Command Syntax; Command And Query Structure - Tektronix FCA3000 Programmer's Manual

Command Syntax

Backus-Naur Form
Notation

Command and Query Structure

Messages
FCA3000, FCA3100, MCA3000 Series Programmer Manual
You can control the operations and functions of the instrument through the GPIB
port or the USB 2.0 device port using commands and queries. The related topics
listed below describe the syntax of these commands and queries. The topics
also describe the conventions that the instrument uses to process them. See the
Command Groups topic in the table of contents for a listing of the commands by
command group, or use the index to locate a specific command.
This documentation describes the commands and queries using Backus-Naur
Form (BNF) notation. The following table lists the BNF notation symbols.
Table 2-1: Symbols for Backus-Naur form
Symbol Meaning
< >
Defined element
=
Is defined as
| Exclusive OR
{ } Group; one element is required
[ ] Optional; can be omitted
. . .
Previous element(s) may be repeated
( ) Comment
Commands consist of set commands and query commands (usually called
commands and queries). Commands modify instrument settings or tell the
instrument to perform a specific action. Queries cause the instrument to return
data and status information.
Most commands have both a set form and a query form. The query form of the
command differs from the set form by its question mark at the end. For example,
the set command
ACQuisition:HOFF
Not all commands have both a set and a query form. Some commands have set
only and some have query only.
A command message is a command or query name followed by any information
the instrument needs to execute the command or query. Command messages may
contain five element types, defined in the following table.
has a query form
ACQuisition:HOFF?
.
2-1