XyphroLabs’s UsbGpib is an open-source hardware, inexpensive, and portable USB to GPIB adapter aiming to provide “access to legacy GPIB/IEEE-488 instruments using contemporary hardware and software, with a focus on accessibility, openness, and ease of integration into current workflows”.
Initially developed by Hewlett-Packard in the late 1960s/early 1970s, GPIB (General Purpose Interface Bus), also known as IEEE-488 or initially HP-IB (Hewlett-Packard Interface Bus), is a short-range digital communications bus standard designed for connecting and controlling programmable electronic test and measurement instruments such as oscilloscopes, multimeters, and power supplies to computers or controllers. The UsbGpib project helps connect GBIP-compliant equipment to modern host computers with a USB port.
UsbGpib key hardware features and specifications:
- Microcontroller – Microchip ATMega32U4 8-bit AVR microcontroller for 5V I/O compatibility
- USB – USB Type-C port with full USBTMC (USB Test and Measurement Class) support
- 24-pin GPIB interface – Fully IEEE-488.1 and IEEE-488.2 enabled, including service request capability via Interrupt pipe
- V3 version update (in progress) – Ethernet RJ45 port with PoE support
- Misc
- Firmware update button
- Status LED
- Dimensions – Ultra-compact form factor compared to commercial solutions; 1.5cm depth
- Temperature Range – 0°C to +50°C
- Humidity – 10% to 90% RH, non-condensing
- Altitude – Up to 2000m above sea level
The adapter is compatible with all standard VISA (Virtual Instrument Software Architecture) providers, including NI VISA, Rohde & Schwarz VISA, and Keysight VISA, and is fully compatible with software tools such as LabVIEW, MATLAB, PyVISA, and PyVISA-py. It has a cross-platform design and works in Windows, macOS, FreeBSD, and Linux.
The UsbGpib project is open-source firmware and hardware, and a 3D-printed housing is also offered. You’ll find all you need to get started on GitHub, from KiCad hardware design files to firmware source code, mechanical files, and tutorials. It’s also been benchmarked by users and tested across a wide range of instruments from R&S, HP, Agilent, Tektronix, Keithley, Gould, and others.
The project was started 6 years ago, so it is not exactly new, but Kai Gossner (Xyphro) recently contacted me about it by email. The UsbGbip hardware and firmware are continuously improved, and he is now working on the V3 version of the adapter, which adds an Ethernet port with PoE support and should first be released in January 2026. So I guess it should be called “EthGbip” then 🙂
Up until recently, people had to build the adapter themselves, ordering PCBs and soldering components. However, the UsbGpib V2 model is now sold on Elecrow for $54.99. Commercial USB to GPIB adapters are quite more expensive, ranging from $120 to $500 on Amazon, and based on some user reviews, the cheaper ones may be clones and not work properly.
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
Support CNX Software! Donate via cryptocurrencies, become a Patron on Patreon, or purchase goods on Amazon or Aliexpress. We also use affiliate links in articles to earn commissions if you make a purchase after clicking on those links.
