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N9340B Programmer's Guide
Common Terms used in this Book
Terms
Description
Controller
Any computer used to communicate with an instrument. A
controller can be a personal computer (PC), a minicomputer, or a
plug- in card in a card cage. Some intelligent instruments can also
function as controllers.
Instrument
Any device that implements SCPI. Most instruments are electronic
measurement or stimulus devices, but this is not a requirement.
Similarly, most instruments use a GPIB or RS- 232 or USB
interface for communication. The same concepts apply regardless
of the instrument function or the type of interface used.
Command
An instruction. You combine commands to form messages that
control instruments to complete a specified task. In general, a
command consists of mnemonics (keywords), parameters and
punctuation.
Query
A special type of command. Queries instruct the instrument to
make response data available to the controller. Query keywords
always end with a question mark, ? .
The SCPI Consortium or IEEE can provide detailed
information on the subject of SCPI programming. Refer to
IEEE Standard 488.1- 1987, IEEE Standard Digital Interface
for Programmable Instrumentation. New York, NY, 1987, or
to IEEE Standard 488.2- 1992, IEEE Standard Codes,
Formats, Protocols and Common Commands for Use with
ANSI/IEEE Std 488.1- 1987. New York, NY, 1992.
Programming Fundamentals
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