Agilent Technologies 54600 Series Manual

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Programmer’s Guide
Publication number 54600-97032
April 2001
This guide contains programming in ormation or the ollowing
Agilent oscilloscope models:
54600
54601
54602
54603
54610
54615
54616
For Sa ety in ormation, Warranties, and Regulatory
in ormation, see the pages behind the Index.
© Copyright Agilent Technologies 1995-1996, 2001
All Rights Reserved
Agilent 54600-Series
Oscilloscopes
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Programming the Oscilloscope
When you attach an inter ace module to the rear o the Agilent 54600-
Series Oscilloscopes, the oscilloscope becomes programmable. That is,
you can hook a controller (such as a PC or workstation) to the
oscilloscope, and write programs on that controller to automate
oscilloscope setup and data capture. Both GPIB (also known as
IEEE-488) and RS-232-C inter aces are available.
The ollowing igure shows the basic structure o every program you
will write or the oscilloscope.
Initialize
To ensure consistent, repeatable per ormance, you need to start the
program, controller, and oscilloscope in a known state. Without
correct initialization, your program may run correctly in one instance
and not in another. This might be due to changes made in
con iguration by previous program runs or rom the ront panel o the
oscilloscope.
· Program initialization de ines and initializes variables, allocates
memory, or tests system con iguration.
· Controller initialization ensures that the inter ace to the
oscilloscope (either GPIB or RS-232) is properly setup and ready
or data trans er.
· Oscilloscope initialization sets the channel, trigger, timebase, and
acquisition subsystems or the desired measurement.
ii
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Capture
Once you initialize the oscilloscope, you can begin capturing data or
measurement. Remember that while the oscilloscope is responding to
commands rom the controller, it is not per orming acquisitions. Also,
when you change the oscilloscope con iguration, any data already
captured is most likely invalid.
To collect data, you use the DIGITIZE command. This command
clears the wave orm bu ers and starts the acquisition process.
Acquisition continues until the criteria, such as number o averages,
completion criteria, and number o points is satis ied. Once the
criteria is satis ied, the acquisition process is stopped. The acquired
data is displayed by the oscilloscope, and the captured data can be
measured, stored in memory in the oscilloscope, or trans erred to the
controller or urther analysis. Any additional commands sent while
DIGITIZE is working are bu ered until DIGITIZE is complete.
You could also start the oscilloscope running, then use a wait loop in
your program to ensure that the oscilloscope has completed at least
one acquisition be ore you make a measurement. This is not
recommended, because the needed length o the wait loop may vary,
causing your program to ail. DIGITIZE, on the other hand, ensures
that data capture is complete. Also, DIGITIZE, when complete, stops
the acquisition process, so that all measurements are on displayed
data, not a constantly changing data set.
Analyze
A ter the oscilloscope has completed an acquisition, you can ind out
more about the data, either by using the oscilloscope measurements
or by trans erring the data to the controller or manipulation by your
program. Built-in measurements include IEEE standard parametric
measurements (such as Vpp, requency, pulse width) or the
positioning and reading o voltage and time markers.
Using the WAVEFORM commands, you can trans er the data to your
controller or special analysis, i desired.
iii
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In This Boo
The Agilent 54600-Series Oscilloscopes Programmer’s Guide is your
introduction to programming the Agilent 54600-Series Oscilloscopes using an
instrument controller. This book, with the online Agilent 54600-Series
Oscilloscopes Programmer’s Reference, provides a comprehensive
description o the oscilloscope’s programmatic inter ace. The Programmer’s
Reference is supplied as a Microso t Windows Help ile on a 3.5" diskette.
To program the Agilent 54600-Series Oscilloscope, you need an inter ace
module, such as the Agilent 54650A or 54651A. You also need an instrument
controller that supports either the IEEE-488 or RS-232-C inter ace
standards, and a programming language capable o communicating with these
inter aces. You can also use the Agilent 54655A/56A Test Automation Module
and the Agilent 54658A/59B Measurement/Storage Module.
Chapter 1 gives a general overview o oscilloscope programming.
Chapter 2 shows a simple program, explains its operation, and
discusses considerations or data types.
Chapter 3 discusses the general considerations or programming the
instrument over an GPIB inter ace.
Chapter 4 discusses the general considerations or programming the
instrument over an RS-232-C inter ace.
Chapter 5 describes conventions used in representing syntax o
commands throughout this book and in the online Agilent 54600-Series
Oscilloscopes Programmer’s Reference, and gives an overview o the
command set.
Chapter 6 discusses the oscilloscope status registers and how to use
them in your programs.
