gsv86lib

gsv86lib is a Python package that provides a convenient interface to the
ME-Systeme GSV-8 measurement amplifier via serial communication.

It is based on the original ME-Systeme Python library (gsv8pypi_python3) and repackages it as a modern Python package with a proper module namespace and relative imports, so it can be installed and reused across multiple projects.

Typical use cases:

• Reading strain gauge data from a GSV-8
• Continuous streaming with StartTransmission()
• Triggering digital I/O based on thresholds
• Building custom GUIs or data logging tools

Features

• Pure Python, no platform-specific DLLs required
• Serial communication (USB-CDC, virtual COM port)
• Access to the full GSV-8 feature set:
  • Measurement values for up to 8 channels
  • Data rate configuration
  • Start/Stop transmission
  • Digital I/O configuration
  • Thresholds and trigger functions
  • CSV recording helpers (from original library)
• Usable on Windows and Linux

Installation

gsv86lib is not published on PyPI.
Install it directly from the Git repository:

pip install git+https://github.com/me-systeme/gsv86lib.git

Requirements

• Python 3.8+
• pyserial (installed automatically as dependency)

Basic Usage

import time
from gsv86lib import gsv86

# Open GSV-8 device on given serial port
# Example: "COM5" on Windows, "/dev/ttyACM0" on Linux
dev = gsv86("COM3", 115200)

# Optional: configure data rate (Hz)
dev.writeDataRate(50.0)

# Start continuous transmission
dev.StartTransmission()

time.sleep(0.2)

# Read a single measurement frame
measurement = dev.ReadValue()

# Access individual channels (1..8)
ch1 = measurement.getChannel1()
ch2 = measurement.getChannel2()

print("Channel 1:", ch1)
print("Channel 2:", ch2)

# Stop transmission when done
dev.StopTransmission()

You can build more complex applications on top of this, such as real-time visualization, logging, or integration into test benches.

API Overview

gsv86lib exposes the original ME-Systeme API, including (non-exhaustive):

• Measurement
  • ReadValue()
  • ReadMultiple()
  • writeDataRate(frequency)
  • StartTransmission()
  • StopTransmission()
• Digital I/O
  • getDIOdirection(), setDIOdirection()
  • getDIOlevel(), setDIOlevel()
  • setDIOtype(), setInputToTaraInputForChannel(), …
• Thresholds / Trigger
  • readDIOthreshold(), writeDIOthreshold()
  • setOutputHighByThreshold(), setOutputHighIfInsideWindow(), …
• Scaling and sensor configuration
  • setUserScaleBySensor()
  • Input type configuration (bridge, single-ended, temperature, …)

For a more detailed API reference, see the original ME-Systeme documentation (e.g. gsv86.html / GSV-8PyPi 1.0.0 documentation or documentation.pdf) or the docstrings in the source files.

Project Structure

Typical layout of this package:

gsv86lib/
├─ pyproject.toml
├─ README.md
├─ LICENSE
└─ src/
   └─ gsv86lib/
      ├─ __init__.py
      ├─ gsv86.py
      ├─ CSVwriter.py
      ├─ GSV_BasicMeasurement.py
      ├─ GSV_Exceptions.py
      ├─ GSV6_AnfrageCodes.py
      ├─ GSV6_BasicFrameType.py
      ├─ GSV6_ErrorCodes.py
      ├─ GSV6_FrameRouter.py
      ├─ GSV6_MessFrameHandler.py
      ├─ GSV6_Protocol.py
      ├─ GSV6_SeriallLib.py
      ├─ GSV6_UnitCodes.py
      └─ ThreadSafeVar.py

The public entry point for user code is gsv86lib.gsv86.

License

This package is derived from the original ME-Systeme GSV-8 Python library. Please refer to the license information provided by ME-Systeme and add your own license information here as appropriate for your project.