

Do you happen to also have (good or bad) experiences with using Tcl/Tk for the development of simple GUIs?

I've used it for several manufacturing test programs, and it's an okay way to do simple GUI tasks. It can be frustrating at times, if a widget that you want to use isn't exactly what you want. It's a fair bit more complicated if you want to do something that is not already available.

 

[Dr. Courtney]

LabVIEW. I probably should have mentioned this, but didn't because it's been a couple years.

But there is little better for interfacing lots of different instruments with a graphical user interface for quasi-real time acquisition, control, analysis, and calibration.

 

[BOAS]

Undergrad Astrophysics:

Python
Mathematica
Labview - (Not a fan...)
Tracker
Fiji

 

[Pythagorean]

Matlab (which stands for matrix laboratory btw)

 

[DrDu]

I am mostly working on the field of Biostatistics and Biometry. My working horses are SAS and JMP. While I would nobody recommend to start learning SAS (go for R instead), JMP is a nice program which helps you to explore your data with the philosophy that every statistical method should be complemented by an instructive graphics.

 

[ProfChuck]

For analysis of data from the pulsar timing array
C++
Visual C

 

[dexterdev]

MATLAB
Tcl
VMD (Visual Molecular Dynamics)
NAMD
Python (occasionally)
Gnuplot
latex
mozilla firefox

 

[Boudy]

1. I am using (Mathematica) since eary 1990's. I went through all its versions from (Mathematica 5. to (Mathematica 11). It helped my a lot specially when dealing with calculus and graphic illustrations.
2. I use (Miceosoft Word) and (PowerPoint).
3. My current Browser is (Maxthon 4.9.3.1000).
4. (Foxit Reader) for preparing my reports, and downloading literature.

 

[jedishrfu]

Java via Netbeans
java prototyping via Processing sketches (Processing.org)
python via vim
julia/python via the Anaconda distribution
javascript via nodejs and vim / netbeans

 

[OriginalJames]

Lately, I've been using Python.

 

[Demystifier]

theoretical physics:
- LaTeX
- Mathematica
- Fortran

 

[M Waseem Ashraf]

I use MATLAB, CREO,ANSYS .But for current project(http://www.spacex.com/hyperloop) hyperloop I need a software good at physics and mechanical analysis ...
any suggestions

 

[Twigg]

Undergrad research assistant doing AMO physics:

-Notepad (an unsung hero!)
-MATLAB
-Microsoft Office (Excel, Powerpoint, occasionally Visio)
-LaTeX (sharelatex.com)
-LTSpice IV
-SolidWorks (CAD design and mechanical drawings)
-AutoCAD (also CAD design and mechanical drawings)
-EAGLE PCB design
-PuTTY (for interfacing with computers, networks, and some peripheral devices)
-Notepad++
-MinGW w64 (C/C++)
-Quartus Prime (programming environment for Altera FPGAs, I use VHDL but supports other languages)
-Arduino IDE
-COMSOL (finite element analysis with a quick, user-friendly interface)

 

[waternohitter]

For Multimedia developments. These are some of the important software apps.

3D computer graphics software
Animation software
Graphic art software
Raster graphics editor
Vector graphics editor
Image organizer
Video editing software
Audio editing software
Digital audio workstation
Music sequencer
Scorewriter
HTML editor
Game development tool

 

[Tanelorn]

LTspice for simulation of VHF PA design and plasma load simulation. I am heavy duty LTspice user.
I use autoCAD for creating simple pcb layouts eg. planar baluns for EM simulation in ADS.
I have used Altium designer for PCB schematic and layout and more recently Eagle PCB.
I use Paint Shop Pro for image editing.
I use Sonar for music sequencing and DAW.

 

[Mark Harder]

Before I retired, I used Excel to collate experimental data, Mathematica to analyze that data, Excel ( for reference) and Outlook (for publication) to create graphs. I have used MMA for all sorts of modeling projects, some driven purely by curiosity, some in collaboration with students and colleagues. A major pharma co. for which I consulted used MMA for collating clinical trial results and modeling pharmacokinetics with systems of ODEs. At the university at which I worked, Maple was the default modeling software, Math used MMA and possibly other, more specific systems. and the engineering depts. tended to rely on Matlab. The university had site licenses for MMA and Maple. However, the Matlab publisher is very cautious and wouldn't sell an affordable university-wide site license. AFAIK, only the College of Engineering did that.

 

[Aufbauwerk 2045]

I am a Windows user for now.

I use Dia for diagrams and Gnuplot for graphs. I am also learning how to use TikZ/PGF for Latex graphics.

For building a C or Fortran program, I use the appropriate compiler installed from MinGW.

I don't use any off the shelf math or physics software right now. I am developing my own "expert system" tool in Lisp to help me with math and physics. I use Clisp.

I have used SQLite for databases with some Perl scripts for the interface.

For text editing I use the Notetab editor. I paid for the Std/Pro versions.

I use the MiKTex distribution of Latex to prepare PDF documents.

I use Gimp for 2D graphics. For 3D models I use Blender. I wrote some simple Python scripts for Blender. That has been my only use of Python. It is amazing how a non-artist like me can develop a 3D model using just Blender with perhaps a few other tools. If you want a human model, you can start with Makehuman. For trees and other foliage there is Ngplant. Etc.

I use the Opera web browser. It has been my favorite browser for years.

I use CamStudio and Moviemaker for video production. I use VLC for playback and format conversion and I've also found Handbrake useful.

For audio processing I still use an old version of Cool Edit for simple stuff. For more complex jobs I use Audacity.

 

[MarneMath]

Data Scientist:

Languages(Ordered from daily use to occasional use):
R
Python
Scala
Spark
Pig
HQL/SQL
Java
C
C++
Julia
Clojure
javascript

 

[scottdave]

This thread is a little old, but I just found it.
Goldwave is an audio processing/analysis software. When I was taking a Signal Processing class in 1995, my professor used it to show demonstrations to the class. I am sure there are a lot of programs which do this, now. I did a search, and it looks like the software is still being developed and marketed.

 

[stoomart]

For information security data analysis:

Elasticsearch (open-source)
Splunk (commercial)
R (open-source)

http://datadrivensecurity.info/

 

[Roark]

Wow, it seems like I'm an oddball here.

GROMACS - It is a molecular dynamics software suite modeling the physical motions of atoms and molecules. It is optimized for biomolecules in liquids.
SIESTA - It is an ab initio molecular dynamics software. It is optimized for crystal systems.

 

[Asymptotic]

Industrial electronics tech (retired)

Office suites: LibreOffice (preferred, for most tasks). MS Office.
Browser: Firefox
ASCII editors: Notepad, Notepad ++ (and a nod to QEdit, and TSE by Semware, and LIST by Vern Berg from back in the DOS days).
Image viewer/editor: Irfanview (my editing needs were rudimentary).
Plotting: DPLOT by Hydesoft Computing
CAD: CADKey

Electrical engineers use programs to set up "programmable logic devices". Are there lots of programs of this type?

Not only for PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers), and PLRs (Programmable Logic Relays), but also HMI displays, and specialized sub-systems such as servo motion controllers. It is a chore to keep track of them all (rough count; 25+), many have software protection schemes, and several have a nasty habit of not playing well with others (as in, "I own all the serial ports, and nobody else can use them") even after their editors have been unloaded.

Add to this specialized software required to access test equipment (digital oscilloscopes, high end DMMs, power quality meters, megohmmeters, data loggers, EPROM burners, and the like), and niche software (V belt sizing, centrifugal blower sizing, servo drive/motor sizing, etc.).