California Instruments 1251RP User and Programming Manual TEL:

Copyright 1997,1998,1999, 2000,2001

by California Instruments.

All rights reserved.

801RP / 1251RP Series AC Power

Source

User and Programming Manual

Revision L

October 2001

P/N 5003-960

TEL: [phone]

FAX: [phone]

Email: [e-mail]

Web Site: http://www.calinst.com

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

User's Manual
AC Power Source
California Instruments
Models :

• 801RP

• 1251RP

Copyright 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 California Instruments, Rev L October 2001

RP Series October 2001 i

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

SAFETY SUMMARY

This power source contains high voltage and current circuits which are potentially
lethal. Because of its size and weight, electrical and mechanical stability must be
ensured. The following safety guidelines must be followed when operating or servicing
this equipment. These guidelines are not a substitute for vigilance and common sense.
California Instruments assumes no liability for the customer's failure to comply with
these requirements.

APPLYING POWER AND GROUNDING

Verify the correct voltage is applied to the unit (100 to 240 VAC Nominal). Verify that the input power
cord is plugged into a properly grounded utility outlet.

FUSES

Use only fuses of the specified current, voltage, and protection speed.
Do not short out the fuse holder or use a repaired fuse.
The 801RP/1251RP unit uses a North American ferrule type fuse rated at 15A and 250Volts.
(Fast Acting)

DO NOT OPERATE IN A VOLATILE ATMOSPHERE

Do not operate the power source in the presence of flammable gases or fumes. This product is
designed to operate in a controlled environment. Do no expose to rain or snow.

DO NOT TOUCH ENERGIZED CIRCUITS

Disconnect the power cable before servicing this equipment. Even with the power cable
disconnected, high voltage can still exist on some circuits. Discharge these voltages before
servicing. Only qualified service personnel may remove covers, replace components or make
adjustments.

DO NOT SERVICE ALONE

Do not remove covers, replace components, or make adjustments unless another person, who
can administer first aid, is present.

DO NOT EXCEED INPUT RATINGS

Do not exceed the rated input voltage or frequency. Additional hazards may be introduced
because of component failure or improper operation.

DO NOT MODIFY INSTRUMENT OR SUBSTITUTE PARTS

Do not modify this instrument or substitute parts. Additional hazards may be introduced because
of component failure or improper operation.

MOVING THE POWER SOURCE

When moving the power source, observe the following:

1. Remove all AC power to unit.

2. Use two people to prevent injury.

SURFACE STABILITY

1. Operate the power source only on a level surface.

ii October 2001 RP Series

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

WARRANTY INFORMATION

CALIFORNIA INSTRUMENTS CORPORATION warrants each instrument manufactured by them to
be free from defects in material and workmanship for a period of one year from the date of shipment
to the original purchaser. Excepted from this warranty are fuses and batteries that carry the
warranty of their original manufacturer where applicable. CALIFORNIA INSTRUMENTS will service,
replace, or adjust any defective part or parts, free of charge, when the instrument is returned freight
prepaid, and when examination reveals that the fault has not occurred because of misuse, abnormal
conditions of operation, user modification, or attempted user repair. Equipment repaired beyond the
effective date of warranty or when abnormal usage has occurred will be charged at applicable rates.
CALIFORNIA INSTRUMENTS will submit an estimate for such charges before commencing repair, if
so requested.

SERVICE PROCEDURE

If a fault develops, notify CALIFORNIA INSTRUMENTS at [e-mail] or its local
representative, giving full details of the difficulty, including the model number and serial number. On
receipt of this information, service information or a Return Material Authorization (RMA) number will
be given. Add the RMA number furnished to the shipping label. Pack the instrument carefully to
prevent transportation damage, affix label to shipping container, and ship freight prepaid to the
factory. CALIFORNIA INSTRUMENTS shall not be responsible for repair of damage due to improper
handling or packing. Instruments returned without RMA No. or freight collect may be refused at
California Instruments discretion. Instruments repaired under Warranty will be returned either via
prepaid surface freight or low cost airfreight at California Instruments discretion. Instruments
repaired outside the Warranty period will be returned freight collect, Ex Works CALIFORNIA
INSTRUMENTS 9689 Towne Centre Drive, San Diego, CA 92121-1964. If requested, an estimate
of repair charges will be made before work begins on repairs not covered by the Warranty.

DAMAGE IN TRANSIT

The instrument should be tested when it is received. If it fails to operate properly, or is damaged in
any way, a claim should be filed immediately with the carrier. The claim agent should obtain a full
report of the damage, and a copy of this report should be forwarded to us by fax or email (Fax: 858
677 0940, Email: [e-mail]). CALIFORNIA INSTRUMENTS will prepare an estimate of
repair cost and repair the instrument when authorized by the claim agent. Please include model
number and serial number when referring to the instrument.

SPARE PARTS

To order spare parts, user manuals, or determine the correct replacement part for your California
Instruments products, please contact the Customer Service department by phone at + 1 858 677
9040, press 2 or by email [e-mail].

RP Series October 2001 iii

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

Table of Contents

1. Introduction............................................................................................................................................................1

1.1. General Description.....................................................................................................................................1

2. Specifications........................................................................................................................................................3

2.1. Electrical.......................................................................................................................................................3

2.2. Mechanical....................................................................................................................................................6

2.3. Environmental...............................................................................................................................................7

2.4. Regulatory....................................................................................................................................................7

2.5. Front Panel Controls....................................................................................................................................7

2.6. Available Options.........................................................................................................................................8

3. Unpacking and Installation....................................................................................................................................9

3.1. Unpacking.....................................................................................................................................................9

3.2. Power Requirements...................................................................................................................................9

3.3. Mechanical Installation.................................................................................................................................9

3.4. Input Wiring..................................................................................................................................................9

3.5. Output Connections...................................................................................................................................10

3.6. Output Voltage Ranges.............................................................................................................................10

3.7. Functional Test...........................................................................................................................................10

4. Front Panel Operation........................................................................................................................................13

4.1. Front Panel Guided Tour...........................................................................................................................13

4.2. How to.........................................................................................................................................................16

5. Principle of Operation.........................................................................................................................................19

5.1. General.......................................................................................................................................................19

5.2. Overall Description....................................................................................................................................19

5.3. Power Factor Correction Module (PFC)...................................................................................................20

5.4. DC - DC Converter Module.......................................................................................................................20

5.5. Oscillator Control Board............................................................................................................................21

5.6. DC to AC Power Module...........................................................................................................................22

5.7. IEEE 488/ RS232......................................................................................................................................22

6. Calibration............................................................................................................................................................25

6.1. Calibration Equipment...............................................................................................................................25

