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Chapter 6
Controlling Instruments Using GPIB
About this Chapter This chapter shows how to control instruments in the mainframe from an
external computer using IEEE 488.2 Common Commands and the GPIB
interface. This includes how to monitor instrument status, interrupt the
computer, and synchronize one or more instruments to an external computer.
Command references for the supported IEEE 488.2 Common Commands and
IEEE 488.2 GPIB Messages are located near the end of this chapter. This
chapter contains the following sections:
• Programming Hints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
• Instrument Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
• Clearing Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-10
• Interrupting the External Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-10
• Synchronizing an External Computer and Instruments. . . . . . 6-12
Note Examples that require showing a computer language are written for HP 9000
Series 200/300 Computers using BASIC language.
1
Programming Hints • Only one instrument in the mainframe can be the addressed listener (i.e.,
receiving commands) on the GPIB at any one time.
• After executing a query command (any command that generates data),
do not attempt to execute another command until you have read the data
generated by the query command. Doing so causes the -410: Query
INTERRUPTED error. You can however, send a command following a
query command if they are combined in the same command string (joined
by semicolon and colon).
• Instruments in the mainframe have 128 character input buffers. Do not
send a command string containing a query command that is longer than
128 characters. Doing so may cause a deadlock situation which can only
be resolved by setting a timeout on the computer’s enter statements and
then reading the error(s) after the timeout occurs.
Controlling Instruments Using GPIB 6-1