Tektronix 070-9197-00 User Manual

PS2520G and PS2521G Programmer Manual

This section provides an overview of the commands for the PS2520G
and PS2521G Programmable Power Supplies. This section includes
the following topics:

H A brief introduction to SCPI
H A description of the command syntax
H Instructions on how to enter commands
H A summary of commands by functional group

In addition, the section Command Descriptions on page 19 lists the
commands alphabetically and provides a detailed description for
each command.

The commands for the programmable power supplies are compatible
with IEEE-488.1, IEEE-488.2, and SCPI-1994.0 standards.

SCPI (Standard Commands for Programmable Instruments) is a
standard created by an international consortium of the major
manufacturers of test and measurement equipment. SCPI uses
IEEE-488.2 syntax to provide common commands for the identical
functions of various programmable instruments.

The standard simplifies the task of programming a group of
instruments that use SCPI. Instead of having to learn different
commands for every instrument, the programmer may use the same
commands for the identical functions of each instrument.

The controller sends instructions to the instrument in the form of
commands or queries. Commands modify control settings or tell the
instrument to perform a specific action. Queries cause the instrument
to send data or status information back to the controller. A question
mark at the end of a command identifies it as a query.