5 understanding the command structure, 6 program message syntax summary, Understanding the command structure -20 – KEPCO BIT 4886 Operator Manual User Manual

Page 54: Program message syntax summary -20

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4-20

BIT 4886 120413

• carriage return (

<CR>

), ASCII 13 (decimal) or 0D (hex)

• both of the above (

<CR> <NL>

). If both are sent, the second is null and has no effect.

Your GPIB interface card software will automatically send a message terminator. For example,
the HP BASIC OUTPUT statement inserts

<NL>

after the last data byte. When binary data is

exchanged,

<END>

must be used. The combination

<NL><END>

terminator can be used for all

data except binary data.

NOTE: Kepco power modules require a message terminator at the end of each program mes-

sage. The examples shown in this manual assume a message terminator will be added
at the end of each message. Where a message terminator is shown it is represented
as

<NL>

regardless of the actual terminator character.

4.6.5

UNDERSTANDING THE COMMAND STRUCTURE

Understanding the command structure requires an understanding of the subsystem command
tree illustrated in Figure 4-5. The “root” is located at the top left corner of the diagram. The
parser goes to the root if:

• a message terminator is recognized by the parser
• a root specifier is recognized by the parser

Optional keywords are enclosed in brackets [ ] for identification; optional keywords can be
omitted and the power supply will respond as if they were included in the message. The root
level keyword [SOURce] is an optional keyword. Starting at the root, there are various
branches or paths corresponding to the subsystems. The root keywords for the Interface Card
are

:INITiate

,

:MEASure

,

:OUTPut

,

[:SOURce]

,

:STATus

, and

:SYSTem

. Because the

[SOURce]

keyword is optional, the parser moves the path to the next level, so that

VOLTage

,

CURRent

, and

FUNCtion

commands are at the root level.

Each time the parser encounters a keyword separator, the parser moves to the next indented
level of the tree diagram. As an example, the

STATus

branch is a root level branch that has

three sub-branches:

OPERation

,

PRESet

, and

QUEStionable

. The following illustrates how

SCPI code is interpreted by the parser:

STAT:PRES<NL>
The parser returns to the root due to the message terminator.

STAT:OPER?;PRES<NL>
The parser moves one level in from

STAT

. The next command is expected at the level defined

by the colon in front of

OPER?

. Thus you can combine the following message units

STAT:OPER?

and

STAT:PRES;

STAT:OPER:COND?;ENAB 16<NL>
After the

OPER:COND?

message unit, the parser moves in one level from

OPER

, allowing the

abbreviated notation for

STAT:OPER:ENAB

.

4.6.6

PROGRAM MESSAGE SYNTAX SUMMARY

• Common commands begin with an asterisk (*).

• Queries end with a question mark (?).

• Program messages consist of a root keyword and, in some cases, one or more message

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