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VM3608A/3616A Programming
23
S
ECTION
3
P
ROGRAMMING
I
NTRODUCTION
The VM3608A/3616A is a VXIbus message-based device whose command set is compliant with
the Standard Command for Programmable Instruments (SCPI) programming language.
All module commands are sent over the VXIbus backplane to the module. Commands may be in
upper, lower, or mixed case. All numbers are sent in ASCII decimal unless otherwise noted.
The module recognizes SCPI commands. SCPI is a tree-structured language based on IEEE-STD-
488.2 Specifications. It utilizes the IEEE-STD-488.2 Standard command, and the device
dependent commands are structured to allow multiple branches off the same trunk to be used
without repeating the trunk. To use this facility, terminate each branch with a semicolon. As an
example,
SLOPe
, and
SOURce
are both branches off the
TRIGger:
trunk and can be combined as
follows:
TRIGger:SLOPe POS;SOURce EXT
The above command is the same as these two commands:
TRIGger:SLOPe POS
TRIGger:SOURce EXT
See the Standard Command for Programmable Instruments (SCPI)
Manual, Volume 1: Syntax &
Style, Section 6
, for more information.
The SCPI commands in this section are listed in upper and lower case. Character case is used to
indicate different forms of the same command. Keywords can have both a short form and a long
form (some commands only have one form). The short form uses just the keyword characters in
uppercase. The long form uses the keyword characters in uppercase plus the keyword characters in
lowercase. Either form is acceptable. Note that there are no intermediate forms. All characters of
the short form or all characters of the long form must be used. Short forms and long forms may be
freely intermixed. The actual commands sent can be in upper case, lower case or mixed case (case
is only used to distinguish short and long form for the user). As an example, these commands are
all correct and all have the same effect:
TRIGger:SOURce EXTernal
trigger:source external
TRIGGER:SOURCE EXTERNAL
TRIG:SOURce EXTernal
TRIG:SOUR EXTernal
TRIG:SOUR EXT
trig:sour EXT
trig:sour ext
Summary of Contents for VM3608A
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Page 6: ...VTI Instruments Corp 6 VM3608A 3616A Preface ...
Page 12: ...VTI Instruments Corp 12 VM3608A 3616A Preface ...
Page 18: ...VTI Instruments Corp 18 VM3608A 3616A Introduction ...
Page 134: ...VTI Instruments Corp 134 VM3608A 3616A Command Dictionary ...