Open source USBTMC based converter bridges USB to GPIB, letting laptops control legacy lab instruments without vendor hardware, boosting access for teaching.
Science Team
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Open Source UsbGpib USBTMC Converter Bridges USB to GPIB for Lab Instrument Access
A new open source USB to GPIB converter has emerged for test and measurement instruments, built around the USB Test and Measurement Class. The UsbGpib project by xyphro offers a portable, affordable USB to GPIB converter (USBTMC class based). By bridging modern laptops with legacy GPIB gear, it could simplify how researchers and students access older instruments without resorting to expensive vendor hardware.
Why this matters becomes clear when you consider how lab equipment has evolved. GPIB has long been a staple in instrument racks, providing a reliable, plug-and-play bus for devices such as oscilloscopes, multimeters, and spectrum analyzers. Yet many contemporary computers lack GPIB ports, and official adapters or PCIe cards can be pricey. An open source USBTMC-based converter provides a low-cost way to keep older instruments usable and to broaden access in teaching labs and small research groups. Software such as PyVISA is commonly used to talk to USBTMC devices, making this bridge even more practical (PyVISA).
In broader terms, the GPIB interface originated with the IEEE-488 standard and became a workhorse for lab measurements. USBTMC defines a USB class for test and measurement devices so software on mainstream operating systems can communicate with instruments without vendor-specific drivers. The UsbGpib project builds on this USBTMC class, letting a hobbyist or a student pair it with legacy GPIB instruments. For those curious about the standard and ecosystem, the USB Implementers Forum provides an overview of USB standards, and the USBTMC 1.0 specification underpins how these devices present themselves to the computer (USB Implementers Forum, USBTMC 1.0 specification).
In practice, the setup is straightforward. A USBTMC device on the PC side presents a standard USB interface, and the converter translates those USB transactions into the GPIB handshake and data lines that legacy instruments understand. The result is a single, portable bridge that lets software stacks talk to old gear as if it were connected by a traditional GPIB cable. The openness of the project lets developers audit, modify, or improve the firmware and the documentation, which helps reliability when instruments are used for teaching, data collection, or experiments. If you want to see how software talks to USBTMC devices in practice, the National Instruments GPIB page offers a broad view of how GPIB hardware fits into modern test flows (GPIB options from NI).