Agilent Technologies 66312A Operating instructions

Programming Guide
Dynamic Measurement DC Source
Agilent Models 66312A, 66332A
System DC Power Supply
Agilent Models 6631B, 6632B, 6633B, 6634B
6611C, 6612C, 6613C, 6614C
Agilent Part No. 5962-8198 Printed in U.S.A.
Microfiche No 5962-8199 January, 2000

2
Safety Guidelines
The beginning of the Operating Guide has a Safety Summary page. Be sure you are familiar with the
information on this page before programming the dc source for operation from a controller.
Printing History
The edition and current revision of this manual are indicated below. Reprints of this guide containing minor
corrections and updates may have the same printing date. Revised editions are identified by a new
printing date. A revised edition incorporates all new or corrected material since the previous printing date.
Changes to the manual occurring between revisions are covered by change sheets shipped with the
guide.
This document contains proprietary information protected by copyright. All rights are reserved. No part of
this document may be photocopied, reproduced, or translated into another language without the prior
consent of Agilent Technologies. The information contained in this document is subject to change without
notice.
Copyright 1997 Agilent Technologies Edition 1 November, 1997
Update 1 December, 1998
Update 2 January, 2000

3
Table of Contents
Safety Guidelines 2
Printing History 2
Table of Contents 3
1 - GENERAL INFORMATION 7
About this Guide 7
Documentation Summary 7
External References 8
GPIB References 8
SCPI References 8
2 - INTRODUCTION TO PROGRAMMING 9
VXIplug&play Power Products Instrument Drivers 9
Supported Applications 9
System Requirements 9
Downloading and Installing the Driver 9
Accessing Online Help 10
GPIB Capabilities of the DC Source 10
GPIB Address 10
RS-232 Capabilities of the DC Source 10
RS-232 Data Format 10
RS-232 Flow Control 11
RS-232 Programming Example 11
RS-232 Troubleshooting 12
Introduction to SCPI 12
Conventions Used in This Guide 12
Types of SCPI Commands 13
Multiple Commands in a Message 13
Moving Among Subsystems 14
Including Common Commands 14
Using Queries 14
Types of SCPI Messages 14
The Message Unit 15
Headers 15
Query Indicator 15
Message Unit Separator 15
Root Specifier 15
Message Terminator 15
SCPI Data Formats 16
Numerical Data Formats 16
Suffixes and Multipliers 16
Response Data Types 16
SCPI Command Completion 17
Using Device Clear 17
3 - PROGRAMMING THE DC SOURCE 19
Introduction 19
Programming the Output 19
Power-on Initialization 19
Enabling the Output 19
Output Voltage 20
Output Current 20
Triggering Output Changes 21
SCPI Triggering Nomenclature 21

4
Output Trigger System Model 21
Setting the Voltage or Current Trigger Levels 21
Initiating the Output Trigger System 22
Generating Triggers 22
Making Measurements 23
Voltage and Current Measurements 23
Internally Triggered Measurements 25
SCPI Triggering Nomenclature 25
Measurement Trigger System Model 25
Initiating the Measurement Trigger System (Agilent 66312A, 66332A Only) 25
Selecting the Measurement Trigger Source (Agilent 66312A, 66332A Only) 26
Generating Measurement Triggers (Agilent 66312A, 66332A Only) 26
Measuring Output Pulses (Agilent 66312A, 66332A Only) 28
Current Detector 28
Pulse Measurement Queries 28
Controlling Measurement Samples 29
Varying the Voltage or Current Sampling Rate 29
Multiple Measurements (Agilent 66312A, 66332A Only) 29
Pre-event and Post-event Triggering (Agilent 66312A, 66332A Only) 30
Pulse Measurement Example (Agilent 66312A, 66332A only) 30
Programming the Status Registers 32
Power-On Conditions 32
Operation Status Group 33
Questionable Status Group 34
Standard Event Status Group 34
Status Byte Register 34
Determining the Cause of a Service Interrupt 35
Servicing Operation Status and Questionable Status Events 35
Monitoring Both Phases of a Status Transition 36
Inhibit/Fault Indicator 36
Remote Inhibit (RI) 36
Discrete Fault Indicator (DFI) 36
Using the Inhibit/Fault Port as a Digital I/O 37
DFI Programming Example 37
4 - LANGUAGE DICTIONARY 39
Introduction 39
Subsystem Commands 39
Common Commands 43
Programming Parameters 43
Calibration Commands 44
CALibrate:CURRent 44
CALibrate:CURRent:NEGative 44
CALibrate:CURRent:MEASure:LOWRange 44
CALibrate:CURRent:MEASure:AC 44
CALibrate:DATA 45
CALibrate:LEVel 45
CALibrate:PASSword 45
CALibrate:SAVE 45
CALibrate:STATe 46
CALibrate:VOLTage 46
CALibrate:VOLTage:PROTection 46
Measurement Commands 47
MEASure:ARRay:CURRent? FETCh:ARRay:CURRent? 47
MEASure:ARRay:VOLTage? FETCh:ARRay:VOLTage? 47

