Agilent Technologies 54621A Programmer's Manual page 2

Programming the Oscilloscope
When you attach an interface module to the rear of the oscilloscope, it
becomes programmable. That is, you can hook a controller (such as a
PC or workstation) to it, and write programs on that controller to
automate oscilloscope setup and data capture.
The following figure shows the basic structure of every program you will
write for the oscilloscope.
Initialize
To ensure consistent, repeatable performance, you need to start the
program, controller, and oscilloscope in a known state. Without correct
initialization, your program may run correctly in one instance and not in
another. This might be due to changes made in configuration by previous
program runs or from the front panel of the oscilloscope.
• Program initialization defines and initializes variables, allocates
memory, or tests system configuration.
• Controller initialization ensures that the interface to the oscilloscope
(either GPIB or RS-232) is properly set up and ready for data transfer.
• Oscilloscope initialization sets the channel configuration and labels,
threshold voltages, trigger specification and mode, timebase, and
acquisition type.
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