Chapter 7 tells how to install the Agilent 54600-Series Oscilloscopes
Programmer’s Reference online help ile in Microso t Windows, and
explains help ile navigation.
Chapter 8 lists all the commands and queries available or
programming the oscilloscope.
iv
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For in ormation on oscilloscope
operation, see the Agilent 54600-Series
Oscilloscopes User and Service Guide.
For in ormation on inter ace
con iguration, see the documentation or
the oscilloscope and the inter ace card
used in your controller ( or example, the
82341C inter ace or IBM PC-compatible
computers).
Programming Getting Started
2
Programming over GPIB
3
Programming over RS-232-C
4
Index
Programming and
Documentation Conventions
5
Status Reporting
6
Installing and Using the
Programmer’s Reference
7
Programmer’s Quick Reference
8
Introduction to Programming
1
v
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vi
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Contents
1 Introduction to Programming
Talking to the Instrument 1–3
Program Message Syntax 1–4
Combining Commands from the Same Subsystem 1–7
uplicate Mnemonics 1–7
Query Command 1–8
Program Header Options 1–9
Program ata Syntax Rules 1–10
Program Message Terminator 1–12
Selecting Multiple Subsystems 1–12
2 Programming Getting Started
Initialization 2–3
Autoscale 2–4
Setting Up the Instrument 2–4
Example Program 2–5
Using the IGitize Command 2–6
Receiving Information from the Instrument 2–8
String Variables 2–9
Numeric Variables 2–10
efinite-Length Block Response ata 2–11
Multiple Queries 2–12
Instrument Status 2–12
3 Programming over GPIB
Interface Capabilities 3–3
Command and data concepts 3–3
Addressing 3–4
Communicating over the bus 3–5
Lockout 3–6
Bus Commands 3–6
4 Programming over RS-232-C
Interface Operation 4–3
Cables 4–3
Contents–1
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Minimum three-wire interface with software protocol 4–4
Extended interface with hardware handshake 4–5
Configuring the Interface 4–7
Interface Capabilities 4–8
Communicating over the RS-232-C bus 4–9
Lockout Command 4–10
5 Programming and Documentation Conventions
Command Set Organization 5–3
The Command Tree 5–6
Truncation Rules 5–10
Infinity Representation 5–11
Sequential and Overlapped Commands 5–11
Response Generation 5–11
Notation Conventions and efinitions 5–12
Program Examples 5–13
6 Status Reporting
Serial Poll 6–6
Installing and Using the Programmer’s Reference
To install the help file under Microsoft Windows 7–3
To get updated help and program files via the Internet 7–4
To start the help file 7–5
To navigate through the help file 7–6
8 Programmer’s Quick Reference
Conventions 8–3
Suffix Multipliers 8–3
Commands and Queries 8–4
Index
Contents
Contents–2
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1
Introduction to Programming
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Introduction to Programming
Chapters 1 and 2 introduce the basics for remote programming of an
oscilloscope. The programming instructions in this manual conform to
the IEEE 488.2 Standard Digital Interface for Programmable
Instrumentation. The programming instructions pro ide the means of
remote control.
To program the Agilent 54600-series oscilloscope you must add either
an GPIB (for example, Agilent 54650A) or RS-232-C (for example,
Agilent 54651A) interface to the rear panel.
You can perform the following basic operations with a controller and
an oscilloscope:
· Set up the instrument.
· Make measurements.
· Get data (wa eform, measurements, configuration) from the
oscilloscope.
· Send information (pixel image, configurations) to the oscilloscope.
Other tasks are accomplished by combining these basic functions.
Languages for Program Examples
The programming examples for individual commands in this manual are written
in Agilent BASIC, C, or SICL C.
1–2
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Talking to the Instrument
Computers acting as controllers communicate with the instrument by
sending and recei ing messages o er a remote interface. Instructions for
programming normally appear as ASCII character strings embedded inside
the output statements of a “host” language a ailable on your controller. The
input statements of the host language are used to read in responses from the
oscilloscope.
For example, Agilent BASIC uses the OUTPUT statement for sending
commands and queries. After a query is sent, the response is usually read in
using the ENTER statement.
Messages are placed on the bus using an output command and passing the
de ice address, program message, and terminator. Passing the de ice address
ensures that the program message is sent to the correct interface and
instrument.
The following Agilent BASIC statement sends a command which sets the
bandwidth limit of channel 1 on:
OUTPUT < device address > ;":CHANNEL1:BWLIMIT ON"<terminator>
The < de ice address > represents the address of the de ice being
programmed. Each of the other parts of the abo e statement are explained in
the following pages.