5
MEASure:CURRent? FETCh:CURRent? 48
MEASure:CURRent:ACDC? FETCh:CURRent:ACDC? 48
MEASure:CURRent:HIGH? FETCh:CURRent:HIGH? 48
MEASure:CURRent:LOW? FETCh:CURRent:LOW? 49
MEASure:CURRent:MAXimum? FETCh:CURRent: MAXimum? 49
MEASure:CURRent:MINimum? FETCh:CURRent:MINimum? 49
MEASure:VOLTage? FETCh:VOLTage? 50
MEASure:VOLTage:ACDC? FETCh:VOLTage:ACDC? 50
MEASure:VOLTage:HIGH? FETCh:VOLTage:HIGH? 50
MEASure:VOLTage:LOW? FETCh:VOLTage:LOW? 51
MEASure:VOLTage:MAXimum? FETCh:VOLTage:MAXimum? 51
MEASure:VOLTage:MINimum? FETCh:VOLTage:MINimum? 51
SENSe:CURRent:RANGe 52
SENSe:CURRent:DETector 52
SENSe:FUNCtion 53
SENSe:SWEep:OFFSet:POINts 53
SENSe:SWEep:POINts 53
SENSe:SWEep:TINTerval 53
SENSe:WINDow 54
Output Commands 55
OUTPut 55
OUTPut:DFI 55
OUTPut:DFI:SOURce 55
OUTPut:PON:STATe 56
OUTPut:PROTection:CLEar 56
OUTPut:PROTection:DELay 56
OUTPut:RELay 57
OUTPut:RELay:POLarity 57
OUTPut:RI:MODE 57
[SOURce:]CURRent 58
[SOURce:]CURRent:TRIGger 58
[SOURce:]CURRent:PROTection:STATe 58
[SOURce:]DIGital:DATA 59
[SOURce:]DIGital:FUNCtion 59
[SOURce:]VOLTage:ALC:BANDwidth? [SOURce:]VOLTage:ALC:BWIDth? 60
[SOURce:]VOLTage:TRIGger 60
[SOURce:]VOLTage:PROTection 60
Status Commands 61
STATus:PRESet 61
STATus:OPERation? 61
STATus:OPERation:CONDition? 61
STATus:OPERation:ENABle 62
STATus:OPERation:NTR STATus:OPERation:PTR 62
STATus:QUEStionable? 63
STATus:QUEStionable:CONDition? 63
STATus:QUEStionable:ENABle 63
STATus:QUEStionable:NTR STATus:QUEStionable:PTR 64
*CLS 64
*ESE 65
*ESR? 65
*OPC 65
*PSC 66
*SRE 66
*STB? 67
*WAI 67