6.2. Routine Calibration.....................................................................................................................................25

6.3. Non-Routine Calibration.............................................................................................................................28

7. Service.................................................................................................................................................................31

7.1. General.......................................................................................................................................................31

7.2. Basic Operation.........................................................................................................................................31

7.3. Advanced Troubleshooting.......................................................................................................................33

8. Introduction to PGUI/PGUI32............................................................................................................................37

8.1. About This Program...................................................................................................................................37

8.2. About This Section of the Manual.............................................................................................................37

8.3. Program Requirements.............................................................................................................................37

8.4. RS232C Cable Wiring...............................................................................................................................38

9. PGUIPGUI32 Setup and Installation.................................................................................................................39

9.1. Connecting the AC Source to the PC When Using RS232....................................................................39

9.2. Connecting the AC Source to the PC Using IEEE-488..........................................................................39

9.3. Installing the PGUI Software.....................................................................................................................39

9.4. Trouble Shooting - RS232C.....................................................................................................................40

9.5. Installed Files.............................................................................................................................................44

9.6. Software Registration................................................................................................................................44

10. Top Assembly Replaceable Parts....................................................................................................................45

iv October 2001 RP Series

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

11. Introduction to SCPI..........................................................................................................................................46

11.1.Conventions Used in This Manual.............................................................................................................46

11.2.The SCPI Commands and Messages.....................................................................................................46

11.3.Using Queries ............................................................................................................................................49

11.4.Structure of a SCPI Message...................................................................................................................49

11.5.SCPI Data Formats ...................................................................................................................................52

12. System Considerations .....................................................................................................................................54

12.1.IEEE Interface ...........................................................................................................................................54

12.2.RS232C Interface......................................................................................................................................54

13. SCPI Command Reference..............................................................................................................................58

13.1.Introduction.................................................................................................................................................58

13.2.Subsystem Commands.............................................................................................................................58

13.3.System Commands...................................................................................................................................65

13.4.Common Commands................................................................................................................................68

14. Programming Examples....................................................................................................................................74

14.1.Introduction.................................................................................................................................................74

14.2.Programming the Output...........................................................................................................................74

14.3.Making Measurements...............................................................................................................................75

15. Status Registers.................................................................................................................................................76

15.1.Power-On Conditions ................................................................................................................................76

15.2.Standard Event Status Group ...................................................................................................................77

15.3.Status Byte Register..................................................................................................................................77

15.4.Examples....................................................................................................................................................78

Appendix A:SCPI Command tree.............................................................................................................................79

Appendix B:SCPI Conformance Information...........................................................................................................80

Appendix C:Error Messages.....................................................................................................................................81

Index............................................................................................................................................................................82

RP Series October 2001 v

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

List of Figures

Figure 3-1: The 801RP/1251RP AC Power Source .................................................................................................9

Figure 3-2: Rear Panel View......................................................................................................................................10

Figure 3-3: Functional test setup...............................................................................................................................12

Figure 4-1: Front panel view.....................................................................................................................................13

Figure 4-2: Shuttle Knob............................................................................................................................................15

Figure 5-1: AC Source block diagram ......................................................................................................................19

Figure 5-2: Oscillator and controls ............................................................................................................................21

Figure 6-1: Test Equipment Hookup for Routine Output Calibration......................................................................26

Figure 6-2: Test Equipment Hook-up for Measurement Calibration.......................................................................27

Figure 6-3: Location of Internal Adjustments ...........................................................................................................29

Figure 8-1: RS232C Cable Wiring............................................................................................................................38

Figure 9-1: System Properties Dialog Box...............................................................................................................42

Figure 9-2: Advanced Port Settings Dialog Box......................................................................................................42

Figure 9-3: COM Port Properties Dialog Box...........................................................................................................42

Figure 12-1: Partial Command Tree.........................................................................................................................47

Figure 12-2: Command Message Structure.............................................................................................................50

Figure 13-1: GPIB Address Selection Switch.........................................................................................................54

Figure 13-2: RS232C Interface cable wiring diagram.............................................................................................57

Figure 16-1: AC Source Status System Model........................................................................................................76

List of Tables

Table 1: Logic Board Led's.......................................................................................................................................20

Table 2: Load and current..........................................................................................................................................25

Table 3: Basic Symptoms..........................................................................................................................................31

Table 4: Poor output voltage regulation....................................................................................................................31

Table 5: Overload Light On........................................................................................................................................31

Table 6: Distorted Output...........................................................................................................................................32

Table 7: Unit shuts down after 3-5 seconds.............................................................................................................32

Table 8: No output and no lights on front panel........................................................................................................32

Table 9: No output but "power on" led is lit...............................................................................................................32

Table 10: Replaceable Parts.....................................................................................................................................45

Table 11: Bit configuration of standard event status enable register......................................................................69

Table 12: Bit configuration of standard event status register..................................................................................70

Table 13: *RST default parameter values................................................................................................................72

Table 14: Status register power on condition...........................................................................................................72

Table 15: Bit Configuration of Status Byte Register................................................................................................73

Table 16: Error Messages.........................................................................................................................................81

vi October 2001 RP Series

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

1. Introduction

This instruction manual contains information on the installation, operation, calibration and
maintenance of the RP Series AC power source.

1.1. General Description

The 801RP/1251RP AC source is a high efficiency, light weight 800VA or 1250VA
programmable AC power source. The output has two voltage ranges of 0-135V or 0-270V
with a frequency range of 16 Hz to 500 Hz. The maximum output current for the 1251RP is

9.2 amps on 135 volts range and 4.6 amps on 270 volts range.
The maximum output current for the 801RP is 6 amps on 135 volt range and 3 amps on 270

volts range.
The universal nominal input can be from 100 volts to 240 volts at 50 Hz or 60 Hz line

frequency.
Simple front panel controls enable the voltage, current limit and frequency to be changed.

An optional RS232C and IEEE 488 interface is available for applications that require remote
control and measurements.

RP Series October 2001 1

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

page intentionally left blank

2

October 2001 RP Series

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

2. Specifications

All specifications at 25 ±5°C unless noted otherwise.

2.1. Electrical

2.1.1. Input

Line Voltage: 85V to 264V maximum.

100V to 240V nominal.
Line Current: 15 A RMS max.
Line Frequency: 47-63 Hertz.
Efficiency: 80% (typical) depending on line and load.
Power Factor: 0.95 or greater typical.
Inrush Current: 70 A peak max. at 260V input.
Hold-Up Time: 20 ms (with no effect on output).
Isolation Voltage: Input to output = 2200 VAC, input to chassis = 1350 VAC.

2.1.2. Output

Voltage Range: 0 to 135 V rms or 270 V rms

Voltage Resolution: 0.1 volt

Voltage Accuracy: ±1% of range, 50 to 60 Hz.

