Hioki ST5540, Instruction Manual, Page: 156 / 326

8.4 Command Message Description
150
Abbreviation of
Compound
Commands
When several compound commands have a common head portion, for
example
:CONFigure:CONDition
and
:CONFigure:POLarity
,
then, when and only when writing them directly following on from one
another, this common portion (
:CONFigure: in this example) can be
omitted from each command.
This common portion is called "the current path", by analogy with the
general concept of the current directory in the directory structure of UNIX
or MS-DOS, and until it is cleared the analysis of following commands is
performed by deeming them to be preceded by the current path which
has been curtailed in the interests of brevity. This manner of using the
current path is shown in the following example :
Normal expression
:CONFigure:CONDition NORMal;:CONFigure:POLarity NORMal
Abbreviated expression
:CONFigure:CONDition NORMal;POLarity NORMal
The current path is cleared when the power is turned on, when a colon
"
:
"
appears at the start of a command, and when a message terminator
is detected.
Messages of standard command form can be executed without relation to
the current path. Further, they have no effect upon the current path.
It is not necessary to prefix a colon " : " at the start of headers of simple
commands and compound commands.However, in order to prevent con-
fusion with abbreviated forms and mistakes in operation, it is recom-
mended practice always to prefix "
: " to headers.
On the HiTESTER, the current paths are as follows (common in RS-232C
and USB).
:CONFigure:
:CONFigure:WTIMe:
:EQUipment:
:SYSTem:
:SYSTem:BEEPer:
This becomes the current path, and can be curtailed from the following
messages.