Programming instructions

Programming the Status Register System
Accessing Status Register Information
Chapter 3 105
Accessing Status Register Information
1. Determine which register contains the bit that reports the condition.
2. Send the unique SCPI query that reads that register.
3. Examine the bit to see if the condition has changed.
Determining What to Monitor
You can monitor the following:
• current signal generator hardware and firmware status
• whether a particular condition (bit) has occurred
• when a particular condition (bit) changes
Monitoring Current Signal Generator Hardware and Firmware Status
You can query the condition registers, which continuously monitor status. These registers
represent the current state of the signal generator. Bits in a condition register are updated in
real time. When the condition monitored by a particular bit becomes true, the bit sets to 1.
When the condition becomes false, the bit resets to 0.
Monitoring Whether a Condition (Bit) has Changed
Once you enable a bit with the event enable register, the signal generator monitors that
particular bit. If the bit becomes true in the event register, it stays set until the event register
is cleared. Querying the event register enables you to detect that this condition occurred even
if the condition no longer exists. The event register can be cleared only by querying it or
sending the *CLS command, which clears all event registers.
Monitoring When a Condition (Bit) Changes
Once you enable a bit, the signal generator monitors it for a change in its condition. The
transition registers are preset to register positive transitions (a change going from 0 to 1).
This can be changed so the selected bit is detected if it goes from true to false (negative
transition), or if either transition occurs.