Interfaces and Protocols R&S FSL
1300.2519.12 5.36 E-11
Instrument Messages
For different interfaces, device messages are more or less alike. They are divided into two groups,
depending on the direction they are sent: commands and device responses.
Commands
Commands (program messages) are messages the controller sends to the instrument. They operate the
device functions and request information. The commands are subdivided according to two criteria:
• According to the effect they have on the instrument:
– Setting commands cause instrument settings such as a reset of the instrument or setting the
frequency.
– Queries cause data to be provided for remote control, e.g. for identification of the device or
polling a parameter value. Queries are formed by directly appending a question mark to the
header.
• According to their definition in standard:
– Common commands are exactly defined as to their function and notation in standard IEEE
488.2. They refer to functions such as management of the standardized status registers, reset
and self test.
– Device–specific commands refer to functions depending on the features of the instrument such
as frequency setting. A majority of these commands has also been standardized by the SCPI
committee. Device–specific extensions following the SCPI rules are permitted by the standard.
Device responses
Device responses (response messages and service request) are messages the instrument sends to the
controller after a query. They can contain measurement results, instrument settings and information on
the instrument status (refer to section "Responses to Queries").
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