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6
Introduction to Programming

External References

GPIB References

The most important GPIB documents are your controller programming manuals - BASIC, GPIB
Command Library for MS DOS, etc. Refer to these for all non-SCPI commands (for example: Local
Lockout).
The following are two formal documents concerning the GPIB interface:
♦ ANSI/IEEE Std. 488.1-1987 IEEE Standard Digital Interface for Programmable Instrumentation.
Defines the technical details of the GPIB interface. While much of the information is beyond the
need of most programmers, it can serve to clarify terms used in this guide and in related documents.
♦ ANSI/IEEE Std. 488.2-1987 IEEE Standard Codes, Formats, Protocols, and Common Commands.
Recommended as a reference only if you intend to do fairly sophisticated programming. Helpful for
finding precise definitions of certain types of SCPI message formats, data types, or common
commands.
The above two documents are available from the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers),
345 East 47th Street, New York, NY 10017, USA. The WEB address is www.ieee.org.

SCPI References

The following documents will assist you with programming in SCPI:
♦ Standard Commands for Programmable Instruments Volume 1, Syntax and Style
♦ Standard Commands for Programmable Instruments Volume 2, Command References
♦ Standard Commands for Programmable Instruments Volume 3, Data Interchange Format
♦ Standard Commands for Programmable Instruments Volume 4, Instrument Classes
To obtain a copy of the above documents, contact: Fred Bode, Executive Director, SCPI Consortium,
8380 Hercules Drive, Suite P3, Ls Mesa, CA 91942, USA