System Commands; Reading Error Messages - Racal Instruments 1256E Manual

1256E User Manual
System
Commands
Reading Error
Messages
Racal Instruments © 2002
The 1256 instrument supports several system commands. These
commands generally access errors, SCPI standard information, as
well as user-interface issues. Additionally, the 1256 uses a special
command to update non-volatile memory.
Whenever an error is encountered by the 1256, it will perform two
actions:
1. One of the bits of the Standard Event Status Register will be
set. This register may be read using the *ESR? query
2. An error message will be added to the error message queue.
The error message queue may be read using the
SYSTEM:ERROR? query (or SYST:ERR?).
Consult Appendix B for a list of error messages and more detailed
explanations.
The error queue holds up to 15 error messages. Each time an
error is detected by the 1256, it adds a new error to the error
queue. Each time the SYSTEM:ERROR? query is received, the
oldest (least recent) error message is returned.
The syntax for this command is shown below:
:SYSTem
:ERRor?
The reply to the SYSTEM:ERROR? query uses the format:
<error code> , "<error message>"
where:
<error code>
<error message>
This parameter is a numeric
value. This value is "0" if there
are no errors remaining in the
error queue. This
negative when an error exists on
the error queue.
This parameter is
enclosed in double quotes. The
error message provides some
additional information about the
error.
SCPI Command Basics 5-41
value is
a string