Line & Load Regulation: 1% of FS on low range, 0.5% of FS on high range.
Voltage Distortion: 0.5% typical. THD at 50/60 Hz.
Total Power: 800 VA maximum at full scale voltage, either range (Model

±2% at 400 Hz

801RP).
1250 VA maximum at full scale voltage either range (Model

1251RP).

Note: On the 1251RP, the maximum output power is limited to 1000VA when the

input voltage is below 120VAC.

RP Series October 2001

3

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

Current: 6.0 A rms, 18 A peak (low range, Model 801RP)

3.0 A rms, 9 A peak (high range, Model 801RP)

9.2 A rms, 27.6 A peak (low range, Model 1251RP)

4.6 A rms, 13.8 A peak (high range, Model 1251RP)

Current Limit: 801RP 1251RP

135V range: 0.0 to 6.0 9.2
270V range: 0.0 to 3.0 4.6
Accuracy: Programmed value +5% of maximum current

Frequency Range: Range Resolution

16.0 - 99.9 Hz 0.1 Hz

Frequency Accuracy: ±0.02% of programmed value.

DC Offset Voltage: Less than ±25 mV with linear load.
Output Noise: <0.2 volts RMS on 135 range, <0.5 volts RMS on 270 range.

2.1.3. Measurements

Current (TRMS)

Voltage Accessible only through RS232/ IEEE 488 Interface

100 - 500 Hz 1 Hz

Resolution: 0.1 amp

Accuracy: ± 0.2 amp

0 - 250V 251 to 270V
Resolution 1 Volts 2 volts

Accuracy: ±4 Volts ±6 volts

4

October 2001 RP Series

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

2.1.4. System Specification

Non Volatile
Memory Storage: 8 complete instrument setups [ Accessible through RS232C

interface only ].

RS232C Interface: Bi-directional serial interface
[ optional ] 9 pin D-shell connector

Handshake: CTS, RTS
Data bits: 8
Stopbits: 1
Parity: None
Baud rate: 9600
IEEE 488.2 commands and SCPI

IEEE Interface: Bi-directional parallel interface

24 pin D-shell connection
IEEE address: set using DIP switch on rear panel from 0 to 31
IEEE functions: SH1, AH1, T8, L3, RL2
Terminators: LF, CRLF, EOI
IEEE 488.2 commands and SCPI

Remote Inhibit (Option –RI required)

Rear panel connector: BNC
Input Contact closure to ground or logic low TTL

signal required to turn off output.
Automatic recovery when RI signal is
removed.

RP Series October 2001

5

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

2.1.5. Unit protection

Input Overcurrent: Electronic current limit with fuse.
Input Overvoltage

Transients: Surge protection to withstand EN50082-1 (IEC 801-4, 5) levels.
Output Overcurrent: Shutdown, 0.1 second after overcurrent.
Output Overvoltage: Shutdown, recycle input power to reset.
Output Short Circuit: Peak current limit. Shutdown after 0.1 seconds.
Overtemperature: Automatic shutdown.

2.2. Mechanical

Dimensions: 16.51”(419.4mm) width x 3.5”(88.9 mm) height x 22”(558.8mm)

depth chassis size stand-alone configuration.

Unit Weight: 37 lbs.
Material: Aluminum chassis, panels and cover.
Finish: Yellow iridite then painted semi-gloss polyurethane
Cooling: Fan cooled with air intake on the sides and exhaust to the rear.
Internal Construction: Modular sub assemblies.
Chassis Slides: General Devices C300S-118-B308 (use hardware provided to

prevent damage to unit)

Front Panel Mounted
Output Connections:

CEE 7/7 European socket
US domestic Single 5-15R 120V line socket

Rear Panel Mounted
Connections:

RS232C Interface DB 9
IEEE-488 Interface D-shell 24 pin
Output Phoenix Contact HDFK4
Line Input IEC 320

6

October 2001 RP Series

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

2.3. Environmental

Operating Temp: 0 degrees to +40 degrees Celsius.
Storage Temp: 0 degrees to +70 degrees Celsius.
Humidity: Operating: ≤90% RH up to 40° C.

Storage: ≤90% RH up to 40° C, ≤75% RH up to 70° C.
Creepage and
Clearance: Rated for Pollution Degree 2.
Insulation: Rated to Installation Category (Overvoltage Category) II
Vibration: Designed to meet NSTA 1A transportation levels.
Shock: Designed to meet NSTA 1A transportation levels.

2.4. Regulatory

Electromagnetic Designed to meet EN50081-1 and EN50082-1 European Emissions
Emissions and and Immunity standards as required for the “CE” mark.
Immunity:
Acoustic Noise: 65 dBA maximum at 0% to 50% load, 75 dBA maximum greater than

50% load to 100% load. Measured at one meter.
Safety: Designed to meet UL3111 and EN61010-1 European safety

standards as required for the “CE” mark.

2.5. Front Panel Controls

Controls: Shuttle knobs:

Allows continuous change of Voltage, Frequency and Current limit.

Function keys:

Controls Output state, Voltage range and Display mode.
Displays: Two, 4 digits, 0.5” LCD display. For viewing programmed voltage,

frequency, current limit and for displaying measured current.
Status Indicators:

6 LEDs to indicate:

REMOTE, FAULT, OUTPUT (ON/OFF), VOLTAGE RANGE,

FREQUENCY or CURRENT DISPLAY MODE (Refer to paragraph

4.1.2).

RP Series October 2001

7

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

2.6. Available Options

The following options are available on 801RP and 1251RP AC power source models.

Option Description

-IF

-FN Floating Neutral. Disconnects low side of AC source output from

-L22 Locking knobs. Prevents front panel change of voltage and

-RI Remote Inhibit rear panel input.

-RMS Rack mount slides

Combined IEEE-488 / RS232C interface option.

protective earth.

frequency.

P/N 210367
General Devices Model C300S-118-B308

8

October 2001 RP Series

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

3. Unpacking and Installation

3.1. Unpacking

Inspect the unit for any possible shipping damage immediately upon receipt. If damage is
evident, notify the carrier. DO NOT return an instrument to the factory without prior
approval. Do not destroy the packing container until the unit has been inspected for
damage in shipment.

3.2. Power Requirements

The AC Power System has been designed to operate from a single phase AC line voltage.
The nominal operating voltage is from 100V to 240V line input.

Figure 3-1: The 801RP/1251RP AC Power Source

WARNING: Do not connect the unit to a 400-480 service as the result will be a
severely damaged unit.

