Raspberry Pi, Python and NI-VISA

[KSP]

I'm looking to create a small GPIB controller using my RPi. My problem is the pyVISA library requires the NI-VISA backend, which apparently is not compatible with the ARM processor. Is this still the case, or have I been reading outdated info? FYI I have not actually tried it yet as my Pi hasn't arrived.

I found a 'pure python' backend called pyVISA-py which replaces the NI one, but so far this does not have GPIB support, only serial, USB and LAN.

I did ask this on the NI community but got pretty much a fat load of F-all

[awallin]

This could be useful for a lot of legacy devices! keep us posted!

Can you drive GPIB IO lines directly from the PI IO pins? Or what level-translator/buffer is required?

What is the availability and price of GPIB connectors?

[lwatts666]

Have a look at:

https://www.element14.com/community/people/tin_xdevs/blog/2015/08/15/step-by-step-guide-how-to-use-gpib-with-raspberry-pi-linux

Looks like what you need.

[KSP]

Thanks for this, it looks pretty useful. One of the comments on that thread states that pyVISA and pyVISA-py are all that are required to use the GPIB-USB-HS adaptor. But a previous article said this method didn't yet support GPIB. Is this method therefore recognising the adaptor as a USB device? Which would make sense I guess

[TiN]

Nice to see my article linked I had it bit simplified the setup flow on my site.
I remember I tried VISA on Pi before (old one Wheezy) and it was working, but it was clumbersome so I use linux-gpib + python instead.