Keysight E8402A, E8404A C-Size MainframesUser and Service Guide453 Programming the EnhancedMonitorThis chapter explains how to program the enhanced monitor of the KeysightE8402A and E8404A VXI mainframes including:– Complete C language program examples– Complete SCPI Command Reference– Complete IEEE 488.2 Common Command ReferenceUnderstanding SCPI CommandsCommands are separated into two types: IEEE 488.2 Common Commands andSCPI Commands.Common Command FormatThe IEEE 488.2 standard defines the Common commands that perform functionslike reset, self-test, status byte query, etc. Common commands are four or fivecharacters in length, always begin with the asterisk character (*), and mayinclude one or more parameters. The command keyword is separated from thefirst parameter by a space character. Some examples of Common commands areshown below:*RST *ESR 32 *STB? *TST?SCPI Command FormatThe SCPI commands perform functions like setting parameters, makingmeasurements, and querying instrument states or retrieving data. A subsystemcommand structure is a hierarchical structure that usually consists of a top level(or root) command, one or more lower-level commands, and their parameters.The following example shows part of a typical subsystem::DISPlay[:WINDow] [:WINDow]?:TEXT[:DATA] <string>[:DATA]?:DISPlay is the root command, [:WINDow] is a second-level command withparameter.
