Control of Stand-Alone Instruments Using VISA
John M. Essick · 2024
Abstract Using the Python-based PyVISA and NI-VISA software drivers, control of an IEEE 488.2-interfaced stand-alone instrument over the Universal Serial Bus (USB) as well as the General Purpose Interface Bus (GPIB) is studied. The Agilent 34410A digital multimeter (which has the same command set as digital multimeters from other manufacturers) is used to demonstrate the central concepts of IEEE 488.2 interface-bus communication between a computer and stand-alone instrument, including synchronization (serial poll and service request) methods. Readers write GUI-equipped Python programs to control the instrument’s data-taking functions. In the latter portion of the chapter, reader create an instrument driver for the digital multimeter using the Python dictionary data structure as a lookup table for instrument specifications. A data logger is constructed and the procedure for configuring a LAN/Ethernet interface is described in a Do It Yourself project and Use It! example, respectively.