SCPI command terminators
A command string sent to the power supply must terminate with a <new line> character. The IEEE- 488 EOI (end-
or-identify) message is interpreted as a <new line> character and can be used to terminate a command string in
place of a <new line> character. A <carriage return> followed by a <new line> is also accepted. Command string
termination will always reset the current SCPI command path to the root level. The <new line> character has the
ASCII decimal code of 10.
IEEE-488.2 common commands
The IEEE- 488.2 standard defines a set of common commands that perform functions like reset, self- test, and
status operations. Common commands always begin with an asterisk (*), are four to five characters in length, and
may include one or more parameters. The command keyword is separated from the first parameter by a blank space.
Use a semicolon (;) to separate multiple commands as shown below:
*RST; *CLS; *ESE 32; *OPC?
SCPI parameter types
The SCPI language defines several different data formats to be used in program messages and response messages.
Numeric parameters
Commands that require numeric parameters will accept all commonly used decimal representations of numbers
including optional signs, decimal points, and scientific notation. Special values for numeric parameters like
MINimum, MAXimum, and DEFault are also accepted.
You can also send engineering unit suffixes (V, A, or SEC) with numeric parameters. If only specific numeric values
are accepted, the power supply will automatically round the input numeric parameters. The following command
uses a numeric parameter:
CURR {<current>|MIN|MAX|UP|DOWN}
Discrete parameters
Discrete parameters are used to program settings that have a limited number of values such as BUS and IMM. Query
responses will always return the short form in all upper- case letters. The following command uses discrete
parameters:
TRIG:SOUR {BUS|IMM}
Boolean parameters
Boolean parameters represent a single binary condition that is either true or false. For a false condition, the power
supply will accept OFF or 0. For a true condition, the power supply will accept ON or 1. When you query a boolean
setting, the power supply will always return 0 or 1. The following command uses a boolean parameter:
DISP {OFF|ON}
Keysight E36100B Series Operating and Service Guide
36
