CommandA colon (:) always separates one command from the next lower level command as
Separatorshown below:

 

CALibration:SECure:STATe?

Abbreviated CommandsImplied Commands
Colons separate the root command from the second level command(CALibration:SECure) and the second level from the third level (SECure:STATe?).

The command syntax shows most commands as a mixture of upper and lower case letters. The upper case letters indicate the abbreviated spelling for the command. For shorter program lines, send the abbreviated form. For better program readability, you may send the entire command. The instrument will accept either the abbreviated form or the entire command.

For example, if the command syntax shows MEASure, then MEAS and MEASURE are both acceptable forms. Other forms of MEASure, such as MEASU or MEASUR will generate an error. Additionally, SCPI commands are case insensitive. Therefore, you may use upper or lower case letters and commands of the form MEASURE, measure, and MeAsUrE are all acceptable.

Implied commands are those which appear in square brackets ([ ]) in the command syntax. (Note that the brackets are not part of the command; do not send them to the instrument.) Suppose you send a second level command but do not send the preceding implied command. In this case, the instrument assumes you intend to use the implied command and it responds as if you had sent it. Examine the partial [SENSe:] subsystem shown below:

[SENSe:]

FUNCtion “<function>” (e.g., <function> = VOLT:AC) FUNCtion?

RESistance

:RANGe <range>MINMAX :RANGe? [MINMAX]

The root command SENSe is an implied command. For example, to set the multimeter’s function to AC volts, you can send either of the following command statements:

SENS:FUNC “VOLT:AC”

or FUNC “VOLT:AC”

68 Multimeter Command Reference

Chapter 3