# Getting data from legacy test equipment with GPIB (IEEE488) comm port **URL:** \ **Category:** Ignition\ **Created:** [August 2, 2018, 1:06am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/getting-data-from-legacy-test-equipment-with-gpib-ieee488-comm-port/19060 "2018-08-02T01:06:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Edwin\_Guevara](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/edwin_guevara/32/4518_2.png) [@Edwin\_Guevara](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Edwin_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2018, 1:06am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/getting-data-from-legacy-test-equipment-with-gpib-ieee488-comm-port/19060/1 "2018-08-02T01:06:33Z")
I wonder if someone has experience or any idea on communicating Ignition with old test equipment using GPIB (IEEE488) communication protocol. I am trying to connect to an Agilent 4278A capacitance meter. I did some research and found that a GPIB-USB converter or PCI card for PC can be used, combined with driver software (provided by Keysight or National Instruments), but they support only windows technology programming languages (VB6, .NET, C, and so on). I am not sure if any available serial communication module for the Ignition platform can be used. If not, I am considering a VB6 application just to get data from the meter and store it on a SQL Database, but I prefer using only Ignition. Is there a direct approach possible?. Thank you for your suggestions. Edwin Guevara Erde Automation El Salvador ---
**Author:** ![pturmel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/pturmel/32/3295_2.png) [@pturmel](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/pturmel)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2018, 1:10am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/getting-data-from-legacy-test-equipment-with-gpib-ieee488-comm-port/19060/2 "2018-08-02T01:10:02Z")
Do you have a link to a datasheet for the GPIB-USB interface? ---
**Author:** ![mwfcelg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@mwfcelg](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/mwfcelg)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2018, 12:56pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/getting-data-from-legacy-test-equipment-with-gpib-ieee488-comm-port/19060/3 "2018-08-02T12:56:57Z")
In addition to the converters available (GPIB to RS232, GPIB to USB and GPIB to Ethernet), you could also try PyVISA, which is a Python wrapper for the VISA architecture. Mark ---
**Author:** ![JordanCClark](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/jordancclark/32/83362_2.png) [@JordanCClark](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/JordanCClark)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2018, 8:52pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/getting-data-from-legacy-test-equipment-with-gpib-ieee488-comm-port/19060/4 "2018-08-02T20:52:14Z")
Seems to be a possibility. Also has some sample python code in the resources section. [http://prologix.biz/gpib-ethernet-controller.html](http://prologix.biz/gpib-ethernet-controller.html) ---
**Author:** ![Edwin\_Guevara](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/edwin_guevara/32/4518_2.png) [@Edwin\_Guevara](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Edwin_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2018, 3:17pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/getting-data-from-legacy-test-equipment-with-gpib-ieee488-comm-port/19060/5 "2018-08-03T15:17:33Z")
[https://www.keysight.com/en/pc-1587538/gpib-products-and-cables?nid=-32518.0.00&cc=SV&lc=eng](https://www.keysight.com/en/pc-1587538/gpib-products-and-cables?nid=-32518.0.00&cc=SV&lc=eng) ---
**Author:** ![cmaynes](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/cmaynes/32/6852_2.png) [@cmaynes](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/cmaynes)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 6:04pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/getting-data-from-legacy-test-equipment-with-gpib-ieee488-comm-port/19060/6 "2018-11-07T18:04:02Z")
How do you get PyVisa into Ignition? I have tried, but I get an error about the **future** lib. ---
**Author:** ![cmaynes](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/cmaynes/32/6852_2.png) [@cmaynes](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/cmaynes)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 6:04pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/getting-data-from-legacy-test-equipment-with-gpib-ieee488-comm-port/19060/7 "2018-11-07T18:04:21Z")
Any movement with this problem? Does anyone have a specific solution? ---
**Author:** ![ecan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@ecan](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/ecan)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2019, 11:10am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/getting-data-from-legacy-test-equipment-with-gpib-ieee488-comm-port/19060/8 "2019-03-14T11:10:51Z")
> [@mwfcelg](#): > > PyVISA Any news on this problem? I have the same problem ---
**Author:** ![pturmel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/pturmel/32/3295_2.png) [@pturmel](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/pturmel)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2019, 12:11pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/getting-data-from-legacy-test-equipment-with-gpib-ieee488-comm-port/19060/9 "2019-03-14T12:11:00Z")
That Prologix device has a comprehensive manual for its ethernet functions. Write a socket module in jython (I would use Java’s networking layer instead of python) that performs the appropriate commands. ---
**Author:** ![ecan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@ecan](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/ecan)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2019, 1:03pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/getting-data-from-legacy-test-equipment-with-gpib-ieee488-comm-port/19060/10 "2019-03-14T13:03:37Z")
Any idea if USB would work? ---
**Author:** ![pturmel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/pturmel/32/3295_2.png) [@pturmel](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/pturmel)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2019, 1:28pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/getting-data-from-legacy-test-equipment-with-gpib-ieee488-comm-port/19060/11 "2019-03-14T13:28:22Z")
USB would be much more difficult, unless it emulates a simple serial device for use with the serial support module. You’d still have to write your own query-response communication code. ---
**Author:** ![rbredin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f05b48/32.png) [@rbredin](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/rbredin)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2020, 4:55am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/getting-data-from-legacy-test-equipment-with-gpib-ieee488-comm-port/19060/12 "2020-06-25T04:55:06Z")
Has anyone solved this question? I have an old Agilent 3458A digital multimeter that operates on a similar GPIB protocol. Can someone comment if they were successful in integrating systems like this utilizing the Prologix device?