BNC 1105 Universal Counter - Manual (Page 102)

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D. Remote Interface Reference
D.1 Introduction to the SCPI Language
SCPI (Standard Commands for Programmable Instruments) is an
ASCII-based instrument command language designed for test and
measurement instruments. Refer to “Simplified Programming
Overview,” for an introduction to the basic techniques used to program
the universal counter over the remote interface.
SCPI commands are based on a hierarchical structure, also known as a
tree system. In this system, associated commands are grouped together
under a common node or root, thus forming subsystems. A portion of the
SENSE subsystem is shown below to illustrate the tree system.
SENSe:
TOTalize:ARM[:STARt]:SLOPe POSitive|NEGative
PHASe:ARM[:STOP]:SLOPe: POSitive|NEGative
SENSe is the root keyword of the command, TOTalize and PHASe are
second-level keywords, and ARM is third-level keyword. A colon ( : )
separates a command keyword from a lower-level keyword.
Command Format Used in This Manual
The format used to show commands in this manual is shown below:
[:SENSe]:TINTerval:ARM[:STARt]:SLOPe Positive|Negative
The command syntax shows most commands (and some parameters) as
a mixture of upper- and lower-case letters. The upper-case letters
indicate the abbreviated spelling for the command. For shorter program
lines, send the abbreviated form. For better program readability, send
the long form.
For example, in the above syntax statement, SENS and SENSe are both
acceptable forms. You can use upper- or lower-case letters. Therefore,