gsvpiko 0.1.4

Python control, recording and diagnostics tools for ME GSV-8 measurement amplifiers.

GSVpiko

GSVpiko is a Python package for configuring, reading, recording and diagnosing ME GSV-8 measurement amplifiers. GSV is short for the German term GleichSpannungsVerstärker.

It includes project-specific configuration files for multiple real GSV-8 devices, sensors and setups. The NPort Administrator is not required for the supported workflow.

More information about GSVpiko is available in docs/. Reference material for the GSV measurement amplifier is available in references/.

Installation

Choose one installation method.

PyPI

Recommended for normal use:

py -m pip install gsvpiko

On systems where python is available instead of the Windows py launcher:

python -m pip install gsvpiko

Check the installation:

gsvpiko-client-tcp --help

If the command is not found on Windows, the Python Scripts directory may not be in PATH. The package is still installed in the Python environment that ran pip.

GitHub

Install the current repository state:

py -m pip install "gsvpiko @ git+https://github.com/moriz-bot/gsvpiko.git"

Install a specific tagged version:

py -m pip install "gsvpiko @ git+https://github.com/moriz-bot/gsvpiko.git@v0.1.4"

Local checkout

Clone and install the local project:

git clone https://github.com/moriz-bot/gsvpiko.git
cd gsvpiko
py -m pip install .

For development:

py -m pip install -e .

-e means editable mode: local source-code changes are used directly without reinstalling.

Version check

py -c "import gsvpiko; print(gsvpiko.__version__)"

or directly from package metadata:

py -c "from importlib.metadata import version; print(version('gsvpiko'))"

Main features

• setup-based configuration of ME GSV-8 measurement amplifiers
• multiple GSV devices + multiple 3-axis sensors
• real device, sensor and setup configuration files
• sensor scaling and software-side crosstalk compensation
• reading and recording measurement values
• CSV, text-report and PNG plot generation
• event markers in plots for GSVpiko runtime commands such as tare
• setup validation before measurement
• connection, runtime-rate and GSV status diagnostics
• external TCP control interface with a simple ASCII command protocol
• manual TCP client for testing the external control interface
• local interactive recording shell via gsvpiko-record
• CSV plotting helper via gsvpiko-plot-csv
• NPort mode switching via transport_nport
  → no NPort Administrator required for the supported Real COM/TCP workflow
• baudrate probing
  → automatic search for a working GSV-8 baudrate if the current device setting is unknown

Recording workflow

The local recording app is started with:

gsvpiko-record

The interactive workflow separates transmission from recorded capture windows:

session ipc_test01   tare if configured and start GSV transmission
start                start storing samples
stop                 pause storing samples while transmission continues
start 20 s           store samples for 20 seconds, then stop automatically
save                 stop transmission and write CSV/report/PNG
quit                 save an active session if needed and close the program

start 20s, start 30m and start 4h are accepted in addition to the spaced forms start 20 s, start 30 m and start 4 h. tare is only run at session start when the setup has zero_before_recording=True, or when the user explicitly enters tare. start never runs an automatic tare.

The external TCP interface uses the same session workflow with single-line responses for clients:

SESSION ipc_test01
START 20S
START 20S
SAVE

Transport and NPort support

Typical hardware chain:

GSV-8 → serial interface → NPort → Ethernet → computer

Supported NPort operating modes:

NPort Real COM Mode   → GSVpiko transport: serial
NPort TCP Server Mode → GSVpiko transport: tcp

transport_nport can switch the NPort operating mode automatically. This is especially useful when moving between serial-style access and direct TCP access without manually changing the NPort configuration in a separate administration tool.

Output folders

Default runtime output is written relative to the current working directory:

gsvpiko_data/     CSV files and PNG plots
gsvpiko_logs/     text reports

The recording app supports process-local overrides:

gsvpiko-record --data-dir C:\Measurements\GSVpikoData --log-dir C:\Measurements\GSVpikoLogs

The local recording shell and the external TCP interface also support persistent output folders through their path command. Persistent settings are stored in the current user's GSVpiko settings file.

Baudrate probing

A GSV-8 connection can fail if the host uses a different baudrate than the device. GSVpiko includes baudrate probing utilities that test supported baudrates automatically until communication with the amplifier is established.

This is useful when the current GSV-8 baudrate is unknown or was changed previously.

Tested result for the used GSV-8/NPort setup:

accepted: 460800 bit/s
rejected: 921600 bit/s

Therefore, 460800 bit/s is the highest tested accepted baudrate for this setup.

Tested sample-rate limits

For one 3-channel sensor at 460800 bit/s, the conservative largest streamed datatype is float32.

Estimated communication limit for float32:

2880 Hz

Tested and GSV-accepted rounded-down operating value:

2400 Hz

Additional short-test values:

float32 → 2400 Hz
int24   → 3200 Hz
int16   → 4000 Hz

For conservative operation with one 3-channel sensor, float32 at 2400 Hz is the practical tested upper value.

Known hardware status observation

🔴 HARDWARE_ERROR_ANALOG_OUTPUT (0xFFFF)

On the tested hardware, this status can still occur on the affected GSV device and can cause the red MOD LED/button indication to blink.

It was observed even after setting the analog outputs inactive through SetAOutType-style configuration values:

AOutType_Mode = 0x02  (inactive)
AOutType_Enum = 5     (OFF)

In the observed setup, this analog-output hardware status did not prevent measurement output or recording.

Repository structure

src/gsvpiko/       Python package source code
docs/              project documentation and diagrams
references/        public reference documents used during development
gsvpiko_data/      local runtime CSV and plot output, not committed
gsvpiko_logs/      local runtime report output, not committed
README.md          project overview and installation notes
pyproject.toml     Python packaging metadata
LICENSE            license file

Important package areas:

app/               command-line entry points and local interactive apps
config/            device, sensor and setup configuration
coordination/      setup resolution, validation, diagnostics and recording orchestration
device/            GSV device abstraction
external/          external TCP control interface
features/          GSV feature groups
output/            CSV, report, plot and output-path handling
protocol/          frame building, parsing, payload coding and CRC
runtime/           runtime reading, routing and buffering
transport/         serial, TCP and NPort transport handling
utils/             small generic helpers

Basic command examples

Validate a configured setup:

gsvpiko-setup-validation

Apply a configured setup:

gsvpiko-setup-application

Read values from a setup:

gsvpiko-read-values

Record values from a setup:

gsvpiko-record

Run the external TCP interface:

gsvpiko-external-tcp-interface

Run the manual TCP client:

gsvpiko-client-tcp

Plot a GSVpiko CSV file:

gsvpiko-plot-csv path\to\file.csv

License

GSVpiko is distributed under the MIT License. See LICENSE.