User`s guide

1-4

Introduction to Programming

Program Message Syntax

To program the instrument remotely, you must understand the command

format and structure expected by the instrument. The IEEE 488.2 syntax rules

govern how individual elements such as headers, separators, program data, and

terminators may be grouped together to form complete instructions. Syntax

definitions are also given to show how query responses are formatted. The

following figure shows the main syntactical parts of a typical program

statement.

Figure 1-1

Program Message Syntax

Output Command

The output command is entirely dependent on the programming language.

Throughout this manual, HPBASIC is used in most examples of individual

commands. If you are using other languages, you will need to find the

equivalents of HP BASIC commands like OUTPUT, ENTER, and CLEAR to

convert the examples. The instructions listed in this manual are always shown

between quotation marks in the example programs.

Device Address

The location where the device address must be specified is also dependent on

the programming language you are using. In some languages, this may be

specified outside the output command. In HP BASIC, this is always specified

after the keyword OUTPUT. The examples in this manual assume the

oscilloscope is at device address 707 . When writing programs, the address

varies according to how the bus is configured.