User`s manual

DEBUG8 : Execute Coupled Commands Within a Coupling Group

Certain SCPI commands are functional coupled or value coupled.

Functionally coupled commands are those that for one command to have

affect, another command must be set to a particular value. Value coupled

commands are those where changing the value of one command, changes

the value of the others.

Coupled commands can cause “Settings conflict” errors when the program

executes. When a coupled command is executed, the command setting is

evaluated by the Command Module’s (or message-based instrument’s)

processor. If the setting causes an illegal digitizer configuration, a "Settings

conflict" error occurs. The error message lists the conflicting settings, and

then reports the values set by the processor.

The "Comments" section of each command reference entry in the

instrument manual usually indicates if a command is coupled, and if it is,

what the coupling constraints are.

How to Execute

Coupled Commands

To prevent possible "Settings conflict" errors, coupled commands must be

contiguous and executed in the same program statement. This is done by

placing the commands in the same program line, or for BASIC programs,

by suppressing the EOL terminator until the last (coupled) command has

been sent.

To send multiple commands in a single line or in a single statement, the

commands are linked with a semicolon (;) and a colon (:). This is illustrated

in the following lines:

OUTP:EXT1:STAT ON;:TRIG:SOUR EXT1;:OUTP:EXT1:STAT OFF

OUTP:EXT1:STAT ON;

:TRIG:SOUR EXT1;

:OUTP:EXT1:STAT OFF

Notice that the semicolon (;) and colon (:) link commands within different

subsystems. Only a semicolon (;) is required to link commands at the same

level within the same subsystem.

6-12 System Programming and Debugging C-Size Configuration Guide