User manual

In this section:
Buffer overview ................................................................. 7-1
Front panel operation ........................................................ 7-2
Remote buffer operation ................................................... 7-7
Buffer overview
The Keithley Instruments Series 3700 System Switch/Multimeter uses
synchronous reading acquisitions to take readings for a dynamically-created
reading buffer. The instrument stores the numbered readings that are acquired
during the storage process. Each reading includes reading units with options
that include time stamp and channel information. All routines that return
measurements can return the measurements in a reading buffer. Synchronous
measurements return a single value or both a single value and a reading buffer.
More advanced users can access the additional information stored in the
reading buffer.
You can configure single-point measurement routines to make multiple
measurements where only one would ordinarily be made. Also, the measured
value is not the only component of a reading. The measurement status (for
example, limit or overflow) is also data associated with a particular reading.
Create and configure buffers using the front panel or through a remote interface
using the Instrument Control Library (ICL) commands.
CAUTION Once you create a reading buffer, using that buffer name for
another buffer or variable will cause access to the original data
to be lost.
Reading buffer names are just like any other global variables in the system. For
example, if buf1 is a reading buffer name, then buf1 = 5 will cause the
reading buffer data currently associated with buf1 to be lost and buf1 to equal
5.
NOTE The various instrument operations, including buffer operation, are
performed on the input signal in a specific, predetermined order. For
example, if both REL and MXB (a math operation) are enabled, the
REL operation will always be performed before MXB.
Section 7
Buffer: Data Storage and Retrieval