Agilent Technologies 8960 Series Reference Manual page 243

Test System Synchronization Overview
Sequential versus overlapped commands
The test set uses both sequential and overlapped commands:
• Sequential commands must finish executing before the next command starts to execute.
• Overlapped commands do not finish executing before the next command starts to execute.
Overlapped commands are more difficult to synchronize because an overlapped operation that started several commands
earlier may still be executing as subsequent commands are being parsed out from the input buffer and executed. This can
present a problem unless the external controller is properly synchronized to the test set's execution of commands.
Overlapped commands allow the test set to use its internal resources as efficiently as possible.
Methods for synchronization
The test set's GPIB command set supports the following methods to achieve synchronization for overlapped commands. In
some cases, combinations of these methods will provide the best results:
Methods one and two do not require the external controller to query the test set, nor to perform any branching or
decision-making associated with information acquired from the test set.
Methods three through six rely on responses from the test set to an external controller, indicating that some event has
occurred. The external controller can then make decisions based on these responses to control the flow of commands to
the test set and other devices in the test system.
1. Force the test set to execute overlapped commands sequentially.
2. Force the test set to wait until an overlapped command is done executing before executing any more commands.
3. Query the test set to determine when a command has finished executing.
4. Query the test set to determine when all commands sent to it have at least begun executing.
5. Query the test set to determine the current call or data connection processing state.
6.
Program the test set to generate a service request when an operation has completed or the test set is in a certain state.
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