PyVISA command-line utilities

PyVISA is a Python frontend for the VISA library that enables controlling all kinds of measurement equipment through GPIB, RS232, USB and Ethernet among others interfaces.

If you are following the development of PyVISA you might have seen that we have recently made the visa module executable to provide a few useful utilities. To try this, you need to update to the latest PyVISA:

$ pip install -U https://github.com/hgrecco/pyvisa/zipball/master

First, we now provide a simpler way to get debug information:

$ python -m visa info
Machine Details:
   Platform ID:    Darwin-10.8.0-x86_64-i386-32bit
   Processor:      i386

Python:
   Implementation: CPython
   Executable:     /Users/grecco/envs/lantz/bin/python
   Version:        3.2.3
   Compiler:       GCC 4.2.1 (Apple Inc. build 5666) (dot 3)
   Bits:           32bit
   Build:          Apr 10 2012 11:25:50 (#v3.2.3:3d0686d90f55)
   Unicode:        UCS2

PyVISA Version: 1.6.1

Backends:
   ni:
      Version: 1.6.1 (bundled with PyVISA)
      #1: /Library/Frameworks/visa.framework/visa:
         found by: auto
         bitness: 32
         Vendor: National Instruments
         Impl. Version: 5243392
         Spec. Version: 5243136
   py:
      Version: 0.1.dev0
      ASRL INSTR: Available via PySerial (10.8.0)
      TCPIP INSTR: Available
      USB INSTR: Available via PyUSB (1.0.0rc1). Backend: libusb0

Notice also that more useful information is given, including details about the different backends (in this case ni and py).

Another utility is the VISA shell which was taken from the Lantz project. It provides a way to list, open and query devices. It also allows you to get (and in the near future set) attributes. The shell has in-built help, autocomplete and

$ python -m visa shell
Welcome to the VISA shell. Type help or ? to list commands.

