Chapter 1

Introduction

This document describes the common commands and the status system used by VXI instruments. The status system is a group of registers that can be used to monitor events, such as when an error occurs or when a reading is available from a specified instrument in your VXI mainframe. Use the SCPI status system commands and IEEE 488.2 common commands described in Chapter 3 of this document to program the status system.

The common commands are used to read and configure the status byte and standard event group registers, while the status commands are used to configure the standard operation status group and questionable data status group registers. See the individual VXI instrument manuals to determine how a specific instrument uses the operation status group and the questionable data status group. If status system commands are not documented, that instrument does not use the registers.

Other common commands are used for general functionality, macros, and synchronization.

Note This document should be placed with your other VXI instrumentation documentation.

Chapter 1

Introduction 5