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System Commands 68
DISPlay 68
DISPlay:MODE 68
DISPlay:TEXT 68
SYSTem:ERRor? 69
SYSTem:LANGuage 69
SYSTem:VERSion? 69
SYSTem:LOCal 70
SYSTem:REMote 70
SYSTem:RWLock 70
*IDN? 70
*OPT? 71
*RCL 71
*RST 71
*SAV 72
*TST? 72
Trigger Commands 73
ABORt 73
INITiate:SEQuence INITiate:NAME 73
INITiate:CONTinuous:SEQuence1 INITiate:CONTinuous:NAME 73
TRIGger 74
TRIGger:SOURce 74
TRIGger:SEQuence2 TRIGger:ACQuire 74
TRIGger:SEQuence2:COUNt:CURRent TRIGger:ACQuire:COUNt:CURRent 75
TRIGger:SEQuence2:COUNt:VOLTage TRIGger:ACQuire:COUNt:VOLTage 75
TRIGger:SEQuence2:HYSTeresis:CURRent TRIGger:ACQuire:HYSTeresis:CURRent 76
TRIGger:SEQuence2:HYSTeresis:VOLTage TRIGger:ACQuire:HYSTeresis:VOLTage 76
TRIGger:SEQuence2:LEVel:CURRent TRIGger:ACQuire:LEVel:CURRent 77
TRIGger:SEQuence2:LEVel:VOLTage TRIGger:ACQuire:LEVel:VOLTage 77
TRIGger:SEQuence2:SLOPe:CURRent TRIGger:ACQuire:SLOPe:CURRent 78
TRIGger:SEQuence2:SLOPe:VOLTage TRIGger:ACQuire:SLOPe:VOLTage 78
TRIGger:SEQuence2:SOURce TRIGger:ACQuire:SOURce 79
TRIGger:SEQuence1:DEFine TRIGger:SEQuence2:DEFine 79
*TRG 79
A - SCPI CONFORMANCE INFORMATION 81
SCPI Version 81
SCPI Confirmed Commands 81
Non-SCPI Commands 81
B - COMPATIBILITY LANGUAGE 83
Introduction 83
C - ERROR MESSAGES 89
Error Number List 89
D - EXAMPLE PROGRAMS 93
Introduction 93
Assigning the GPIB Address in Programs 93
Types of DOS Drivers 93
Error Handling 94
BASIC Controllers 94
Example 1. HP Vectra PC Controller Using Agilent 82335 Interface 94
Example 2. IBM Controller Using National Interface 96
Example 3. Controller Using BASIC 98
INDEX 99

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1
General Information
About this Guide
This guide provides remote programming information for the following series of GPIB programmable dc
power supplies:
• Agilent 66312A
• Agilent 66332A
• Agilent 6631B/6632B/6633B/6634B
• Agilent 6611C/6612C/6613C/6614C
You will find the following information in the rest of this guide:
Chapter 1 Introduction to this guide.
Chapter 2 Introduction to SCPI messages structure, syntax, and data formats. Examples of SCPI
programs
Chapter 3 Introducton to Programming the dc source with SCPI commands.
Chapter 4 Dictionary of SCPI commands.
Appendix A SCPI conformance information.
Appendix B Use of the alternate Comptibility programming language.
Appendix C Error messages
Documentation Summary
The following documents that are related to this Programming Guide have additional helpful information
for using the dc source.
♦ User’s Guide for Agilent 66312A and Agilent 6611C/6612C/6613C/3314C. Includes specifications
and supplemental characteristics, how to use the front panel, how to connect to the instrument,
and calibration procedures.
♦ User’s Guide for Agilent 66332A and Agilent 6631B/6632B/6633B/6634B. Includes specifications
and supplemental characteristics, how to use the front panel, how to connect to the instrument,
and calibration procedures.

1 - General Information
8
External References
GPIB References
The most important GPIB documents are your controller programming manuals - BASIC, GPIB Command
Library for MS DOS, etc. Refer to these for all non-SCPI commands (for example: Local Lockout).
The following are two formal documents concerning the GPIB interface:
♦
ANSI/IEEE Std. 488.1-1987 IEEE Standard Digital Interface for Programmable Instrumentation .
Defines the technical details of the GPIB interface. While much of the information is beyond the
need of most programmers, it can serve to clarify terms used in this guide and in related
documents.
♦
ANSI/IEEE Std. 488.2-1987 IEEE Standard Codes, Formats, Protocols, and Common
Commands
. Recommended as a reference only if you intend to do fairly sophisticated
programming. Helpful for finding precise definitions of certain types of SCPI message formats,
data types, or common commands.
The above two documents are available from the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers),
345 East 47th Street, New York, NY 10017, USA. The WEB address is www.ieee.org.
SCPI References
The following documents will assist you with programming in SCPI:
♦
Standard Commands for Programmable Instruments Volume 1, Syntax and Style
♦ Standard Commands for Programmable Instruments Volume 2, Command References
♦ Standard Commands for Programmable Instruments Volume 3, Data Interchange Format
♦ Standard Commands for Programmable Instruments Volume 4, Instrument Classes
To obtain a copy of the above documents, contact: Fred Bode, Executive Director, SCPI Consortium,
8380 Hercules Drive, Suite P3, Ls Mesa, CA 91942, USA

