Section 13: Introduction to TSP commands
2470 High Voltage SourceMeter Instrument Reference Manual
13-4
2470-901-01 Rev. A /
May
2019
Information on scripting and programming
If you need information about using scripts with your TSP-enabled instrument, see
(on page 13-4).
If you need information about using the Lua programming language with the instrument, see
Fundamentals of programming for TSP
(on page 13-12).
Fundamentals of scripting for TSP
Though it can improve your process to use scripts, you do not have to create scripts to use the
instrument. Most of the examples in the documentation can be run by sending individual command
messages. The next few sections of the documentation describe scripting and programming features
of the instrument. You only need to review this information if you are using scripting and
programming.
Scripting helps you combine commands into a block of code that the instrument can run. Scripts help
you communicate with the instrument more efficiently.
Scripts offer several advantages compared to sending individual commands from the host controller
(computer):
•
Scripts are easier to save, refine, and implement than individual commands.
•
The instrument performs more quickly and efficiently when it processes scripts than it does when
it processes individual commands.
•
You can incorporate features such as looping and branching into scripts.
•
Scripts allow the controller to perform other tasks while the instrument is running a script,
enabling some parallel operation.
•
Scripts eliminate repeated data transfer times from the controller.
In the instrument, the Test Script Processor (TSP
®
) scripting engine processes and runs scripts.
This section describes how to create, load, modify, and run scripts.
What is a script?
A script is a collection of instrument control commands and programming statements. Scripts that you
create are referred to as
user scripts
.
Your scripts can be interactive. Interactive scripts display messages on the front panel of the
instrument that prompt the operator to enter parameters.