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4 - Introduction to Programming
36
Suffixes and Multipliers
Class
Suffix Unit Unit with Multiplier
Current A ampere MA (milliampere)
Amplitude V volt MV (millivolt)
Time S second MS (millisecond)
Common Multipliers
1E3 K kilo
1E-3 M milli
1E-6 U micro
Response Data Types
Character strings returned by query statements may take either of the following forms, depending on the
length of the returned string:
<CRD>
Character Response Data. Permits the return of character strings.
<AARD>
Arbitrary ASCII Response Data. Permits the return of undelimited 7-bit ASCII. This data type has an
implied message terminator.
<SRD>
String Response Data. Returns string parameters enclosed in double quotes.
SCPI Command Completion
SCPI commands sent to the dc source are processed either sequentially or in parallel. Sequential
commands finish execution before a subsequent command begins. Parallel commands allow other
commands to begin executing while the parallel command is still executing. Commands that affect
trigger actions are among the parallel commands.
Following is a list of parallel commands. A user should use some form of synchronization before
assuming that these commands have completed.
OUTPUT:STATE INITIATE
VOLT OUTPUT:PROTECTION:CLEAR
CURR FUNC:MODE
CURR:LIM VOLT:ALC:BWIDTH
NOTE: The power supply already provides automatic source settling delay for the special case of
VOLT, CURR, or CURR:LIM followed by a measure query, so it is not necessary to use
*WAI before a measure if the only pending operations are in this group.
The *WAI, *OPC, and *OPC? common commands provide different ways of indicating when all
transmitted commands, including any parallel ones, have completed their operations. The syntax and
parameters for these commands are described in chapter 6. Some practical considerations for using these
commands are as follows:
*WAI
This prevents the dc source from processing subsequent commands until all pending
operations are completed.
*OPC?
This places a 1 in the Output Queue when all pending operations have completed.
Because it requires your program to read the returned value before executing the next
program statement, *OPC? can be used to cause the controller to wait for commands to
complete before proceeding with its program.