9
2
Introduction to Programming
VXI plug&play Power Products Instrument Drivers
VXI plug&play instrument drivers for Microsoft Windows 95 and Windows NT are now available on the
Web at http://www.agilent.com/find/drivers. These instrument drivers provide a high-level programming
interface to your Agilent Technologies instrument. VXI
plug&play instrument drivers are an alternative to
programming your instrument with SCPI command strings. Because the instrument driver’s function
calls work together on top of the VISA I/O library, a single instrument driver can be used with multiple
application environments.
Supported Applications
ñAgilent VEE
ñMicrosoft Visual BASIC
ñMicrosoft Visual C/C++
ñBorland C/C++
ñNational Instruments LabVIEW
ñNational Instruments LabWindows/CVI
System Requirements
The VXI plug&play Power Products instrument driver complies with the following:
ñMicrosoft Windows 95
ñMicrosoft Windows NT 4.0
ñHP VISA revision F.01.02
ñNational Instruments VISA 1.1
Downloading and Installing the Driver
NOTE: Before installing the VXIplug&play instrument driver, make sure that you have one of the
supported applications installed and running on your computer.
1.Access Agilent Technologies’ Web site at http://www.agilent.com/find/drivers.
2. Select the instrument for which you need the driver.
3. Click on the driver, either Windows 95 or Windows NT, and download the executable file to your
pc.
4.Locate the file that you downloaded from the Web. From the Start menu select Run
<path>:\agxxxx.exe - where <path> is the directory path where the file is located, and agxxxx is
the instrument driver that you downloaded .
5.Follow the directions on the screen to install the software. The default installation selections will
work in most cases. The readme.txt file contains product updates or corrections that are not
documented in the on-line help. If you decide to install this file, use any text editor to open and
read it.

2 - Introduction to Programming
10
6.To use the VXI
plug&play instrument driver, follow the directions in the VXI plug&play online help
under “Introduction to Programming”.
Accessing Online Help
A comprehensive online programming reference is provided with the driver. It describes how to get
started using the instrument driver with Agilent VEE, LabVIEW, and LabWindows. It includes complete
descriptions of all function calls as well as example programs in C/C++ and Visual BASIC.
ñTo access the online help when you have chosen the default Vxipnp start folder, click on the Start
button and select Programs | Vxipnp | Agxxxx Help (32-bit).
- where agxxxx is the instrument driver.
GPIB Capabilities of the DC Source
All dc source functions except for setting the GPIB address are programmable over the GPIB. The IEEE
488.2 capabilities of the dc source are listed in the Specifications Table of the User's Guide.
GPIB Address
The dc source operates from an GPIB address that is set from the front panel. To set the GPIB address,
press the Addresskey on the front panel and enter the address using the Entry keys. The GPIB address
is stored in non-volatile memory.
RS-232 Capabilities of the DC Source
The dc source provides an RS-232 programming interface, which is activated by commands located under
the front panel Addresskey. All SCPI and COMPatibility commands are available through RS-232
programming. When the RS-232 interface is selected, the GPIB interface is disabled.
The EIA RS-232 Standard defines the interconnections between Data Terminal Equipment (DTE) and
Data Communications Equipment (DCE). The dc source is designed to be a DTE. It can be connected to
another DTE such as a PC COM port through a null modem cable.
NOTE: The RS-232 settings in your program must match the settings specified in the front panel
Address menu. Press the front panel Address key if you need to change the settings.
RS-232 Data Format
The RS-232 data is a 10-bit word with one start bit and one stop bit. The number of start and stop bits is
not programmable. However, the following parity options are selectable using the front panel Address key:
EVEN Seven data bits with even parity
ODD Seven data bits with odd parity
MARK Seven data bits with mark parity (parity is always true)
SPACE Seven data bits with space parity (parity is always false)
NONE Eight data bits without parity
Parity options are stored in non-volatile memory.