ILX Lightwave FPM-8200, User Manual

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G P I B C O M M A N D R E F E R E N C E
Notes on Syntax
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FPM-8200
C H A P T E R
4
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Notes on Syntax
Refer to Command Syntax on page 26 for a more complete discussion of syntax.
Here is a summary:
Required and Optional Letters
Commands must contain all of the letters shown in upper case in the definition.
Optional letters shown in lower case are useful for clarity, but must be in the
correct sequence. Upper/lower case does not matter to the FPM-8200.
White Space
A single white space must separate a command from its parameters or data.
Terminator String
If you encounter problems with GPIB communications, the terminator string can
be the cause. Refer also to your GPIB interface (controller) manual. The FPM-
8200 accepts <NL>, or <^END>, or <NL><^END> as a command line terminator.
Many computers terminate with <CR> <NL> <^END> (Carriage Return - New Line
- EOI). The FPM-8200 ignores <CR> (Carriage Return) as white space. The
FPM-8200 terminates its responses with <CR><NL><^END>, unless you use the
TERM command to change it.
Multiple Commands
You can put more than one command on a single line (same command string) if
you separate the commands with a semicolon.
Numeric Parameters
GPIB uses a flexible representation for numeric parameters called <nrf value>. It
means that you can represent numbers in integer or floating point form, or in
engineering/scientific notation. For example the number "twenty" may be
represented by any of the following ASCII strings:
There are no default values for omitted numeric parameters. If you omit a value,
you will get an error. See the table of error codes in Error Messages on page 71.
To enter data in non-decimal form, use one of the following prefixes:
Integer 20 +20
Floating point 20.0 +20.0
Scientific notation
2.0E+1
2.0e+1
+2.0E+1
+2.0e+1