Introduction to Programming
Talking to the Instrument
1–3
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Program Message Syntax
To program the instrument remotely, you must understand the command
format and structure expected by the instrument. The IEEE 488.2 syntax
rules go ern how indi idual elements such as headers, separators, program
data, and terminators may be grouped together to form complete
instructions. Syntax definitions are also gi en to show how query responses
are formatted. The figure below shows the main syntactical parts of a typical
program statement.
Program Message Syntax
Output Command
The output command is entirely dependent on the programming language.
Throughout this manual, Agilent BASIC is used in most examples of
indi idual commands. If you are using other languages, you will need to find
the equi alents of Agilent BASIC commands like OUTPUT, ENTER, and
CLEAR in order to con ert the examples. The instructions listed in this
manual are always shown between quotation marks in the example programs.
Device Address
The location where the de ice address must be specified is also dependent
on the programming language you are using. In some languages, this may be
specified outside the output command. In Agilent BASIC, this is always
specified after the keyword OUTPUT. The examples in this manual assume
the oscilloscope is at de ice address 707. When writing programs, the address
aries according to how the bus is configured.
Figure 1–1
Introduction to Programming
Program Message Syntax
1–4
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Instructions
Instructions (both commands and queries) normally appear as a string
embedded in a statement of your host language, such as BASIC, Pascal, or C.
The only time a parameter is not meant to be expressed as a string is when
the instruction’s syntax definition specifies <block data>, such as learnstring.
There are only a few instructions which use block data.
Instructions are composed of two main parts:
·
The header, which specifies the command or query to be sent.
·
The program data, which pro ide additional information needed to clarify
the meaning of the instruction.
Instruction Header
The instruction header is one or more mnemonics separated by colons (:)
that represent the operation to be performed by the instrument. The
command tree in chapter 5 illustrates how all the mnemonics can be joined
together to form a complete header (see chapter 5, “Programming and
Documentation Con entions”).
The example in figure 1 is a command. Queries are indicated by adding a
question mark (?) to the end of the header. Many instructions can be used as
either commands or queries, depending on whether or not you ha e included
the question mark. The command and query forms of an instruction usually
ha e different program data. Many queries do not use any program data.
White Space (Separator)
White space is used to separate the instruction header from the program
data. If the instruction does not require any program data parameters, you do
not need to include any white space. In this manual, white space is defined as
one or more spaces. ASCII defines a space to be character 32 (in decimal).
Program Data
Program data are used to clarify the meaning of the command or query. They
pro ide necessary information, such as whether a function should be on or
off, or which wa eform is to be displayed. Each instruction’s syntax definition
shows the program data, as well as the alues they accept. The section
“Program Data Syntax Rules” in this chapter has all of the general rules about
acceptable alues.
When there is more than one data parameter, they are separated by
commas (,). Spaces can be added around the commas to impro e readability.
Introduction to Programming
Program Message Syntax
1–5
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Header Types
There are three types of headers:
·
Simple Command headers.
·
Compound Command headers.
·
Common Command headers.
Simple Command Header Simple command headers contain a single
mnemonic. AUTOSCALE and DIGITIZE are examples of simple
command headers typically used in this instrument. The syntax is:
<program mnemonic><terminator>
Simple command headers must occur at the beginning of a program message;
if not, they must be preceded by a colon.
When program data must be included with the simple command header (for
example, :DIGITIZE CHAN1), white space is added to separate the data from
the header. The syntax is:
<program mnemonic><separator><program data><terminator>
Compound Command Header Compound command headers are a
combination of two program mnemonics. The first mnemonic selects the
subsystem, and the second mnemonic selects the function within that
subsystem. The mnemonics within the compound message are separated
by colons. For example:
To execute a single function within a subsystem:
:<subsystem>:<function><separator><program data><terminator>
(For example :CHANNEL1:BWLIMIT ON)
Common Command Header Common command headers control IEEE
488.2 functions within the instrument (such as clear status). Their
syntax is:
*<command header><terminator>
No space or separator is allowed between the asterisk (*) and the command
header. *CLS is an example of a common command header.
Introduction to Programming
Program Message Syntax
1–6
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Combining Commands from the Same Subsystem
To execute more than one function within the same subsystem a semi-colon
(;) is used to separate the functions:
:<subsystem>:<function><separator><data>;
<function><separator><data><terminator>
(For example :CHANNEL1:COUPLING DC;BWLIMIT ON)
Duplicate Mnemonics
Identical function mnemonics can be used for more than one subsystem. For
example, the function mnemonic RANGE may be used to change the ertical
range or to change the horizontal range:
:CHANNEL1:RANGE .4
sets the ertical range of channel 1 to 0.4 olts full scale.
