Agilent Technologies 6631B SCPI Data Formats, Numerical Data Formats, Suffixes and Multipliers

2 - Introduction to Programming

NOTE: All RS-232 response data sent by the dc source is terminated by the ASCII character pair <carriage return><newline>. This differs from GPIB response data which is terminated by the single character <newline> with EOI asserted.

SCPI Data Formats

All data programmed to or returned from the dc source is ASCII. The data may be numerical or character string.

Numerical Data Formats

Symbol

<NR1>

<NR2>

<NR3>

<Nrf>

<Nrf+>

<Bool>

Data Form

Talking Formats

Digits with an implied decimal point assumed at the right of the least-significant digit. Examples: 273

Digits with an explicit decimal point. Example: .0273
Digits with an explicit decimal point and an exponent. Example: 2.73E+2
	Listening Formats
Extended format that includes <NR1>, <NR2> and <NR3>. Examples: 273 273.		2.73E2
Expanded decimal format that includes <NRf> and MIN MAX. Examples: 273		273.

2.73E2 MAX. MIN and MAX are the minimum and maximum limit values that are implicit in the range specification for the parameter.

Boolean Data. Example: 0 1 or ON OFF

Suffixes and Multipliers

Class	Suffix	Unit	Unit with Multiplier
Current	A	ampere	MA (milliampere)
Amplitude	V	volt	MV (millivolt)
Time	S	second	MS (millisecond)

	Common Multipliers
1E3		K	kilo
1E-3		M	milli
1E-6		U	micro

Response Data Types

Character strings returned by query statements may take either of the the following forms, depending on the length of the returned string:

<CRD>	Character Response Data. Permits the return of character strings.
<AARD>	Arbitrary ASCII Response Data. Permits the return of undelimited 7-bit ASCII. This data type
	has an implied message terminator.
<SRD>	String Response Data. Returns string parameters enclosed in double quotes.

16