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.
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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.
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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.
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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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