Rohde & Schwarz Instrument Control (RsInstrument)

1.124.0 verified Fri May 01 auth: no python

RsInstrument is a Python communication module for Rohde & Schwarz instruments using VISA or socket connections. It provides a high-level API for SCPI command control, data transfer, and instrument discovery. Current version is 1.124.0, requiring Python >= 3.10. The library is actively maintained with regular releases.

pip install rsinstrument

Common errors

error AttributeError: module 'RsInstrument' has no attribute 'RsInstrument' ↓

cause Incorrect import statement; typically `import RsInstrument` then trying to use RsInstrument.RsInstrument

fix

Use from RsInstrument import RsInstrument to import the class.

error VisaIOError: VI_ERROR_TMO (-1073807339): Timeout expired before operation completed. ↓

cause Timeout is too low or the instrument is not responding.

fix

Increase timeout: instr.visa_timeout = 10000 (ms) or check instrument connection.

error TypeError: __init__() got an unexpected keyword argument 'backend' ↓

cause Using an older version of RsInstrument (<1.0) that doesn't accept the 'backend' parameter.

fix

Upgrade to latest version: pip install --upgrade rsinstrument

Warnings

breaking Version 1.100.0 changed the default VISA backend from 'rs' to 'pyvisa-py'. Existing scripts using the old backend must specify it explicitly. ↓

fix Install pyvisa-py and set RsInstrument(resource, backend='pyvisa-py') or reinstall the legacy 'rs' backend.

gotcha The library is not thread-safe. Do not share an RsInstrument instance across threads without external locking. ↓

fix Use separate instrument instances per thread or implement proper mutex/lock.

gotcha Resource strings must strictly follow VISA Resource Regular Expression pattern. Incorrect strings cause immediate connection failure. ↓

fix Use format like 'TCPIP::192.168.1.1::INSTR' or 'USB::0x0AAD::0x0119::INSTR'. Validate with instr.utilities.check_resource_string()

deprecated The method `instr.io.timeout` setter is deprecated in favor of `instr.visa_timeout`. ↓

fix Use `instr.visa_timeout = 5000` instead of `instr.io.timeout = 5000`.

Imports

RsInstrument
```
from RsInstrument import RsInstrument
```

Quickstart

Initialize an instrument connection and query its identification.

from RsInstrument import RsInstrument
import os

resource_string = os.environ.get('INSTR_RESOURCE', 'TCPIP::192.168.1.1::INSTR')
instr = RsInstrument(resource_string)
print(instr.query('*IDN?'))
instr.close()