Specifications

ZVx Structure and Syntax of the Device Messages
1043.0009.50 3.11 E-15
3.5.3 Structure of a Command Line
A command line may consist of one or several commands. It is terminated by a <New Line>, a <New
Line> with EOI or an EOI together with the last data byte. Quick BASIC automatically produces an EOI
together with the last data byte.
Several commands in a command line are separated by a semicolon ";". If the next command belongs
to a different command system, the semicolon is followed by a colon.
Example:
CALL IBWRT(analyzer%, "SENSe:FREQuency:CENTer 100MHz;:INPut:ATTenuation 10")
This command line contains two commands. The first command is part of the SENSe
system and is used to specify the center frequency of the analyzer. The second command
is part of the INPut system and sets the attenuation of the input signal.
If the successive commands belong to the same system, having one or several levels in common, the
command line can be abbreviated. To this end, the second command after the semicolon starts with the
level that lies below the common levels (see also Fig. 3-1). The colon following the semicolon must be
omitted in this case.
Example:
CALL IBWRT
(analyzer%, "SENSe:FREQuency:STARt 1E6;:SENSe:FREQuency:STOP 1E9")
This command line is represented in its full length and contains two commands separated
from each other by the semicolon. Both commands are part of the SENSe command
system, subsystem FREQuency, i.e. they have two common levels.
When abbreviating the command line, the second command begins with the level below
SENSe:FREQuency. The colon after the semicolon is omitted.
The abbreviated form of the command line reads as follows:
CALL IBWRT(analyzer%, "SENSe:FREQuency:STARt 1E6;STOP 1E9")
However, a new command line always begins with the complete path.
Example: CALL IBWRT(analyzer%, "SENSe:FREQuency:STARt
1E6")
CALL IBWRT(analyzer%, "SENSe:FREQuency:STOP 1E9")
3.5.4 Responses to Queries
A query is defined for each setting command unless explicitly specified otherwise. It is formed by adding
a question mark to the associated setting command. According to SCPI, the responses to queries are
partly subject to stricter rules than in standard IEEE 488.2.
1 The requested parameter is transmitted without header.
Example: DISPlay:FORMat:TRAce:Y:SPACing? Response: LIN
2. Maximum values, minimum values and all further quantities, which are requested via a special text
parameter are returned as numerical values.
Example: SENSe:FREQuency:STOP? MAX Response: 4E9
3. Numerical values are output without a unit. Physical quantities are referred to the basic units or to the
units set using the Unit command.
Example: SENSe:FREQuency:CENTer? Response: 1E6 for 1 MHz
4. Truth values <Boolean values> are returned as 0 (for OFF) and 1 (for ON).
Example: SENSe:BANDwidth:AUTO? Response: 1 for ON
5. Text (character data) is returned in a short form (see also Section 3.5.5).
Example: SYSTem:COMMunicate:SERial:CONTrol:RTS?
Response(for standard): STAN