Agilent Technologies n5181a - Program Messages

Agilent N5181A/82A MXG Signal Generators SCPI Command Reference 11
SCPI Basics
SCPI Basics
string response data. Embedded quotes appear as two adjacent double quotes with no characters
between them.
The following are examples of string response data:
Program Messages
The following commands will be used to demonstrate the creation of program messages:
[:SOURce]:FREQuency:STARt [:SOURce]:FREQuency:STOP
[:SOURce]:FREQuency[:CW] [:SOURce]:POWer[:LEVel]:OFFSet
Example 1
:FREQuency:STARt 500MHz;STOP 1000MHz
This program message is correct and will not cause errors; STARt and STOP are at the same path
level. It is equivalent to sending the following message:
FREQuency:STARt 500MHz;FREQuency:STOP 1000MHz
Example 2
:POWer 10DBM;:OFFSet 5DB
This program message will result in an error. The message makes use of the default
POWer[:LEVel] node (root command). When using a default node, there is no change to the current
path position. Since there is no command OFFSet at the root level, an error results.
The following example shows the correct syntax for this program message:
:POWer 10DBM;:POWer:OFFSet 5DB
Example 3
:POWer:OFFSet 5DB;POWer 10DBM
This program message results in a command error. The path is dropped one level at each colon. The
first half of the message drops the command path to the lower level command OFFSet; POWer does
not exist at this level.
The POWer 10DBM command is missing the leading colon and when sent, it causes confusion because
the signal generator cannot find POWer at the POWer:OFFSet level. By adding the leading colon, the
current path is reset to the root. The following shows the correct program message:
:POWer:OFFSet 5DB;:POWer 10DBM
Example 4
FREQ 500MHz;POW 4DBM
"This is a string"
"one double quote inside brackets: [""]"
"Hello!"