Python API Analog input

Hello all. I am having trouble getting the '.ain' command to work using the LinxCNC / python API. HalScope show's an incoming signal, but .ain just returns a list of 64 zero's. I don't have 64 input pins, so I find that fishy as well. Suggestions? I'm using a MESA 7i87 analog input card.

My code:

python
import linuxcnc, hal, time, sys, os, serial

a= linuxcnc.stat()
a.poll()
a.ain
(0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, etc).

When software and hardware is installed correctly, the hm2 driver provides a
hal pin/parameter interface to the 7i87, The python API is not related to the 7I87 in
any way.

What hardware do you have?

Not sure, I didn't set up the machine. I know there is also 2 7i64's, a 7i77, and a 7i83 cards. Other than that, not sure. How can I figure out the hardware?

If all is connected correctly, and LinuxCNC is running, you can list the 7I87 pins
with:

if you wanted to show all the connected Mesa hardware pins, you could:

or the equivalent for parameters:

Yes, that worked. I can see my inputs on the 7i87. Thank you.

Is there a way to interface the 7i87 with python API?

The LinuxCNC Python API works at the NML interface level not HAL and you will lose the real time capabilities of the hardware if you use Python

What are you trying to do with the analog data from the 7I87?

That's good to know. Is it possible to use a userspace and read data at microsecond intervals?

We are going to get sensor data then process the data outside of LinuxCNC then feed LinuxCNC commands based on sensor data. I'm not the architect of this project, so I don't know why we're doing it that way. The halcmd method you provided above will work, so now I'm satisfying my own curiosity.

Note that anything done in standard Python is not going to be even close to real time
( you may have unpredictable multi-millisecond delays due to memory allocation and garbage collection )

Thanks for the help everyone.