HP5334A/B Universal Counter driver for Python-IVI

A simple but functional driver for interacting with the HP 5334A and 5334B Universal Counters

Requirements

• tested with Python3.9.3

Dependencies

• python-ivi https://github.com/python-ivi/python-ivi
• python-vxi11 https://github.com/python-ivi/python-vxi11

Installation

Using pip to install in editable mode seems the cleanest way to avoid pythons import troubles. Editable allows one to make changes to the repository and have them instantly available in their applicaton. As an aside, using pip install -e . works perfectly well for both python-ivi and the python-vxi11 repositories as well.

• cd into repository
• pip install -e .

If pip refuses to install with an 'editable mode' error, see here for upgrading pip.

Notes

• developed for an HP5334B with an E2050A GPIB/ethernet bridge
• none of the memory, math, or voltmeter functionality has been implemented
• frequency, time_interval, period, ratio and totalize work well
• with my older instruments, i had to define instr.term_char = '\n'. I found this caused a conversion error during pack_int() of the python-vxi11 library. If you have the same problem, notes on how i worked around it are here

This has been a fun trip and I appreciate the work the Python-IVI developers have invested.