Programming the Status Register System

Overview

Overview

NOTE Some of the status bits and register groups only apply to select signal generators with certain options. For more specific information on each exception, refer to the following:

•Standard Operation Condition Register bits (see Table 4- 5 on page 160)

•Baseband Operation Status Group (see page 162)

•Data Questionable Condition Register bits (see Table 4- 7 on page 166)

•Data Questionable Power Condition Register bits (see Table 4- 8 on page 169)

•Data Questionable Frequency Condition Register bits (see Table 4- 9 on page 172)

•Data Questionable Modulation Condition Register bits (see Table 4- 10 on page 175)

•Data Questionable Calibration Condition Register bit (see Table 4- 11 on page 178)

•Data Questionable Bert Status Group (see page 180)

During remote operation, you may need to monitor the status of the signal generator for error conditions or status changes. You can use the signal generator’s status register system to monitor error conditions, or condition changes, or both. In general, the error queue is easier to use than the status registers, but the status registers provide some additional information not found in the error queue. For more information on using the signal generator’s SCPI commands to query the signal generator’s error queue, refer to signal generator’s SCPI command reference guide, to see if any errors have occurred.

The signal generator’s status register system provides two major advantages:

•You can monitor the settling of the signal generator using the settling bit of the Standard Operation Status Group’s condition register.

•You can use the service request (SRQ) interrupt technique to avoid status polling, therefore giving a speed advantage.

The signal generator’s instrument status system provides complete SCPI compliant data structures for reporting instrument status using the register model.

The SCPI register model of the status system has multiple registers that are arranged in a hierarchical order. The lower- priority status registers propagate their data to the higher- priority registers using summary bits. The Status Byte Register is at the top of the hierarchy and contains the status information for lower level registers. The lower level registers monitor specific events or conditions.

The lower level status registers are grouped according to their functionality. For example, the Data Questionable Frequency Status Group consists of five registers. This chapter may refer to a group as a register so that the cumbersome longer description is avoided. For example, the Standard Operation Status Group’s Condition Register can be referred to as the Standard Operation Status register. Refer to “Status Groups” on page 156 for more information.

Figure 4- 1, Figure 4- 2, Figure 4- 3, Figure 4- 4, Figure 4- 5, Figure 4- 6, Figure 4- 7, and Figure 4- 8 shows each signal generator model’s status byte register system and hierarchy.

The status register systems use IEEE 488.2 commands (those beginning with *) to access the higher- level summary registers (refer to the SCPI Reference). Access Lower- level registers by using STATus commands.

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Agilent N518xA, E8663B, E44x8C, and E82x7D Signal Generators Programming Guide

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Agilent Technologies N5181A/82A, N5183A MXG, E8663B manual Overview
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N5183A, N5183A MXG, E8663B, N5181A/82A specifications

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