Agilent Technologies E1300B - Manual (Page 17)

1
Instrument
Definition
SCPI-compatible plug-in modules installed in the mainframe are treated as
independent instruments each having a unique secondary GPIB address. As
shown in Figure 1-3, each instrument is assigned a dedicated error queue, input
and output buffers, status registers and, if applicable, dedicated mainframe
memory space for readings or data. An instrument may be composed of a single
plug-in module (such as a counter) or multiple plug-in modules (for a Switchbox
or Scanning Voltmeter Instrument). In addition, the mainframe contains a
built-in instrument called the System Instrument which has a Pacer for timing
external devices. The System Instrument also can control the built-in RS-232, as
well as up to seven optional Agilent E1324A plug-in serial interfaces.
Figure 1-2. Instrument Concept
Getting Started 1-3