3.3. Mechanical Installation

The AC Source is a completely self contained power unit. It can be used free standing on a
bench. The unit is fan cooled, drawing air in from the sides and exhausting at the rear. The
sides of the unit must be kept clear of obstruction and a 4 inch clearance must be
maintained to the rear.

3.4. Input Wiring

The AC Source is designed to work from a single utility supply. The IEC 320 input connector
will accept a standard IEC line cord with the appropriate mating connector for the utility
outlet. The utility outlet must be properly grounded and be capable of supplying at least 1725
VA at 120V to 240V in order to deliver full output power in the 1251RP.

Note: When using less than 120 V line input, the 1251RP should be used at no

more than 1000 VA output power to limit the input line current to less than
15A.

RP Series October 2001

9

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

3.5. Output Connections

3.5.1. Output Wiring

Front Panel

Figure 3-2: Rear Panel View

When the low voltage range is selected, only the single US NEMA 5-15R output socket will
be active. If the high voltage range is selected, only the European CEE7/7 socket will be
active.

Either voltage will be present on the output terminals at the rear panel. There is only one
output terminal on the rear panel marked HIGH and LOW. This output carries the output of
the AC Source in both high and low voltage range. The HIGH and LOW label on the rear
panel refer to output high side and output low side (return) respectively, not to the voltage
range selected.

Note: Do not connect these outputs together as this will cause the unit to fault.

3.6. Output Voltage Ranges

The AC power source has two standard output voltage ranges 0-135V and 0-270V. The
operator may switch from one range to the other at will with no special precautions except
to remember that the output voltage will go to zero voltage whenever a range change takes
place.

Note: The output changes to the other socket on front panel with a range change.

3.7. Functional Test

10

CAUTION: Work carefully when performing these tests - hazardous voltages
are present on the input and output during this test.

Refer to Figure 3-3 for the test set up.

October 2001 RP Series

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

1. Connect an oscilloscope, voltmeter and/or distortion analyzer to the AC source output

at the 135 Volt output terminal.

2. Connect the AC power input voltage connections to the AC source input terminals. Turn

on the power switch located at the rear panel.

3. Verify that the front panel LCD display reads out the initial start up voltage and

frequency.

4. Select the low voltage range. Set the frequency to 60 Hz with the right shuttle. Select

the current function with the Frequency/Current selector. Set the current limit to the
maximum value using the right shuttle. Set the output voltage to 135V with the left
shuttle.

5. Enable the output by pressing the output “on/off” button in the top right of the front panel.

The green LED above the button will illuminate when the output is on. The output should
be a clean 135 volt AC sinewave having less than 1% distortion.

6. Apply full load (refer to table on Figure 3-3) to the output of the source and verify the

output remains within 2% of the initial 135 volt value. The output should still be clean
and the distortion should still be less than 1% at 60 Hz.

7. Using the right shuttle set the output current limit value to 6 amps. The system should

go into current limit and give an error message on the display (err. -300) that indicates
an output fault condition and the output will go off. Return the current value to the
maximum current and disconnect the load.

8. Repeat steps 4 through 7 but set the output for the following: Hi voltage range and the

current limit to maximum value. The output load should be connected to the Hi range
output connector. The load value is shown in Figure 3-3, for the 270 volt output.

Note: Output connectors must be changed when changing voltage ranges unless

the rear panel output terminals are used.

RP Series October 2001

11

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

In the event the power source does not pass the functional test, refer to the calibration
procedure in Section 6 or call California Instrument’s customer satisfaction department for
further assistance.

High Range Load

Low Range Load

Load ON/OFF Switch Oscilloscope

AC
Output

Unit
Under 270.0V
Test DMV

AC
Input

Model Range Current Load

801RP 135V 6.0A

801RP 270V 3.0A
1251RP 135V 9.2A
1251RP 270V 4.6A

22.5Ω

90.0Ω

14.6Ω

58.6Ω

or Distortion
Analyzer

12

Figure 3-3: Functional test setup

October 2001 RP Series

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

4. Front Panel Operation

4.1. Front Panel Guided Tour

The front panel can be divided in a small number of functional areas:

• Output Sockets

• Status Indicator lights

• Shuttle knobs

• LCD display

• Button controls

4.1.1. Output Outlets

The Output Sockets are located on the right side of the front panel. It provides connection to
the load from the AC source. When the low voltage range is selected, only the US NEMA 5­15P output socket will be active. If the high voltage range is selected, only the European
CEE7/7 socket will be active. Refer to Figure 3-1 and Figure 4-1 for socket locations. Both
voltage ranges are present at the rear panel output terminals however. Refer to Figure 3-2.

Figure 4-1: Front panel view

RP Series October 2001

13

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

4.1.2. Status Indicator Lights

Six LED status indicators are located directly above the LCD display. These LED’s
correspond to the following conditions:

REMOTE The REMOTE LED indicates that the unit is in remote

FAULT The FAULT LED indicates an output overvoltage or

control mode. If the RS232C interface is used, the
REMOTE state can be enabled by the controller using the
SYST:REM command. Any time the REMOTE LED is lit,
the front panel of the RP Series unit is disabled. There is
no LOCAL button that allows the user to regain control of
the front panel. The SYST:LOC command will enable the
front panel controls. When using IEEE, the remote /local
state is controlled by the REN (Remote Enable) interface
line.

overtemperature condition. Overtemperature is usually
caused by poor air flow. Check the air flow exhaust at the
rear of the unit to make sure it is not obstructed.

OUTPUT The Output LED indicates the status of the OUTPUT

ON/OFF button. When the Output LED is not lit, the output
voltage is not present at the output socket regardless of the
voltage setting.

RANGE The Range LED indicates the selected output voltage

range. When it is illuminated it indicates the high voltage
range has been programmed.

FREQUENCY Illuminates when the LCD display shows the programmed

frequency.

CURRENT Illuminates when the LCD displays shows the programmed

current limit or measured current values.

14

October 2001 RP Series

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

4.1.3. The Shuttle Knobs

Counter Clockwise

clockwise

DECREASE INCREASE

Figure 4-2: Shuttle Knob

There are two shuttle knobs located below the LCD display which are used to change setup
parameters for voltage, frequency and current limit. The mode button selects the function of
the right shuttle. The right shuttle will control either the frequency or the current limit as
indicated by the indicator above the right LCD.

4.1.4. FUNCTION Buttons

There are three function buttons for the Output Voltage Range, Output State and Shuttle
Mode. The following is a description of these buttons:

KEY DESCRIPTION

RANGE The RANGE button is used to change the voltage range

OUTPUT The OUTPUT button will toggle the output to enable or

between the low range (0 to 135 volts) and high range (0 to
270 volts). The LED above the switch will light to indicate
the high voltage range selection. The output voltage will be
reset to zero voltage after a range change.

disable the output. The LED above the button will light
when the output is on. No output voltage will be present
when the OUTPUT button is off despite the level of voltage
programmed.

