Overview Of Command Types And Formats - HP 53150A Series Programming Manual

Chapter 3 Programming Your Counter for Remote Operation

Overview of Command Types and Formats

Overview of Command Types and Formats
There are two types of HP 53150A/151A/152A programming commands:
IEEE 488.2 Common Commands and Standard Commands for
Programmable Instruments (SCPI). The format of each type of command
is described in the following paragraphs. (Refer to Chapter 2, "Command
Summary," for SCPI conformance information.)
Common Command Format
The IEEE 488.2 Standard defines Common Commands as commands that
perform functions like reset, self-test, status byte query, and
identification. Common Commands always begin with the asterisk (*)
character, and may include parameters. The command keyword is
separated from the first parameter by a space character. Some examples
of Common Commands are as follows:
*RST *IDN?
SCPI Command and Query Format
SCPI commands perform functions like instrument setup. A subsystem
command has a hierarchical structure that usually consists of a top level
(or root) keyword, one or more lower-level keywords, and parameters. The
following example shows a command and its associated query:
:DISPlay:ENABle:ON
:DISPlay:ENABle?
In this example, DISPlay is the root-level keyword, ENABle is the second-
level keyword, and ON is the command parameter.
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*RCL 1
Programming Guide