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SCPI Instrument Control

Welcome to the SCPI Instrument Control documentation! SCPI Instrument Control is a universal Python library for SCPI test equipment — oscilloscopes, function generators/AWGs, power supplies, and DAQ units — with a PyQt6 desktop GUI and a browser-based lab gateway.

You do not need an instrument to try it. Every example below runs against the built-in mock scope, and this recording is of them actually doing so — each frame is captured by running the example, so it cannot drift from what the code really prints:

Terminal recording of four example scripts — basic_usage, math_channels, measurement_badges_example and screen_capture_example — running one after another against the built-in mock scope with no instrument attached

  • Quick Start

Get up and running in minutes with our quick start guide

Quick Start

  • User Guide

Learn how to use all features of the library

User Guide

  • GUI Application

Discover the powerful GUI for interactive control

GUI Guide

  • Web Gateway

Control instruments from any browser on your LAN — no client install

Web Gateway

  • API Reference

Complete API documentation for all modules

API Docs

Overview

This library provides comprehensive control for SCPI test equipment — oscilloscopes, function generators/AWGs, power supplies, and DAQ units — over Ethernet. It supports programmatic control through a Python API, interactive control through a feature-rich PyQt6 GUI, and a browser-based lab gateway for LAN-wide access.

Supported Models

  • SDS800X HD Series (e.g., SDS824X HD)
  • SDS1000X-E Series
  • SDS2000X Plus Series
  • SDS5000X Series

Key Features

  • Waveform Acquisition - Capture and analyze waveforms with full metadata
  • Channel Control - Configure voltage scale, offset, coupling, and probe settings
  • Trigger Management - Full control over trigger modes, levels, and edge detection
  • Measurements - 20+ automated measurements (frequency, Vpp, rise time, etc.)
  • FFT Analysis - Frequency domain analysis of captured waveforms
  • Protocol Decoding - Decode I2C, SPI, and UART protocols
  • Automation - High-level automation classes for data collection
  • Data Provenance - Every capture records the instrument, settings, and timestamp that produced it; read it back with load_waveform() or the scpi-extract CLI
  • Synthetic Signals - Generate parameterized waveforms (sine, square, triangle, ramp, DC, noise, chirp, exponential, pulse, multitone) with no instrument required; mock scopes synthesize state-coupled captures by default
  • Real-time Live View - High-performance waveform display (1000+ fps)
  • Visual Measurements - Click-and-drag measurement markers
  • FFT Display - Interactive frequency analysis
  • Protocol Decoder - Visual protocol decoding interface
  • VNC Integration - Remote access to oscilloscope screen
  • Vector Graphics - Draw shapes and text in XY mode
  • Export - Save waveforms to CSV, NPZ, MAT, HDF5, and images
  • Multi-channel - Simultaneous capture from all channels
  • Thread-safe - Background data acquisition without blocking
  • Type hints - Full type annotation for IDE support
  • Extensive tests - 1,100+ automated tests
  • Documentation - Comprehensive docstrings and guides

Installation

Install the base package:

pip install "SCPI-Instrument-Control"

Or install with all features:

pip install "SCPI-Instrument-Control[all]"

See the Installation Guide for more options.

Quick Example

No instrument required — this runs as written:

from scpi_control import Oscilloscope
from scpi_control.connection import MockConnection
from scpi_control.signal_synth import SignalSpec

# A virtual SDS1104X-E probing a 3.3 V, 1 kHz logic clock.
# For real hardware, drop the connection= argument and pass an address:
#     scope = Oscilloscope("192.168.1.100")
scope = Oscilloscope("mock", connection=MockConnection(
    "mock",
    channel_states={1: True},
    signals={1: SignalSpec(kind="square", frequency=1000.0, amplitude=1.65, offset=1.65)},
    sample_rate=20e6,
    timebase=500e-6,
))
scope.connect()

waveform = scope.get_waveform(channel=1)
print(f"{len(waveform.time)} samples")
print(f"Vpp  {waveform.voltage.max() - waveform.voltage.min():.3f} V")
print(f"Freq {scope.measurement.measure_frequency(1):.2f} Hz")

14000 samples
Vpp  3.280 V
Freq 1000.00 Hz

GUI Application

Launch the GUI with:

siglent-gui

The desktop application showing two live channels

Documentation Structure

Getting Started

New to the library? Start here!

- [Installation](getting-started/installation.md)
- [Quick Start](getting-started/quickstart.md)
- [Connection Setup](getting-started/connection.md)

User Guide

Learn all the features

- [Basic Usage](user-guide/basic-usage.md)
- [Waveform Capture](user-guide/waveform-capture.md)
- [Measurements](user-guide/measurements.md)
- [Advanced Features](user-guide/advanced-features.md)

Examples

Real-world code examples

- [Beginner Examples](examples/beginner.md)
- [Intermediate Examples](examples/intermediate.md)
- [Advanced Examples](examples/advanced.md)

API Reference

Detailed API documentation

- [Oscilloscope](api/oscilloscope.md)
- [Channel](api/channel.md)
- [Trigger](api/trigger.md)
- [Waveform](api/waveform.md)

Community & Support

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the License page for details.