RP Series October 2001

15

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

MODE The MODE button selects the function of the right Shuttle

4.1.5. LCD Display

The LCD display consists of two 4 digit, 7 segment displays. The voltage display shows the
programmed voltage. The Frequency/Current display shows either the programmed
frequency or current limit. In the current limit mode the display switches to display the
output current after 3 seconds. The Frequency/Current select button will define the
operating mode of the frequency/current display.

4.2. How to...

knob and the LCD display. The Shuttle will control the
output frequency and the display will show the program
frequency value when the mode selection is frequency.
The Shuttle knob will program the current limit and the
display will show its value in the current mode. The display
will revert back to showing the measured current after 3
seconds from the last movement of the shuttle. The
measurement is updated 4 times per second. The display
mode is indicated by the two LED’s above the LCD display.

This chapter covers some common tasks that are often performed with an AC power
source. These examples are written in a How to... format and provide step by step
instructions on how to set up the AC Source for a specific task.

4.2.1. Set the Output

Output parameters are Voltage, Frequency and Current Limit.

1. Disable the output by pressing the OUTPUT button. The LED above the button will turn
off.

2. Use the left shuttle to set the output voltage. Clockwise will increase the output, counter
clockwise will reduce the output. The display above the shuttle will show the voltage
setting.

3. Use the right shuttle to set the frequency and current limit. The Frequency/Current
select button will define the function of the shuttle and the display above it. The
Frequency or Current LED will turn on to indicate the function controlled by the right
shuttle.

4. Enable the output by pressing the OUTPUT button.

4.2.2. Slewing Output Values

The output parameters can be slewed using the shuttles.

1. Enable the output by pressing the OUTPUT button. The LED above it will turn on.

16

October 2001 RP Series

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

2. Use the left shuttle to set the output voltage. Clockwise will increase the output,
counter clockwise will reduce the output. The display above the shuttle will show the
voltage setting.

3. Use the right shuttle to set the frequency and current limit. The Frequency/Current
button will define the function of the shuttle as indicated by the display above it. The
Frequency or Current LED will turn on to indicate the function in control.

4.2.3. View Current Measurements

Current measurements can be called up as follows:

1. Press the Frequency/Current button to select the Current function.

2. Immediately the Frequency/Current display will show the measured current.

3. Moving the right shuttle will interrupt the current measurement. The display will show
the current limit value.

4. After a short delay the display will revert back to show the measured current.

4.2.4. Voltage Range Change

The voltage range can be changed as follows:

1. Press the HI RANGE button located in the upper left corner. The output voltage will
reset to 0 volts.

2. Use the left shuttle knob to set the output voltage.

4.2.5. Output Control

The Output can be disabled or enabled as follows:

1. Pressing the OUTPUT button when the output LED is on will disable the AC source
output. The programmed voltage setting will remain at the last program value.

2. Pressing the OUTPUT button again will enable the output voltage and the output will
revert to the last programmed value.

4.2.6. Setting the Power on Initialization Values

All P and RP series are supplied with default factory settings when the unit is powered up.
The factory settings are:

Voltage range Low

RP Series October 2001

17

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

Voltage 0 V
Frequency 60 Hz
Current limit Max available current
Display mode Frequency
Output OFF
It is possible to change the power on initialization values in one of two ways:

1. Using the optional RS232 or IEEE-488 (RP only) interface and the supplied
PGUI/PGUI32 program.

2. Using the front panel. (requires main firmware release 1.0 or higher).

To change the power on initialization values from the front panel, proceed as follows:

1. Set the unit up in the desired way from the front. (Range, voltage, frequency, current
limit, output relay state). Note: The display mode – frequency or current – is not saved
as part of the set up and always defaults to frequency.

2. Press and hold the Select key (normally toggles between F and C readouts).

3. While holding the Select key, press the OUTPUT ON/OFF key. This will save the
present front panel settings in non volatile memory register (NVM) no 7 and assign this
register as the power on register.

4. Release both keys.

5. This procedure can be repeated as often as needed by the user.

18

October 2001 RP Series

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

5. Principle of Operation

5.1. General

An explanation of the circuits in the AC Source is given in this section. Refer to Figure 5-1
for a block diagram of the system.

AC Power Factor DC - DC DC - AC AC
Input Corrector (PFC) Converter Converter Output

Oscillator &
Controls

5.2. Overall Description

The AC input is fed to the power factor correction, boost type converter. The converter
steps the voltage to 385 VDC while drawing near sinusoidal current from the input power
line.

The DC to DC converter provides isolation and changes the voltage to 250 VDC or 400
VDC depending on whether the low output range or high output range is selected.

The DC to AC converter develops an AC sine wave voltage at the output frequency and
amplitude programmed by the oscillator.

The oscillator board provides the reference signal to the DC to AC converter and has the
front panel shuttles and switches to control and view the setting of voltage, frequency and
current limit.

Figure 5-1: AC Source block diagram

RP Series October 2001

19

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

5.3. Power Factor Correction Module (PFC)

The PFC consists of the boost converter circuitry. The boost converter is PWM controlled
by a single chip that adjusts the pulse width during the cycle so that near sine wave current
is drawn from the supply. An auxiliary winding on the boost inductor provides “bootstrap”
power to the logic circuits and is self sustaining.

5.4. DC - DC Converter Module

The 385 VDC from the PFC is fed to the DC to DC module. It first supplies 385 volts DC to
the auxiliary power supply. When the auxiliary power supply starts, it supplies six isolated
DC supplies to the AC module. It also supplies 15 volts to the DC converter on the same DC
module. The DC to DC converter will then start operating. The DC converter supplies either
250 volts DC or 400 volts DC to the DC to AC module.

The DC to DC converter is a full bridge converter and the auxiliary converter is a two FET
forward converter.

All the eight LEDs on the DC-DC board should be lit under normal operation. The LED
DS200 is lit when the DC output is up and within regulation. The amber LEDs DS5, DS4 and
DS3 indicate that the 15V power to the optocouplers on the AC converters is within
regulation. The red and green LED’s, DS7 and DS6 indicate logic power to the AC converter
is ok. The red LED DS8 indicates that logic power to the DC converter is within
specification at 15 volts. The LED DS2 shows that 24 volt fan power is available.

