[time-nuts] python or matlab/octave for Keysight instruments?

jimlux jimlux at earthlink.net
Sat Jul 2 12:09:49 EDT 2016


I'm looking for a *simple* *portable* software library to do some 
control/data acquisition from either python or octave for 
Agilent/Keysight gear, specifically over the USB or Ethernet interfaces.

the "Keysight IO Libraries Suite CD " is, I think, Windows only

I'm fine with writing the SCPI commands and parsing the output, I'm just 
looking for the "glue" between "send_message_to_instrument" or 
"read_message_from_instrument" and the instrument itself.


Sort of like the python interfaces to the Prologix Ethernet/GPIB 
controllers.

I've got the whole numpy/scipy infrastructure already installed, if 
that's relevant.

Is PyVISA reasonably easy to work with, or is it one of those "once 
you've spent 6 weeks recompiling the kernel and finding all the 
libraries from 4 different sources, it works great"..

There's also the Agilent Command Expert which seems to provide a matlab 
and python interface, but, looks like "windows only" and I'm in a cross 
platform environment (OS X, Ubuntu, Windows) (Hmm, KCE isn't as nice an 
acronym as ACE)






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