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Instrument and Programming Languages
SCPI Programming
SCPI Command
Structure
19
Getting Started with the HP E1340A
The purpose of this manual is to teach you how to use the E1340A AFG. To
do this, the manual uses block diagrams, flowcharts, and example programs.
The programs shown in the manual are SCPI programs written in HP
IBASIC. These programs, and QuickBASIC and C language versions of the
programs are on the following disks which ship with the manual:
HP E1340A Instrument Driver and HP IBASIC Example Programs -
3.5" 720 kbyte disk (E1340-10035)
HP E1340A Instrument Driver and QuickBASIC and C Language
Example programs - 3.5" 1.44 Mbyte disk (E1340-10036)
SCPI (Standard Commands for Programmable Instruments) is an
ASCII-based instrument command language designed for test and
measurement instruments. The HP E1300/E1301 Mainframe or
HP E1405/E1406 Command Module with the AFG driver installed
interprets the ASCII command strings and sets the AFG accordingly. The
Mainframe/Command Module does this by writing to the AFG registers.
The AFG SCPI command set is found in Chapter 7. SCPI commands are
based on a hierarchical structure, also known as a tree system. In this
system, associated commands are grouped together under a common node
or root, thus, forming subtrees or subsystems. An example is the AFG's
'ARM' subsystem shown below.
ARM
[:STARt|SEQuence[1]]
[:LAYer[1]]
:COUNt <
:LAYer2
:COUNt <
:SLOPe <
:SOURce <
ARM
is the root keyword of the command,
second level keyword,
:LAYer1
so on. A colon (:) always separates a command keyword from a lower level
keyword as shown below:
ARM:LAY2:SOUR EXT
number
>
number
>
edge
>
source
>
:STARt|SEQuence1
and
:LAYer2
are third level keywords, and
is the
Chapter 1
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