B&K Precision 5491B - Manual - Manual (Page 43)

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Chapter 6 SCPI Command Reference
This chapter provides descriptions of all available remote communication commands which correspond
to Standard Commands for Programmable Instruments (SCPI) command sets. Use this chapter as a
reference.
6.1 Command structure
Commands are divided into two types: common commands and SCPI commands. The common
commands are defined in IEEE std. 488.2-1987, and these commands are common for all devices. Not
all commands are supported by the multimeter. The SCPI commands are used to control all of the
meter’s functions. They are tree structured with three levels of depth. (The highest level commands are
called the subsystem commands in this manual.) So the lower level commands are legal only when the
subsystem commands have been selected. A colon (:) is used to separate the higher level commands
and the lower level commands. See Figure 6-1 as an example.
SENSe
RESistance HOLD
RANGe STATe
SENS:RES:RANG 1k SENS:HOLD:STAT ON
AUTO
SENS:RES:RANG:AUTO ON
Figure 6-1 Command Tree Example
6.2 Command Syntax
The information in this section covers the syntax for both common commands and SCPI commands.
6.2.1 Commands and command parameters
Common commands and SCPI commands may or may not require specifying a parameter. The
following are some examples:
*RST No parameter used
:FORMat Parameter required
:IMMediate No parameter used
Commands that require a parameter input must have a space in between the command and the
parameter.