Getting Started

Manual

Conventions

Syntax Specification Form

This manual uses the EBNF (Extended Backus-Naur Form) notation for describ- ing syntax. This notation uses the follow- ing types of symbols:

￿Printable Characters:

Printable characters such as Command headers, etc., are printed just as they are, e.g. period means that you should type the word PERIOD.

The following printable characters have a special meaning and will only be used in that meaning: # ‘ “ () : ; *

Read Chapter 3’ Introduction to SCPI’ for more information.

￿Non-printable Characters:

Two non-printable characters are used:

￿indicates the space character (ASCII code 32).

_ indicates the new line character (ASCII code 10).

￿Specified Expressions: < >

Symbols and expressions that are further specified elsewhere in this manual are placed between the <> signs.

For example <Dec. data.>. The following explanation is found on the same page: “Where <Dec. data> is a four-digit num- ber between 0.1 and 8*10-9.

￿Alternative Expressions Giving Different Result:

Alternative expressions giving different results are separated by . For example, OnOff means that the function may be switched on or off.

￿Grouping: « »

Example: FORMat￿«ASCIIREAL» specifies the command header FORMat followed by a space character and either ASCII or REAL.

￿Optionality: [ ]

An expression placed within [ ] is op- tional.

Example: [:VOLT]:FREQuency

means that the command FREQuency may or may not be preceded by :VOLT.

￿Repetition: { }

An expression placed within { } can be repeated zero or more times.

￿Equality: =

Equality is specified with =

Example: <Separator>= ,

Mnemonic Conventions

￿Truncation Rules

All commands can be truncated to shortforms. The truncation rules are as follows:

The shortform is the first four characters of the command.

If the fourth character in the command is a vowel, then the shortform is the first three characters of the command. This rule is not

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Fluke PM6681R, PM6685R manual Manual Conventions, Syntax Specification Form, Mnemonic Conventions