A-1
APPENDIX A: Programming Guide
Command/Query/Response Format
In the interest of standardization, the serial commands and queries used on the InSight
®
X3
™
system follow the Standardized Commands for Programmable Instruments
(SCPI) protocol. This protocol was developed with the user in mind so that all
commands are easily readable by the user. The following rules apply:
All commands and responses are in ASCII format.
Commands to the laser system are terminated by an ASCII carriage return, line feed,
or both.
In this document, a carriage return is indicated by <CR> and a line feed by <LF>.
All responses from the laser system are terminated by an ASCII line feed character.
All queries end with a question mark (?). If a query has no command associated with
it, it is preceded with
READ.
The laser system does not generate any signals on the RS-232 or USB interface (i.e.,
it does not respond) unless a query is received first.
Parameters are separated from commands by spaces.
Commands have both a “short” and “long” form.
The long form is the completely written command. The short form is derived from
the long form by dropping every character after the fourth character. If the fourth
character is a vowel, a three-letter form is used. The only exceptions to this pattern
are OFF and ON.
Example:
Long form: SHUTter 1
Short form: SHUT 1
In the examples in this document, the long form of the command is used with the
short form portion of it written in capital letters (e.g.,
SHUTter 1) and, when
contained within text, the entire command is in lower case.
Several commands have variations or sub-commands which are separated by a
colon (:). Short and long forms of the various commands and sub-commands may
be freely mixed. For example, the following commands are equivalent:
READ:PLAS:DIOD1:CURR?
READ:PLAS:DIODE1:CURR?
READ:PLASER:DIODE1:CURRENT?
However, for consistency and readability, it is best to choose one form and stay with
it throughout.
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