:TIMEBASE:RANGE 1
sets the horizontal time base to 1 second full scale.
CHANNEL1 and TIMEBASE are subsystem selectors and determine which
range is being modified.
Introduction to Programming
Combining Commands from the Same Subsystem
1–7
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Query Command
Command headers immediately followed by a question mark (?) are queries.
After recei ing a query, the instrument interrogates the requested function
and places the answer in its output queue. The answer remains in the output
queue until it is read or another command is issued. When read, the answer is
transmitted across the bus to the designated listener (typically a controller).
For example, the query :TIMEBASE:RANGE? places the current time base
setting in the output queue. In Agilent BASIC, the controller input statement:
ENTER < device address > ;Range
passes the alue across the bus to the controller and places it in the ariable
Range.
Query commands are used to find out how the instrument is currently
configured. They are also used to get results of measurements made by the
instrument. For example, the command :MEASURE:RISETIME? instructs the
instrument to measure the rise time of your wa eform and places the result
in the output queue.
The output queue must be read before the next program message is sent. For
example, when you send the query :MEASURE:RISETIME? you must follow
that query with an input statement. In Agilent BASIC, this is usually done
with an ENTER statement immediately followed by a ariable name. This
statement reads the result of the query and places the result in a specified
ariable.
Read the Query Result First
Sending another command or query before reading the result of a query causes
the output buffer to be cleared and the current response to be lost. This also
generates a query interrupted error in the error queue.
Introduction to Programming
Query Command
1–8
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Program eader Options
Program headers can be sent using any combination of uppercase or
lowercase ASCII characters. Instrument responses, howe er, are always
returned in uppercase.
Program command and query headers may be sent in either long form
(complete spelling), short form (abbre iated spelling), or any combination of
long form and short form.
TIMEBASE:DELAY 1US - long form
TIM:DEL 1US - short form
Programs written in long form are easily read and are almost
self-documenting. The short form syntax conser es the amount of controller
memory needed for program storage and reduces the amount of I/O acti ity.
Command Syntax Programming Rules
The rules for the short form syntax are shown in chapter 5, “Programming and
Documentation Conventions.”
Introduction to Programming
Program Header Options
1–9
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Program Data Syntax Rules
Program data is used to con ey a ariety of types of parameter information
related to the command header. At least one space must separate the
command header or query header from the program data.
<program mnemonic><separator><data><terminator>
When a program mnemonic or query has multiple program data a comma
separates sequential program data.
<program mnemonic><separator><data>,<data><terminator>
For example, :MEASURE:TVOLT 1.0V,2 has two program data: 1.0V and 2.
There are two main types of program data which are used in commands:
character and numeric program data.
Character Program Data
Character program data is used to con ey parameter information as alpha or
alphanumeric strings. For example, the :TIMEBASE:MODE command can be
set to normal, delayed, XY, or ROLL. The character program data in this case
may be NORMAL, DELAYED, XY, or ROLL. The command
:TIMEBASE:MODE DELAYED sets the time base mode to delayed.
The a ailable mnemonics for character program data are always included
with the instruction’s syntax definition. When sending commands, either the
long form or short form (if one exists) may be used. Upper-case and
lower-case letters may be mixed freely. When recei ing query responses,
upper-case letters are used exclusi ely.
umeric Program Data
Some command headers require program data to be expressed numerically.
For example, :TIMEBASE:RANGE requires the desired full scale range to be
expressed numerically.
For numeric program data, you ha e the option of using exponential notation
or using suffix multipliers to indicate the numeric alue. The following
numbers are all equal:
28 = 0.28E2 = 280e-1 = 28000m = 0.028K = 28e-3K.
When a syntax definition specifies that a number is an integer, that means
that the number should be whole. Any fractional part would be ignored,
truncating the number. Numeric data parameters which accept fractional
alues are called real numbers.
Introduction to Programming
Program Data Syntax Rules
1–10
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All numbers are expected to be strings of ASCII characters. Thus, when
sending the number 9, you would send a byte representing the ASCII code for
the character “9” (which is 57). A three-digit number like 102 would take up
three bytes (ASCII codes 49, 48, and 50). This is taken care of automatically
when you include the entire instruction in a string.
Embedded Strings
Embedded strings contain groups of alphanumeric characters which are
treated as a unit of data by the oscilloscope. For example, the line of text
written to the ad isory line of the instrument with the :SYSTEM:DSP
command:
:SYSTEM:DSP"This is a message."
Embedded strings may be delimited with either single (’) or double (")
quotes. These strings are case-sensiti e and spaces act as legal characters
just like any other character.
Introduction to Programming
Program Data Syntax Rules
1–11
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