Boonton 4530 Peak Power Meter User Manual - Manual (Page 110)

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Chapter 4 Boonton Electronics
Remote Operation 4530 Series RF Power Meter
4.5.11 TRACe Data Array Commands
The TRACe group of commands is used to control the output of acquired measurement arrays, which appear as a
display trace when the power meter is in Graph mode. The
TRACe commands allow outputting a channel’s entire trace
(126 measurement points) as one large array, or selecting and returning the array in smaller portions. These commands
are useful for capturing the displayed waveform and importing it into a database on the host.
TRACe:COUNt
Description: Set or return the number of trace points, which will be returned each time the TRACe:DATA?
query is issued. At the completion of each read, INDEX is automatically incremented by
COUNT. If COUNT is set to a number greater than the number of points remaining in the
trace, the array will be truncated. Setting COUNT to 126 (and INDEX to zero each time) will
return the entire trace array. Setting COUNT to zero will return a single point, but does not
increment INDEX, and can be used to repeatedly query the same trace point.
Syntax: TRACe:COUNt <n>
Argument: <n> = 0 to 126
Valid Modes: Any
TRACe:INDEX
Description: Set or return the array index for the first trace point to be returned next time the TRACe:DATA?
query is issued. Index 0 is the start of the trace buffer, and corresponds to the leftmost pixel
on the graph display. Index 125 is the last point, and is the rightmost pixel. Each time a block
of data is read, INDEX is automatically incremented by the COUNT value, so the full array
can be split up into blocks of manageable size and read with successive
TRACe:DATA?
queries. INDEX must be reset to zero for each new trace that is to be dumped, whether or
not all the points have been read.
Syntax: TRACe:INDEX <n>
Argument: <n> = 0 to 125
Valid Modes: Any
TRACe:DATA
Description: Return a comma-delimited array of power points corresponding to all or a portion of the
graph mode display trace for the selected channel. Note that graph mode does not have to
be active to read the trace, and the power points are returned without regard to display
vertical span and center settings. The array will consist of COUNT trace points, beginning
at point number INDEX, up to the last point of the trace (index = 125), and will be returned
in the currently selected units.
Syntax: TRACe[1|2]:DATA?
Returns: P(index), P(index+1), P(index+2).... P(index+count)
Valid Modes: Any