Remote Control
R&S
®
CMW500
121
User Manual 1173.9463.02 ─ 02
USB connection
A USB connection requires the VISA library to be installed. VISA will detect and configure
the R&S CMW500 automatically when it is plugged to the computer. No separate driver
installation is necessary.
SCPI Compatibility
SCPI (Standard Commands for Programmable Instruments) commands - instrument-
control commands - are used for remote control.
The SCPI standard is based on standard IEEE 488.2 and aims at the standardization of
device-specific commands, error handling and the status registers. The R&S CMW500
is compatible with the final SCPI version 1999.0.
SCPI-confirmed commands are explicitly marked in the command reference chapters.
Commands without SCPI label are device-specific, however, their syntax follows SCPI
rules. The tutorial "Automatic Measurement Control - A tutorial on SCPI and IEEE 488.2"
from John M. Pieper (R&S order number 0002.3536.00) offers detailed information on
concepts and definitions of SCPI.
The requirements that the SCPI standard places on command syntax, error handling and
configuration of the status registers are explained in detail in the following sections.
Reset states for manual and remote control
The R&S CMW500 provides different reset states for manual control (Preset) and remote
control (Reset); see also
Remote control programs should always start from a well-defined initial state (e.g. with
the command *RST) and then implement the required settings in order to keep full control
over the instrument.
6.1.1 Drivers for Graphical Programming Interfaces
Many Rohde & Schwarz customers prefer graphical programming interfaces when writing
applications for the R&S CMW500. Examples for such interfaces are LabVIEW and Lab-
Windows/CVI from National Instruments or VEE from Agilent.
As a service, Rohde & Schwarz provides software device drivers free of charge for this
purpose. The drivers are available for download from the
schwarz.com).
6.1.2 Setting the Device Addresses
The device address identifies the R&S CMW500 in the network or bus system. The
address format depends on the interface and protocol type that is used for the remote
control connection. The various types of device addresses are defined in the "Setup"
dialog, see
Remote Control Operation
