spidev

library3.8pypypi✓ verified 85d ago

Python bindings for Linux SPI access through spidev. Current version 3.8 provides low-level control of SPI devices via the Linux spidev kernel interface. Release cadence is infrequent; maintained on GitHub.

serialization

pip install spidev

github ↗package ↗

INSTALL

IMPORT

SIG · SPIDEV

spidev

serializationpythonv3.8

Install

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Import

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Disk

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Pass rate

0/ 10

Env Coverage0 / 10

glibc

3.9–3.13

musl

3.9–3.13

Install & Compatibility

Where this runs

tested against v? · pip install

Install × environment matrix

Each cell = how many times install + import succeeded across repeated harness runs. Partial = flaky.
glibc = Debian/Ubuntu slim · musl = Alpine Linux

musl

py 3.10–3.95 runs

build_error

glibc

py 3.10–3.95 runs

build_error

Code

Verified usage

Verified import paths — ran on the pinned version, not inferred.

SpiDev

✓ from spidev import SpiDev

✗ import spidev

Common mistake: 'import spidev' only gives access to the module object, not the SpiDev class. Use 'from spidev import SpiDev' for direct access.

Open SPI bus 0, device 0, transfer bytes, and close.

from spidev import SpiDev spi = SpiDev() spi.open(0, 0) # bus=0, device=0 spi.max_speed_hz = 1000000 spi.mode = 0b00 to_send = [0x01, 0x02, 0x03] response = spi.xfer(to_send) print(response) spi.close()

Debug

Known issues

gotchaBits per word default is 8. Changing to other values (e.g., 16) may cause unexpected transfer behavior unless hardware supports it.

fix

Set 'spi.bits_per_word = 8' explicitly, or check device datasheet before changing.

affects: all

breakingIn v3.8, the 'open_path' method was added. Older code using only 'open(bus, device)' still works, but dynamic bus allocation may require file path-based opening.

fix

Use 'spi.open_path("/dev/spidev0.0")' for dynamic bus numbering, or stick with 'spi.open(bus, device)' for static.

affects: >=3.8

deprecatedUsing 'spi.xfer2' is deprecated in favor of 'spi.xfer'. xfer2 was a non-standard name and may be removed in future versions.

fix

Replace 'spi.xfer2' with 'spi.xfer'.

affects: all

gotchaRunning without root or proper permissions (e.g., no udev rule) yields 'PermissionError' or 'OSError: [Errno 13] Permission denied'.

fix

Run as root, or add a udev rule to set permissions on /dev/spidev* (e.g., 'SUBSYSTEM=="spidev", MODE="0666"').

affects: all

Errors

Common errors & fixes

OSError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory

SPI device node does not exist; kernel module not loaded or incorrect bus/device number.

fix

Load the spidev module: 'sudo modprobe spidev' and check /dev for spidev files (e.g., ls /dev/spi*).

PermissionError: [Errno 13] Permission denied

User lacks read/write access to /dev/spidev*.

fix

Run as root or add a udev rule to grant permissions (e.g., 'SUBSYSTEM=="spidev", MODE="0666"').

AttributeError: module 'spidev' has no attribute 'SpiDev'

Incorrect import: using 'import spidev' instead of 'from spidev import SpiDev'.

fix

Use 'from spidev import SpiDev' to import the class.

TypeError: function takes at most 2 arguments (3 given)

Wrong number of arguments when calling 'open_path' — expects a single path string.

fix

Use 'spi.open_path("/dev/spidev0.0")' instead of 'spi.open_path(bus, device)'.

Upgrade

Version history

3.8latest on PyPI · released Sep 15, 2025

Audit

Dependencies

spidevrequiredSystem-level dependency: Linux spidev kernel module must be loaded (e.g., 'modprobe spidev')

Agent activity

2 hits · last 30 days

node

Resources

githubhttp://github.com/doceme/py-spidev ↗

packagehttps://pypi.org/project/spidev/ ↗