Table 1: Logic Board Led's

LED# FUNCTION COMMENTS

DS2 24V ok 24 volt fan power is available.
DS3 15V ok 15V power to the optocouplers on the AC converters is within

regulation

DS4 15V ok 15V power to the optocouplers on the AC converters is within

regulation

DS5 15V ok 15V power to the optocouplers on the AC converters is within

regulation
DS6 power ok logic power is ok to the AC converter
DS7 power ok logic power is ok to the AC converter
DS8 power ok logic power is ok to the DC converter

DS200 DC bus ok DC output is up and within regulation

20

October 2001 RP Series

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

5.5. Oscillator Control Board

The Oscillator control board has the Microcontroller and all the control logic to generate a
programmable sine wave reference of the correct amplitude and frequency. It includes all
the control logic to respond to user commands from the front panel or the remote control
interface. It also updates the displays to show the programmed settings and current
measurements. Refer to Figure 5-2 for a block diagram.

When the output is programmed above 5.0 volts, the multicolor LEDs, DS10 and DS9, on
the oscillator board will illuminate.

. Current Current DAC
Curr. Sense/Fault
Sense Frequency

Generation

Micro Voltage DAC
Front Controller
Panel
Control

Display Sine Wave

Generation OSC

DC NVRAM

Supply RS232/IEEE

Option

Figure 5-2: Oscillator and controls

Reference

RP Series October 2001

21

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

5.6. DC to AC Power Module

The DC to AC power Module takes a 250V DC input and generates 0 to 135 volts AC,
directly coupled, low range output. When the DC to AC module is supplied with 400 volts
DC, the AC module generates 0 to 270 volts AC. The output converter is a PWM full bridge
topology with an LC filter on the output. The switching frequency is 34.6 kHz.

This module has pulse by pulse peak current limit and sinusoidal average current limiting to
protect the power transistor and load.

5.7. IEEE 488/ RS232

The RP can optionally be outfitted with a combined RS232C and IEEE 488 interface board.
This board assembly has optocouplers for interface isolation.

The interface in use is selected by a DIP switch on the rear panel. Only one interface can
be active at any given time.

22

October 2001 RP Series

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

CAUTION

VOLTAGES UP TO 270 VAC AND 400 VDC ARE PRESENT IN

CERTAIN SECTIONS OF THIS

POWER SOURCE. THIS EQUIPMENT GENERATES

POTENTIALLY LETHAL VOLTAGES.

DEATH

ON CONTACT MAY RESULT IF PERSONNEL FAIL TO

OBSERVE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS. DO NOT TOUCH

ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS WHEN POWER IS APPLIED.

RP Series October 2001

23

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

page intentionally left blank

24

October 2001 RP Series

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

6. Calibration

Routine calibration should be performed every 12 months. Non-routine calibration is only
required if a related assembly is replaced or if the periodic calibration is unsuccessful.

The calibration involves removing the top cover from the power source. Remove the line
power from the power source before removing the top cover. Some of the adjustments are
on the Oscillator Assembly A4. Other adjustment are on the DC-AC Board Assembly. Refer
to Figure 6-3 for the location of the adjustments.

6.1. Calibration Equipment

Digital Multimeter: Fluke 8840 or HP 34401A
100 milliohm Current Shunt: Isotek Model RUG-Z-R100-0.1 or equivalent
Load Bank: Various power load resistors will be needed

6.2. Routine Calibration

Setup:

Connect the test equipment to the power source as shown in Figure 6-1. Refer to Figure
6-3 for adjustment locations.

The DMM can be connected to the front panel connectors for convenience but will have to
be changed when switching voltage ranges. To avoid this, use the common output terminal
at the rear of the unit.

Table 2: Load and current

Model Range Curren

t

max

801RP 135V 6.0A
801RP 270V 3.0A

1251R

P

1251R

P

135V 9.2A

270V 4.6A

Load

22.5Ω

90.0Ω

14.6Ω

58.6Ω

For best results use the output connectors (Front or Rear) that are typically used.

RP Series October 2001

25

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

AC Source

Output Digital
Plug Multimeter

Figure 6-1: Test Equipment Hookup for Routine Output Calibration

6.2.1. Output Voltage Calibration

1. Select the low voltage range. Set the output frequency to 60Hz. Set the output voltage
to 135 volts.

2. Remove the load and enable the output voltage with the Output ON/OFF button.

3. Locate R111 on A3 assembly board and adjust R111 so that the external voltmeter will
read 135.0V ±0.1V.

26

October 2001 RP Series

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

6.2.2. Current Measurement Calibration

1. Connect the test equipment to the power source as shown in Figure 6-2.

2. Connect the load to the output. Use the 100 milliohm current shunt in series with the
load to measure the AC load current. Refer to Table 2 for the proper full load.

3. Read the output voltage across the shunt with the external voltmeter.

4. To calibrate the current measurement functions, select the current function with the
frequency/current button. The current measurement readout will appear on the display.

5. Locate R29 on assembly board A4. Adjust R29 so that the current reading agrees with
the current measured with the external shunt and voltmeter.

Figure 6-2: Test Equipment Hook-up for Measurement Calibration

RP Series October 2001

27

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

6.3. Non-Routine Calibration

6.3.1. Current Limit Calibration

1. Connect the test equipment to the power source as shown in Figure 6-2.

2. Locate R31 on the A4 assembly board. Turn R31 clockwise several turns.

3. Connect the load to the output. Use the 100 milliohm current shunt in series with the
load to measure the AC load current. Refer to Table 2 for the proper full load.

4. Set the Current limit with the right shuttle to 95% of the current measured with the shunt
and AC Multimeter.

5. Turn R31 counterclockwise slowly until the output faults.

6.3.2. Voltage Measurement Calibration

1. This calibration requires the use of P/RP GUI and a PC communicating with the AC
source via the RS232 interface. The IEEE interface can be used as well, but requires
that the PC is equipped with a National Instrument GPIB controller card.

2. Refer to Section 9 for Installing and starting the GUI to monitor the voltage
measurements.

3. Program the output voltage to 170 volts and 200 Hz. The output must not be loaded.

4. Monitor the output voltage with an external voltmeter.

5. Locate R128 on the A3 assembly board. Adjust R128 so that the measured value
reported by the GUI measurements agrees with the external voltmeter.

6.3.3. DC Offset Adjustments

1. Program the output voltage to 230 volts and 60 Hz.

2. Measure the DC offset at the output using a Fluke 8840 or equivalent. Verify that offset
is less than ± 0.025V. Measure the DC voltage across a 22 µf capacitor connected to
the output through a 215K resistor. Refer to Figure 6-2.

