Overview of Command
KIKUSUI Electronics Corp.
PWR-01 Interface Manual
Overview of Command
The information that is exchanged between the controller (PC) and the device
(PWR-01 series) is called a message.
The PWR-01 uses the SCPI language for the messages.
There are two types of messages, commands that are sent from the PC to the
PWR-01 and responses that are sent from the PWR-01 to the PC.
Command Hierarchy
SCPI commands are ASCII-based commands designed for test and measurement
devices. The command hierarchy is structured around the common root or node,
which is the construction block of the SCPI subsystem. A command consists of a
program header, parameters, and punctuation.
The hierarchy is explained using the SOURce subsystem as an example.
Program header
Parameter
Hierarchy of node
SOUR:
Root node
CURR
Second level
:LIM
Third level
:AUTO
<boolean>
Fourth level
VOLT
Second level
:EXT
Third level
:RANG
<character>
Fourth level
:SOUR
<character>
Fourth level
A higher node is separated from a lower node using a colon (:).
Command Syntax
This manual denotes SCPI commands using the following format.
[SOURce]:CURRent[:LEVel][:IMMediate][:AMPLitude] {<numeric>|MINi-
mum|MAXimum}
SCPI commands can be issued using the short form. The short form of a SCPI
command is the section of the command written in uppercase.
SCPI commands can be sent in the long form or short form. Since SCPI commands
are not case-sensitive, CURR, Curr, and curr are all accepted as the short form of
CURRent. In the long form, CURRENT, Current, and current are all acceptable.
• A space is required between the program header section and the parameter sec-
tion.
• Multiple parameters, when available, are concatenated using commas.
• Commands are concatenated using semicolons (compound command).
CURRent:SSTart:FALL 25MS;RISE 25MS
In the second command, CURRent:SSTart: is omitted. This is because the path is
set to CURRent:SSTart: by the first command CURRent:SSTart:FALL.
This compound command is the same as entering the following commands.
CURRent:SSTart:FALL 25MS
CURRent:SSTart:RISE 25MS
An error occurs if a node that is not defined in the current path is designated.
Commands of different subsystems can be concatenated using a colon and a semi-
colon together.
SYSTem:CONFigure:STARtup:PRIority CV;:VOLTage:SSTart:FALL 25MS
This compound command contains two root nodes, SYSTem and VOLTage.
When the second or subsequent command starts with a colon, the path specified
by the previous command is cleared.
• The maximum number of characters that can be transmitted in a single line is
512.
