Agilent Technologies E1300B, E1301B Controlling Instruments Using Gpib, Programming Hints

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.

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