Agipibi is a cheap GPIB interface based on the Arduino Mega board or higher models. It connects scientific instruments using IEEE 488 buses to a computer, or the micro-controller itself if you integrate it in your own code. This project goal is to provide the best open source implementation of a GPIB controller on prototyping platforms.

• system controller role
• act as talker or listener in full address space
• multiple concurrent listeners
• switch instruments to remote mode
• (un)lock front panels
• fast reading (Arduino is buffering chunks of data)
• group trigger
• timeout handling when reading bus

Work-in-progress:

• SRQ request interruption and serial polling
• more examples for Tektronix scopes
• bridge to LabVIEW with a Python script (TCP server)

This interface was designed for Arduino Mega 1280, to use other boards you'll have to edit the pin mapping at the top of arduino_mega.ino sketch. Be careful about the SRQ line that should have an interrupt capable output.

1. Connect your GPIB bus/instrument to the board with no additional component. You'll find examples in the documentation directory.

2. Build and upload the 'arduino_mega.ino' sketch in Arduino IDE.

3. Use the Python module 'agipibi.py' to begin tests. Examples are provided. It's best to start in a scenario that doesn't require a controller or bi-directional communication. At first I put my scope in Talker mode and had it transmit a waveform using menus only. The following code would be enough in this case.

from agipibi import Agipibi
dev = Agipibi()
if dev.interface_ping():
    dev.gpib_init(controller=False)
    waveform = dev.gpib_read() # press the 'Transmit' scope button
    print 'Received %d bytes' % len(waveform)
else:
    print 'Arduino is not responding'

• Thibault VINCENT [email protected]
• Mathias Helsen [email protected]

Agipibi was inspired by similar projects:

• A japanese blogger article http://bananawani-mc.blogspot.fr/2010/09/arduinogpib.html

• GPL code from Dennis Dingeldein http://www.spurtikus.de/basteln/gpib_en.html

• USB to GPIB Controller by LPVO http://lpvo.fe.uni-lj.si/en/research/electronics/

• GPIB USB Adapter by Steven Casagrande https://github.com/Galvant/gpibusb-firmware