Section 3: Remote operation
Series 2200 Programmable DC Power Supplies Reference Manual
3-6
2200S-901-01 Rev. C / March 2016
SCPI commands and queries
The power supply uses a command language based on the Standard Commands for Programmable
Instruments (SCPI) standard. The SCPI standard was created by a consortium to provide guidelines
for remote programming of instruments.
These guidelines provide a consistent programming environment for instrument control and data
transfer. This environment uses defined programming messages, instrument responses and data
formats that operate across all SCPI instruments, regardless of manufacturer.
The SCPI language is based on a hierarchical or tree structure that represents a subsystem. The top
level of the tree is the root node; it is followed by one or more lower-level nodes as shown in the
following figure.
Figure 13: Example of SCPI subsystem hierarchy tree
You can create commands and queries from these subsystem hierarchy trees. Commands specify
actions for the instrument to perform. Queries return measurement data and information about
parameter settings.
Message terminators
This manual uses the term <EOM> (End of message) to represent a message terminator.
USB end of message (EOM) terminators.
See the USB Test and Measurement Class Specification (USBTMC) section 3.2.1 for details. The
power supply terminates messages by setting the EOM bit in the USB header of the last transfer of a
message to the host (USBTMC Specification section 3.3.1), and by terminating messages with a LF.
When receiving, the power supply expects a LF and an asserted EOM bit as a message terminator.