(visa) list
( 0) ASRL2::INSTR
( 1) ASRL1::INSTR
(visa) open ASRL1::INSTR
ASRL1::INSTR has been opened.
You can talk to the device using "write", "read" or "query".
The default end of message is added to each message
(open) attr
+-----------------------------+------------+----------------------------+-------------------------------------+
|          VISA name          |  Constant  |        Python name         |                 val                 |
+-----------------------------+------------+----------------------------+-------------------------------------+
| VI_ATTR_ASRL_ALLOW_TRANSMIT | 1073676734 |       allow_transmit       |                  1                  |
|    VI_ATTR_ASRL_AVAIL_NUM   | 1073676460 |      bytes_in_buffer       |                  0                  |
|      VI_ATTR_ASRL_BAUD      | 1073676321 |         baud_rate          |                 9600                |
|    VI_ATTR_ASRL_BREAK_LEN   | 1073676733 |        break_length        |                 250                 |
|   VI_ATTR_ASRL_BREAK_STATE  | 1073676732 |        break_state         |                  0                  |
|    VI_ATTR_ASRL_CONNECTED   | 1073676731 |                            |          VI_ERROR_NSUP_ATTR         |
|    VI_ATTR_ASRL_CTS_STATE   | 1073676462 |                            |                  0                  |
|    VI_ATTR_ASRL_DATA_BITS   | 1073676322 |         data_bits          |                  8                  |
|    VI_ATTR_ASRL_DCD_STATE   | 1073676463 |                            |                  0                  |
|  VI_ATTR_ASRL_DISCARD_NULL  | 1073676464 |        discard_null        |                  0                  |
|    VI_ATTR_ASRL_DSR_STATE   | 1073676465 |                            |                  0                  |
|    VI_ATTR_ASRL_DTR_STATE   | 1073676466 |                            |                  1                  |
|     VI_ATTR_ASRL_END_IN     | 1073676467 |         end_input          |                  2                  |
|     VI_ATTR_ASRL_END_OUT    | 1073676468 |                            |                  0                  |
|   VI_ATTR_ASRL_FLOW_CNTRL   | 1073676325 |                            |                  0                  |
|     VI_ATTR_ASRL_PARITY     | 1073676323 |           parity           |                  0                  |
|  VI_ATTR_ASRL_REPLACE_CHAR  | 1073676478 |        replace_char        |                  0                  |
|    VI_ATTR_ASRL_RI_STATE    | 1073676479 |                            |                  0                  |
|    VI_ATTR_ASRL_RTS_STATE   | 1073676480 |                            |                  1                  |
|    VI_ATTR_ASRL_STOP_BITS   | 1073676324 |         stop_bits          |                  10                 |
|    VI_ATTR_ASRL_WIRE_MODE   | 1073676735 |                            |                 128                 |
|    VI_ATTR_ASRL_XOFF_CHAR   | 1073676482 |         xoff_char          |                  19                 |
|    VI_ATTR_ASRL_XON_CHAR    | 1073676481 |          xon_char          |                  17                 |
|     VI_ATTR_DMA_ALLOW_EN    | 1073676318 |         allow_dma          |                  0                  |
|    VI_ATTR_FILE_APPEND_EN   | 1073676690 |                            |                  0                  |
|    VI_ATTR_INTF_INST_NAME   | 3221160169 |                            | ASRL1  (/dev/cu.Bluetooth-PDA-Sync) |
|       VI_ATTR_INTF_NUM      | 1073676662 |      interface_number      |                  1                  |
|      VI_ATTR_INTF_TYPE      | 1073676657 |                            |                  4                  |
|       VI_ATTR_IO_PROT       | 1073676316 |        io_protocol         |                  1                  |
|   VI_ATTR_MAX_QUEUE_LENGTH  | 1073676293 |                            |                  50                 |
|   VI_ATTR_RD_BUF_OPER_MODE  | 1073676330 |                            |                  3                  |
|     VI_ATTR_RD_BUF_SIZE     | 1073676331 |                            |                 4096                |
|      VI_ATTR_RM_SESSION     | 1073676484 |                            |               3160976               |
|      VI_ATTR_RSRC_CLASS     | 3221159937 |       resource_class       |                INSTR                |
|  VI_ATTR_RSRC_IMPL_VERSION  | 1073676291 |   implementation_version   |               5243392               |
|   VI_ATTR_RSRC_LOCK_STATE   | 1073676292 |         lock_state         |                  0                  |
|     VI_ATTR_RSRC_MANF_ID    | 1073676661 |                            |                 4086                |
|    VI_ATTR_RSRC_MANF_NAME   | 3221160308 | resource_manufacturer_name |         National Instruments        |
|      VI_ATTR_RSRC_NAME      | 3221159938 |       resource_name        |             ASRL1::INSTR            |
|  VI_ATTR_RSRC_SPEC_VERSION  | 1073676656 |        spec_version        |               5243136               |
|     VI_ATTR_SEND_END_EN     | 1073676310 |          send_end          |                  1                  |
|   VI_ATTR_SUPPRESS_END_EN   | 1073676342 |                            |                  0                  |
|       VI_ATTR_TERMCHAR      | 1073676312 |                            |                  10                 |
|     VI_ATTR_TERMCHAR_EN     | 1073676344 |                            |                  0                  |
|      VI_ATTR_TMO_VALUE      | 1073676314 |                            |                 2000                |
|       VI_ATTR_TRIG_ID       | 1073676663 |                            |                  -1                 |
|   VI_ATTR_WR_BUF_OPER_MODE  | 1073676333 |                            |                  2                  |
|     VI_ATTR_WR_BUF_SIZE     | 1073676334 |                            |                 4096                |
+-----------------------------+------------+----------------------------+-------------------------------------+
(open) close
The resource has been closed.


Again, this release is only possible thanks to the contribution of a lot of people that contributed bug reports, testing and code. Thanks to everybody!

Submit your bug reports, comments and suggestions in the Issue Tracker. We will address them promptly.

Read the development docs: https://pyvisa.readthedocs.org/en/master/
or fork the code: https:/https://github.com/hgrecco/pyvisa/

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