Load waveform and save it as csv file for RIGOL MSO5000 series oscilloscope

save_as_csv.py

import visa
import argparse
import csv

def load_waveform(chidx, points_request):
    inst.write(f':WAV:SOUR CHAN{chidx}')
    inst.write(':WAV:MODE RAW')
    inst.write(f':WAV:POIN {points_request}')
    inst.write(':WAV:FORM BYTE')

    preample = inst.query(':WAV:PRE?').split(',')
    points = int(preample[2])
    xinc = float(preample[4])
    xorg = float(preample[5])
    xref = float(preample[6])
    yinc = float(preample[7])
    yorg = float(preample[8])
    yref = float(preample[9])

    print(f'loading CH{chidx} {points}pts')
    data_bin = inst.query_binary_values('WAV:DATA?', datatype='B', container=bytes)
    t = [(float(i) - xref)*xinc + xorg for i in range(points)]
    v = [(float(byte_data) - yref)*yinc + yorg for byte_data in data_bin]
    return t,v

argparser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
argparser.add_argument('-a', '--address', required=True, help='VISA address like "TCPIP::{ipaddress}::INSTR"')
argparser.add_argument('-o', '--output', help='Output file name (default: "waveform.csv")', default='waveform.csv')
argparser.add_argument('-p', '--points', type=int, help='Points of the data to be load', default=1000)
argparser.add_argument('-c', '--chlist', help='Specify channels which waveforms will be load from like "-c 1,2,3,4"', default='1')
args = argparser.parse_args()

chlist = [int(x) for x in args.chlist.split(',')]

inst = visa.ResourceManager().open_resource(args.address)
print(inst.query('*IDN?').strip())

inst.write(':STOP')
inst.query('*OPC?')

load_data = {}
for chidx in chlist:
    t, v = load_waveform(chidx, args.points)
    if 'time' not in load_data.keys():
        load_data['time'] = t
    load_data[f'CH{chidx}'] = v

with open(args.output, 'w', newline='') as f:
    writer = csv.writer(f, delimiter=',')
    writer.writerow(load_data.keys())
    writer.writerows(zip(*load_data.values()))

Requirement

• pyvisa https://pyvisa.readthedocs.io/en/latest/
• PyVISA-py https://pypi.org/project/PyVISA-py/
  If you already have some visa backend software (NI-VISA etc.), PyVISA-py isn't needed.

How to use

The following command means that the script loads 10000pts waveforms from the ch1,2 of the oscilloscope whose visa address is TCPIP::192.168.1.21::INSTR and saves them to test.csv.
$ python save_as_csv.py -a TCPIP::192.168.1.21::INSTR -c 1,2 -o test.csv -p 10000

Super helpful, thanks for putting this up! Found a minor bug, in load_waveform line 22 and 23, xorg and yorg should be multiplied by x and yinc.