3. Locate R46 on the A3 assembly board. Adjust R46 if required to maintain the DC offset
within 0 ±0.025 VDC.

28

October 2001 RP Series

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

Figure 6-3: Location of Internal Adjustments

RP Series October 2001

29

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

page intentionally left blank

30

October 2001 RP Series

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

7. Service

7.1. General

This section describes the suggested maintenance and troubleshooting procedure. The
troubleshooting procedure is divided into two sections. The first section deals with basic
operation and connection of the equipment. The second section requires opening the unit
and using the LED indicators and a simple multimeter to troubleshoot the unit down to the
module level. Only a qualified electronic technician should attempt this level of
troubleshooting.

7.2. Basic Operation

PARAGRAPH PROBLEM

7.2.1 Poor Output Voltage Regulation

7.2.2 Overload Light On

7.2.3 Distorted Output

7.2.4 Unit Shuts Down After 3-5 Seconds

7.2.5 No Output and no lights on front panel

7.2.6 No output but “power on” LED on front panel is lit.

Table 3: Basic Symptoms

7.2.1. Poor Output Voltage Regulation

Table 4: Poor output voltage regulation

CAUSE SOLUTION

Unit is overloaded Remove overload
Unit is programmed to wrong voltage
range.
Input line has fallen below spec. limit. Check supply voltage.

7.2.2. Overload Light is On

Table 5: Overload Light On

CAUSE SOLUTION

Unit is overloaded Remove overload
Unit is switched to high voltage range. Select correct voltage range.

Select correct voltage range.

RP Series October 2001

31

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

7.2.3. Distorted Output

Table 6: Distorted Output

CAUSE SOLUTION

Power source is grossly overloaded. Reduce load
The crest factor of the load exceeds 3:1 Reduce load current peaks by reducing

7.2.4. Unit Shuts Down After 3-5 Seconds

Table 7: Unit shuts down after 3-5 seconds

CAUSE SOLUTION

Output shorted Remove output short
Output grossly overloaded. Remove overload.
Operating load with too high inrush or start
up currents.

load.

Consult factory for application advice.

7.2.5. No Output and No Lights on Front Panel

Table 8: No output and no lights on front panel

CAUSE SOLUTION

Rear panel power switched off. Switch the breaker on.
No input power to the input connector Ensure correct input power
Blown fuse. Check fuse in the rear panel and replace

with same type and rating.

7.2.6. No Output but “power on” LED on Front Panel is Lit

Table 9: No output but "power on" led is lit

CAUSE SOLUTION

“OUTPUT ON” switch is turned off. Turn OUTPUT ON switch to “ON”.
Power cord plugged into the wrong socket Only USA socket is energized when low

range is selected.
Current limit programmed down or to zero. Program current limit higher.
Voltage programmed down or to zero. Turn amplitude control up.
Fault LED is lit Cycle Rear Panel power switch off and

on.

32

October 2001 RP Series

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

7.3. Advanced Troubleshooting

WARNING: DO NOT CONNECT 400-480V TO THE UNIT, THE RESULT WILL BE A
SEVERELY DAMAGED UNIT.

CAUTION: VOLTAGES UP TO 270 VAC AND 400VDC ARE PRESENT IN
CERTAIN SECTIONS OF THIS POWER SOURCE.

WARNING: THIS EQUIPMENT GENERATES POTENTIALLY LETHAL VOLTAGES.
DEATH ON CONTACT MAY RESULT IF PERSONNEL FAIL TO OBSERVE SAFETY

PRECAUTIONS. DO NOT TOUCH ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS WHEN POWER IS

APPLIED.

7.3.1. Switch Off Unit

Switch off the unit with the power on/off switch on the rear panel as well as removing the
input power from the unit.

WARNING: Wait 10 minutes for all internal capacitors to discharge.

7.3.2. Removing Top Cover

Remove the screws securing the top cover and remove the top cover.

7.3.3. Initial Inspection

Perform a visual inspection of the unit and ensure all the connectors are properly mated and
there are no loose or broken wires.

7.3.4. Connectors and Fuses Check Up

Ensure all connectors are properly mated and there are no broken wires. Check fuse F1 on
the A2 assembly and fuse F2 on the A3 assembly. Replace with the same type fuse.

7.3.5. Power on Troubleshooting Using the LEDs

If no fuses were blown or if fuses were found blown but all the IGBT’s checked out good and
the fuses have been replaced, reconnect power to the unit.

WARNING: Do not touch any parts inside the unit during this test as they will be live
and dangerous. Always wear safety glasses.

RP Series October 2001

33

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

7.3.6. No Output, No Front Panel LEDs

Is LED on P.F.C. unit lit? OK if flickering with no load on output. If not lit, check input fuse
and wiring on P.F.C. module. P.F.C. module is the one in the center. If LED is not lit and
power is available at the EMI filter, replace P.F.C. module.

If LED is lit, proceed to DC-DC converter. The DC-DC converter is on the left hand side
when looking at the front. Are LEDs lit on the DC to DC board?

YES NO

If LEDs on the DC-DC board are lit
and front panel LEDs are not lit, the
problem is probably in the large
ribbon cable that runs between the
DC-DC and the AC converter.

7.3.7. No Output LEDs on Front are Lit

Plug unit in and switch on. Are all the LEDs lit on the DC-DC board? 3 amber LEDs (DS3,
DS4, DS5) if one or more of these LEDs is not lit the trouble is on the DC-AC board. Unplug
the cable to the DC-AC module (after safely removing power). If all the LEDs are lit after
power up, replace the DC-AC module as it has a shorted gate drive and probably blown
power transistors.

Check fuses on the DC-DC converter board. There is a
3 AMP (F2) fuse and a 10 Amp (F1) fuse both located in
the center of the PC board. You will have to remove the
two screws at the bottom of the unit to remove the
module in order to replace the fuses.

TURN OFF THE UNIT AND WAIT AT LEAST 10 MIN­UTES BEFORE REMOVING MODULE.

If fuses are blown and there are signs of burn marks on
the components, do not replace fuses and power up.
Replace DC-DC module.

34

Red and green LEDs, DS6 and DS7, on the back of the board provide power to DC-AC and
the oscillator board. If either of these are not lit, switch off power, remove large ribbon
cable from DC-DC converter and power up again. If LEDs are lit, the problem is on the DC­AC or the oscillator board. If the LEDs remain off, replace the DC-DC board.

If LED, DS8, is not lit, no power will be available to run the DC converter drive logic.
Replace DC-DC module.

LED, DS2 (red), indicates 24V fan power available.

LED DS200, will be lit if the DC converter is running. If DS200 is not lit check fuse F1 on
the DC-DC board as in paragraph 7.3.4 above.

If all LEDs are lit and the LED output indicator is lit but no output, then suspect the relay on
DC-AC board.

