As of November 2024, this repository will no longer be updated. It has been superseded by the grab-o-scope project which now provides support for multiple oscilloscopes, including the Rigol DS1054Z and the Rigol DHO924. Head on over there, and thank you for your support!

- rdpoor November 2024

Capture Rigol DS1054Z Oscilloscope Display as a .png file, for MacOS, Linux and Windows

The Rigol DS1054Z Oscilloscope is a powerful multi-channel tool for the hobbyist and professional alike. It includes a USB port, but there's not much in the way of software support for Linux and macOS systems.

rigol_grab is a cross-platform Python-based script that lets you capture the contents of the Rigol Oscilloscope display to a .png file via USB or Ethernet connection, such as this:

The setup process assumes you already have git, Python and pipenv set up on your machine. In a shell window:

> cd <your chosen directory>
> git clone https://github.com/rdpoor/rigol-grab.git
> cd rigol-grab
> pipenv install

First, plug the Rigol 'scope into your computer via USB cable or connect it to your network and note its IP address. Then, in a shell window use these commands for a USB connection:

> cd <your chosen directory>/rigol-grab
> pipenv shell
> python rigol_grab.py --auto_view

Or use these commands for an Ethernet connection (substitute your Rigol's own IP address):

> cd <your chosen directory>/rigol-grab
> pipenv shell
> python rigol_grab.py --auto_view --port 127.0.0.1

Note that the --auto_view argument will cause the .png file to be opened immediately using the default viewer for your system.

rigol_grab.py accepts command line arguments:

--verbose: print additional information
--filename <filename.png>: specify the pathname of the saved .png file (default: rigol.png)
--auto_view: automatically open the .png using your system viewer
--port: IP address of the oscilloscope if using Ethernet instead of USB

There are a few known bugs. Top scientists are investigating these issues and hope to have a fix. Or you can propose a fix with a pull request:

• The program always throws an error upon exiting. This appears to be benign.
• Once every two or three times, the .png data is corrupted. If this happens, just re-run the script.
• There's been zero testing on Linux systems. But it might work.

Feel free to post issues and feature requests in the Issues section.

And if the spirit so moves you, please submit pull requests for enhancements.