Re: Compatibility layer for pyvisa?

Yes, I found that during research a few days ago too.
I'd prefer something for Linux, ideally open source, but hey, it's 
better than nothing. I wonder how difficult it would be to write a 
plotter emulator from scratch in something like python. I think it would 
have to understand the commands with it's coordinates and paint that on 
a canvas of some sort. But that's a task for another day, when the 
basics are working.

i reached out to the pyvisa-py developers for advise, they say the 'bus 
error' I see in the kernel ring buffer is an indication for a low level 
problem. Is there anything I can do with linux-gpib directly to debug 
this?

-Alex

On Mon, Nov 23, 2020 at 03:10:24PM +0100, W wrote:
> Maybe you can use this tool (http://www.ke5fx.com/gpib/7470.htm) to make a
> screenshot of your display
> 
> On 23.11.2020 00:26, Alexander Huemer wrote:
> > Things start to move here.
> > Your installation instructions were very useful, Walter, thank you!
> > I found that I had to add --enable-python-binding to ./configure and add
> > PYTHONPATH="/usr/local/lib/python3.7/site-packages/" to /etc/profile,
> > but eventually I got:
> > 
> >        GPIB INSTR: Available via Linux GPIB (b'4.3.3')
> >        GPIB INTFC: Available via Linux GPIB (b'4.3.3')
> > 
> > in `python3 -m visa info`. Yay!
> > 
> > I then proceeded to play with `python -m visa shell` and visa_test.py
> > and managed to enable and disable the output of my power supply and
> > write fancy text to the display.
> > 
> > There are situations in which i get error messages in the kernel ring
> > buffer like these though:
> > 
> >          Nov 22 11:53:43 gpib kernel: tnt4882: write bus error
> > 
> > and
> > 
> >          Nov 22 11:41:46 gpib kernel: tnt4882: minor 0 read timed out
> >          Nov 22 11:41:46 gpib kernel: tnt4882: read timed out
> > 
> > Also, pyvisa often exits with:
> > 
> > pyvisa.errors.VisaIOError: VI_ERROR_SYSTEM_ERROR (-1073807360): Unknown system error (miscellaneous error).
> > 
> > and
> > 
> > pyvisa.errors.VisaIOError: VI_ERROR_TMO (-1073807339): Timeout expired before operation completed.
> > 
> > I haven't figured out yet why that is. Is it obvious what I am doing
> > wrong here?
> > 
> > My instruments display things like 'Rmt Addr Err' and 'REM MTA'. Not
> > sure yet what these mean, but 'Err' definitely doesn't sound right.
> > 
> > One of my goals is to be able to get screenshots off my scope.
> > The programming manual says:
> > 
> > Example:
> > 
> > 210 CLEAR 707            ! Clear interface buffers.
> > 220 OUTPUT 707;"PLOT"    ! Starts plotter buffering.
> > 230 SEND 7;UNT UNL       ! Clears bus, set ATN line at controller true.
> > 240 SEND 7;LISTEN 5      ! Tells plotter at address 5 to listen.
> > 250 SEND 7;TALK 7        ! Sets 54200A/D to talk mode.
> > 260 SEND 7;DATA          ! Sets ATN line at controller to false
> > 270                      ! so data can be transferred.
> > 280 WAIT 50              ! Wait 50 seconds for transfer to finish
> > 290 !               Note:  If programming, use the SRQ capabilities
> > 300 !                      of the 54200A/D to determine if the transfer
> > 310 !                      is complete. Attempting to program the
> > 320 !                      54200A/D while making a hardcopy dump will
> > 330 !                      cause errors.
> > 
> > How would I go about receiving such a plot with pyvisa or linux-gpib
> > directly? Can it be done? A quick web search didn't provide insights.
> > 
> > Thanks,
> > -Alex
> > 
> > On Sun, Nov 22, 2020 at 05:19:58PM +0100, W wrote:
> > > Hi Alex
> > > 
> > > I followed the same path as you and gave up with these NI-Visa drivers. Now
> > > I have something working with linux-gpib, pyvisa/pyvisa-py on an old PC
> > > (Pentium 4)
> > > 
> > > A couple of days ago, I described my process to have this software
> > > installed. If you are interested, you can find it here <https://github.com/daturach/Documentation/wiki/GPIB:-Building-an-instrumentation-lab-with-python-libraries>
> > > 
> > > Good luck
> > > 
> > > Walter
> > > 
> > > On 22.11.2020 12:18, Alexander Huemer wrote:
> > > > Hi
> > > > 
> > > > That looks promising. I actually already had it installed but didn't
> > > > look at it yet. From the README I figure that it has linux-gpib as a
> > > > dependency. I'll have to look into it.
> > > > Thanks for the suggestion.
> > > > 
> > > > -Alex
> > > > 
> > > > On Sun, Nov 22, 2020 at 10:58:44AM +0100, Roel Jordans wrote:
> > > > > Hi Alex,
> > > > > 
> > > > > You may want to have a look at pyvisa-py.  That seems to work nicely
> > > > > for me without having to install the NI-VISA drivers.
> > > > > 
> > > > > Cheers,
> > > > >    Roel
> > > > > 
> > > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > > From: Alexander Huemer <[email protected]>
> > > > > To: Linux GPIB general mailinglist <
> > > > > [email protected]>
> > > > > Subject: [Linux-gpib-general] Compatibility layer for pyvisa?
> > > > > Date: Sun, 22 Nov 2020 08:57:29 +0000
> > > > > 
> > > > > Hi
> > > > > 
> > > > > My understanding is this:
> > > > > * linux-gpib implements drivers for many GPIB interfaces and provides
> > > > > a
> > > > >     userspace API on top of that, which is great.
> > > > > * pyvisa depends on vendor drivers like NI-VISA or the equivalent of
> > > > >     other vendors.
> > > > > 
> > > > > Is this correct?
> > > > > 
> > > > > I tried to get NI-VISA working yesterday in order to be able to use
> > > > > pyvisa with a NI PCI board, on a distribution that they do not want to
> > > > > support, on a i686 box.  I gave up after some hours, the configure
> > > > > script they have in there was written by drunk monkeys.
> > > > > 
> > > > > So, here is my question: Did anybody consider to make the linux-gpib
> > > > > drivers available to pyvisa?
> > > > > 
> > > > > -Alex
> > > > > 
> > > > > [1]
> > > > > https://www.ni.com/de-at/support/downloads/drivers/download.ni-kal.html#334223
> > > > > 
> > > > > 
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