50 34405A User’s and Service Guide
2Features and Functions
Triggering the Multimeter
From the front panel (Local mode),  the multimeter always 
auto–triggers. Auto triggering takes continuous readings at 
the fastest rate possible for the selected measurement 
configuration. 
From the remote interface, triggering the multimeter is a 
three–step process:
1 Configure the multimeter for the measurement by 
selecting the function, range, resolution, and so on.
2 Specify the multimeter’s trigger source. Choices are a 
software (bus) trigger from the remote interface or an 
immediate internal trigger (default trigger source). 
3 Ensure that the multimeter is ready to accept a trigger 
from the specified source (called the wait–for–trigger 
state). 
Immediate Triggering
The immediate triggering mode is available from the 
remote interface only.
In the immediate trigger mode, the trigger signal is always 
present. When you place the multimeter in the 
wait–for–trigger state, the trigger is issued immediately. This 
is the default trigger source for remote interface operation.
• Remote Interface Operation: The following command selects 
the immediate trigger source:
TRIGger:SOURce IMMediate
The  CONFigure and MEASure? commands automatically 
set the trigger source to IMMediate.
Refer to the Agilent 34405A Programmer’s Reference for 
complete description and syntax for these commands.
Software (Bus) Triggering
The bus trigger mode is available from the remote interface 
only.
34405A users guide.book  Page 50  Saturday, September 2, 2006  3:38 PM