Keysight 3458A User manual

Keysight 3458A
Multimeter
Quick Reference
Guide

2 Keysight 3458A Quick Reference Guide
Contacting Keysight
www.keysight.com/find/assist
(worldwide contact information for
repair and service)
Printing History
The printing history shown below
lists the printing dates of all
editions created for this quick
reference guide. The edition
number changes as the quick
reference guide undergoes
subsequent revisions. Editions are
numbered sequentially starting
with Edition 1. Each new edition
includes a revised copy of this
printing history page.
Edition 1 (P/N 03458-90005):
MAY 1988
Edition 2 (P/N 03458-90008):
DEC. 2000
Edition 3 (P/N 03458-90008):
AUG. 2017
Safety Notices
CAUTION
A CAUTION notice denotes a
hazard. It calls attention to an
operating procedure, practice, or
the like that, if not correctly
performed or adhered to, could
result in damage to the product or
loss of important data. Do not
proceed beyond a CAUTION notice
until the indicated conditions are
fully understood and met.
WARNING
A WARNING notice denotes a
hazard. It calls attention to an
operating procedure, practice, or
the like that, if not correctly
performed or adhered to, could
result in personal injury or
death. Do not proceed beyond a
WARNING notice until the
indicated conditions are fully
understood and met.
2 Keysight 3458A Quick Reference Guide
For further safety information details, refer to the
Keysight 3458A Multimeter User’s Guide.

Contents
Keysight 3458A Quick Reference Guide 3
Keysight 3458A Quick Reference Guide 3
Contents
The Multimeter Language 5
Syntax Rules 6
Commands by Functional Group 8
Power-On/Reset State 11
Command Summary 14
GPIB Command Summary 57

Notes:
4 Keysight 3458A Quick Reference Guide
4 Keysight 3458A Quick Reference Guide
Notes:

The Multimeter Language
Keysight 3458A Quick Reference Guide 5
Keysight 3458A Quick Reference Guide 5
The Multimeter Language
The multimeter uses a language developed
around a core set of commands which can in
themselves satisfy a large number of applications.
The core commands consist of 8 commands plus
the measurement function commands (FUNC,
ACV, DCL etc.). All recent Keysight multimeters
support these 8 commands plus the function
commands that correspond to the capabilities of
the multimeter. The 8 commands are:
The complete command set extends the
multimeter’s capabilities far beyond that of the
above core commands. If compatibility with other
Keysight multimeters is critical for your
applications, you should strive to use only the
core commands and the GPIB commands.
RESET Sets the multimeter to the power-on state
PRESET Sets the multimeter to a convenient starting
point for remote operation
ID? Returns the multimeter's model number
TEST Runs self-test
ERR? Reads the error register
STB? Reads the status register
TRIG Selects the trigger event
NPLC Selects the integration time

Syntax Rules
6 Keysight 3458A Quick Reference Guide
6 Keysight 3458A Quick Reference Guide
Syntax Rules
– Command headers may be entered in upper
or lower case.
– Parameters may be entered in upper case,
lower case, or as a numeric value. Numeric
values can be either integer, floating-point, or
exponential in format. Parameters in
floating-point format are rounded to the
nearest integer if the command requires an
integer. For example, “SUB 2.49” is rounded
down to “SUB 2" and “SUB 2.5” is rounded up
to “SUB 3”.
– Command headers and parameters must be
separated by either a space or a comma.
– You can default a parameter by omitting it or
replacing it with -1 (minus 1). From remote
only, you can use two commas to indicate a
default value.
– The carriage return (cr), line feed (lf),
semicolon (;), or EOI sent concurrent with the
last character indicate the end of message
(command terminator) to the multimeter.
When you send a command from the system
controller in the standard format (e.g.
OUTPUT 722:“TEST”), the controller typically
adds a cr lf to the end of the command. With
its input buffer off (off is the power-on input
buffer mode), the multimeter processes the cr
immediately, but does not process the lf until
the command completes execution. This
means that, because of the lf, the bus is held
and you cannot regain use of the controller
until the multimeter is done executing the

Syntax Rules
Keysight 3458A Quick Reference Guide 7
Keysight 3458A Quick Reference Guide 7
command (or the GPIB CLEAR command is
executed which aborts execution of the
command).
You can prevent the bus from being held by
suppressing the cr lf when sending
commands or by enabling the input buffer
(INBUF ON command). The following program
line shows how to use the # and K image
specifiers to suppress cr If when sending a
multimeter command.
OUTPUT 722 USING “#,K”;“TEST;”
The # and K image specifiers apply to HP
Series 200/300 computers. Refer to your
computer’s operating manual for information
on how your computer suppresses cr lf. The
semicolon following the TEST command
indicates the end of the command to the
multimeter and must be present when you
suppress cr lf.
– Multiple commands, separated by
semicolons. may be sent in one command
string. For example, the following command
string contains 3 multimeter commands.
OUTPUT 722;“TRIG HOLD;DCV 3;NPLC 1”

Commands by Functional Group
8 Keysight 3458A Quick Reference Guide
8 Keysight 3458A Quick Reference Guide
Commands by Functional Group
Measurement
Functions
ACDCI
ACDCV
ACI
ACV
DCI
DCV
DSAC
DSDC
FREQ
FUNC
OHM
OHMF
PER
SSAC
SSDC
Measurement
Related
ACBAND
ARANGE
AZERO
DELAY
FIXEDZ
FSOURCE
LFILTER
OCOMP
PRESET DIG
PRESET FAST
PRESET NORM
RANGE or R
RATIO
SETACV
SSPARM?
TERM
Digitizing
DSAC
DSDC
LEVEL
LFILTER
SLOPE
NRDGS
PRESET DIG
PRESET FAST
SSAC
SSDC
SSPARM?
SSRC
SWEEP
TIMER
Triggering
EXTOUT
LEVEL
LFILTER
NRDGS
SLOPE
SSRC
SWEEP
TARM
TBUFF
TIMER

Commands by Functional Group
Keysight 3458A Quick Reference Guide 9
Keysight 3458A Quick Reference Guide 9
Reading Memory
MCOUNT?
MEM
MFORMAT
MSIZE
RMEM
Program Memory
CALL
COMPRESS
CONT
DELSUB
PAUSE
SCRATCH
SUB
SUBEND
State Memory
PURGE
RSTATE
SCRATCH
SSTATE
A/D Converter
APER
LFREQ
LINE?
NPLC
RES
Status
CSB
RQS
SRQ
STB?
Input/Output
END
INBUF
ISCALE?
OFORMAT
QFORMAT
Errors
AUXERR?
EMASK
ERR?
ERRSTR?
Math
MATH
MMATH
RMATH
SMATH
Keyboard
DEFKEY
LOCK
MENU

Commands by Functional Group
10 Keysight 3458A Quick Reference Guide
10 Keysight 3458A Quick Reference Guide
Bus
ADDRESS
ID?
SRQ
System
BEEP
DEFEAT
EXTOUT
OPT?
PRESET DIG
PRESET FAST
PRESET NORM
GFORMAT
RESET
TONE
Display
DISP
NDIG
Calibration/Test
ACAL
CAL
CAL?
CALNUM?
CALSTR
REV?
SCAL
SECURE
TEMP?
TEST
GPIB
Commands
ABORTIO
CLEAR
LOCAL
LOCAL LOCKOUT
REMOTE
SPOLL
TRIGGER