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RF Switch Command Reference 27
Chapter 3
Chapter 3
RF Switch Command Reference
This chapter describes Standard Commands for Programmable
Instruments (SCPI) and summarizes IEEE 488.2 Common (*)
Commands applicable to the E1470A Cascade RF Switch Module.
Command Types
Commands are separated into two types: IEEE 488.2 Common
Commands and SCPI Commands.
Common
Commands Format
The IEEE 488.2 standard defines the Common Commands that perform
functions like reset, self-test, status byte query, etc. Common commands
are four or five characters in length, always begin with the asterisk
character (*), and may include one or more parameters. The command
keyword is separated from the first parameter by a space character.
Some examples of Common Commands are:
*RST *ESR 32 *STB?
SCPI Commands
Format
SCPI commands perform functions like closing switches, querying
instrument states, or retrieving data. A subsystem command structure is
a hierarchical structure that usually consists of a top level (or root)
command, one or more lower level commands, and their parameters.
The following example shows part of a typical subsystem:
[ROUTe:]PATH[:COMMon] <comm>,<channel>
[ROUTe:] is the (optional) root command, PATH is the second level
command, and [:COMMon] is a third level (optional) command.
<comm>,<channel> are command parameters.
Command Separator Acolon(:) always separates one command from the next lower level
command as shown below. Colons separate the root command from the
second level command (ROUTe:PATH) and the second level from the
third level (PATH:COMMon).
ROUTe:PATH:COMMon
Abbreviated Commands The command syntax shows most commands as a mixture of upper and
lower case letters. The upper case letters indicate the abbreviated
spelling for the command. For shorter program lines, send the
abbreviated form. For better program readability, you may send the
entire command. The instrument will accept either the abbreviated form
or the entire command.