15
Programming Fundamentals
Overview
Common Terms used in this Book
The SCPI Consortium or IEEE can provide detailed information on
the subject of SCPI programming. Refer to IEEE Standard
488.1-1987, IEEE Standard Digital Interface for Programmable
Instrumentation. New York, NY, 1987, or to IEEE Standard
488.2-1992, IEEE Standard Codes, Formats, Protocols and
Common Commands for Use with ANSI/IEEE Std 488.1-1987. New
York, NY, 1992.
Terms
Description
Controller
Any computer used to communicate with an instrument. A controller can be a personal
computer (PC), a minicomputer, or a plug-in card in a card cage. Some intelligent
instruments can also function as controllers.
Instrument
Any device that implements SCPI. Most instruments are electronic measurement or
stimulus devices, but this is not a requirement. Similarly, most instruments use a GPIB or
RS-232 or USB interface for communication. The same concepts apply regardless of the
instrument function or the type of interface used.
Command
An instruction. You combine commands to form messages that control instruments to
complete a specified task. In general, a command consists of mnemonics (keywords),
parameters and punctuation.
Query
A special type of command. Queries instruct the instrument to make response data
available to the controller. Query keywords always end with a question mark, ? .
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