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Section 4: Introduction to SCPI
Series 2230G Triple-Channel Power Supplies User's Manual
4-2
2230G-900-01 Rev. A / June 2018
Commands to use with the Series 2230G
There are two types of commands you can use when communicating remotely with the Series 2230G:
Common commands and Standard Commands for Programmable Instruments (SCPI) subsystem
commands.
•
Common commands:
These commands are not usually related to specific operation, but to
controlling the instrument overall
.
Example functions are instrument reset, status, and
synchronization.
All common commands consist of a three-letter mnemonic preceded by an asterisk:
*RST
*IDN?
*SRE 8
.
•
Subsystem commands:
These commands perform specific power supply functions. They are
organized in an inverted tree structure with the root at the top. The following figure shows a
portion of a subsystem command tree from which you access the commands located along the
various paths.
Figure 14: Example SCPI command tree
Types of SCPI messages
There are two types of SCPI messages:
•
Program messages:
A program message consists of one or more properly formatted SCPI
commands sent from the controller to the power supply. The message, which may be sent at any
time, instructs the power supply to perform some action.
•
Response message:
A response message consists of data in a specific SCPI format sent from
the power supply to the controller. The power supply sends the message only when commanded
by a program message called a "query."