October 2001 RP Series

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

If all 8 LEDs are lit on the DC-DC converter then the problem is on the DC-AC module.
Switch off, then check wiring from the DC-AC board output to the output sockets on the front
panel. If this is OK check the fuse, F2, on the DC-AC module. Switch off. Remove two
screws from the underside of the enclosure to gain access to the module and F2. If the
fuse is blown and a check shows signs of damage or burning on the board, DO NOT
REPLACE FUSE. Replace DC-AC module. If there are no signs of burning or damage on
the DC-AC board or components, then it could be assumed that it is a random fuse failure
and it would be OK to replace the fuse and try again.

WARNING: In most cases when a fuse blows it is caused by a failed power
semiconductor and repeatedly replacing a fuse will only cause severe damage
to that or other assemblies.

RP Series October 2001

35

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

page intentionally left blank

36

October 2001 RP Series

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

8. Introduction to PGUI/PGUI32

8.1. About This Program

The California Instruments Graphical User Interface program - PGUI/PGUI32 - was
developed as a companion product to the California Instrument‘s P and RP Series AC
power sources. It’s main purpose is to provide a soft front panel to the instrument when
connected to a PC through the RS232C or IEEE-488 interface. Additional benefits are
obtained from using the PC as a control interface. Some of these benefits include the ability
to store measurement data to disk, interact with other programs, and produce a transient
simulation.

The PGUI is a Windows program and as such requires a PC capable of running Windows

3.1™, Windows 3.11™, Windows 95/98™, or Windows NT. For best performance a
80486 or Pentium based PC is recommended. 80386 and 80486SX based PC's will exhibit
poor performance while generating transients due to their lack of speed.

This section of the manual provides information related to installation of this software only.
Complete information on how to use the PGUI/PGUI32 can be found in the on-line help
supplied with the program. Use the Help menu or press on any of the many Help keys
located in all program windows for an explanation of the relevant screen or function.

As always, California Instruments appreciates your patronage and would welcome any
comments and suggestions you might have regarding this software or any of its other
products. Use the End-user feedback form located on page Error! Bookmark not defined..
The same form can be used to report software bugs should you encounter any.

8.2. About This Section of the Manual

Note that this section of the manual covers the installation of the PGUI/PGUI32 software
only. Use the on line help for complete information. It is strongly recommended that you
familiarize yourself with the operation of the actual AC power source as well. This is best
done by studying the rest of this user manual.

8.3. Program Requirements

To successfully install and operate the PGUI/PGUI32 program, you will need the following
equipment:

• California Instruments AC power source. Supported models are :

• 1001P

• 1251P

• 801RP

• 1251RP

• PC capable of running Windows 3.1™, Windows for Workgroups 3.11™,

RP Series October 2001

37

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

Windows 95/98™ or Windows NT

• RS232C communications port

• RS232C serial cable (supplied with the AC power source.) See next section for

RS232C cable wiring

or

• National Instruments IEEE-488 Controller Card

Note: The PGUI/PGUI32 can be run in the absence of a power source. If no AC

source is available , the PGUI/PGUI32 can be operated in a simulation mode.
The program will detect these conditions and start up in simulation mode
after notifying the operator. Measurements in this case will be simulated and
should not be used for any analytical purpose.

8.4. RS232C Cable Wiring

California Instruments AC power sources require a special RS232C cable to communicate
with a PC. Standard null-modem cables obtained from a computer hardware store most
likely will not work. For this reason, all California Instruments power sources that operate
over RS232C are supplied with a RS232C 9 pin female to 9 pin female cable.

If for some reason this cable cannot be located, the following cable diagram shown in Figure
8-1 should be used when constructing a serial cable.

Figure 8-1: RS232C Cable Wiring

DB-9 PC

Pin

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

DB-9 AC Source

Pin

Direction

1

output

2

input

3

output

4

output

5

-

6

input

7

-

8

-

9

output

Description
reserved
Receive data(RxD)
Transmit data (TxD)
Data Terminal Ready (DTR)
Signal Ground
Data Set Ready (DSR)
no connect
no connect
reserved

38

Note: This cable is not bi-directional so it is important to mark the PC side and the

AC source side of this cable. If the cable is connected in reverse, it will not
operate correctly.

October 2001 RP Series

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

9. PGUIPGUI32 Setup and Installation

This section covers installation of the PGUI from the distribution disk to the user’s PC. Make
sure the PC is capable of running Windows with at least 16 Mbyte of memory and 4 Mbyte
of available hard disk space.

9.1. Connecting the AC Source to the PC When Using RS232

Connect the AC source to the PC using an RS232C cable.
The AC source com port settings are set as follows:

Baud rate: 9600 baud
Data bits: 8
Stop bits 1
Parity bits: none
Handshake: Hardware

The AC source is configured to accept the above setting.
Select the RS232 interface by sliding the interface selection DIP switch on the rear panel to

the RS232 position.

9.2. Connecting the AC Source to the PC Using IEEE-488

Connect the AC source to the PC using an IEEE-488 interface cable. A National
Instruments GPIB controller card is required to use the PGUI program.

Select the IEEE-488 interface by sliding the interface selection DIP switch on the rear panel
to the IEEE-488 position.

Set the desired IEEE address using DIP switch position 4 through 0 on the rear panel.

9.3. Installing the PGUI Software

9.3.1. PGUI 16 Bit for Windows 3.1

The PGUI software is distributed on a 3.5 inch high density diskette. The PGUI must be
installed from this diskette as all required files are compressed. You cannot copy the
contents of this disk to your PC hard drive and run it. To install the PGUI, proceed as
follows:

1. Turn on the PC and boot up in Windows™.

2. Insert the PGUI disk in drive A or B. If you do not have a 3.5 inch drive on the
PC, you can copy the contents of the disk to a 5.25 inch diskette on a PC that
is equipped with both drive types.

3. From the Program Manager, select the “File” Menu.

RP Series October 2001

39

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

4. From the File Menu, select “Run...”

5. At the prompt, type “A:SETUP” or “B:SETUP” depending on the drive designator
of the drive in which you inserted the disk.

The setup program will first ask you for the destination directory on the hard disk where you
want the PGUI installed. The default directory is “C:\PGUI”.

6. Press “Continue” if you want to accept the default. If you want the program to
reside at a different location, type in the complete path name including hard disk
drive letter and then press “Continue”. If you want to abort the setup procedure,
click on the “Exit Setup” button. A warning will appear indicating the setup did
not complete successfully. Click on the “OK” button to acknowledge the
warning. This will take you back to the Program Manager.

7. Wait for the installation program to complete. An icon for the PGUI, the PGUI
help file and a program group will be created automatically.

8. Remove the diskette from the drive.

You are now ready to start using the PGUI software.

9.3.2. PGUI32 32 Bit for Windows 95/98™ and Windows NT™

The PGUI32 software is distributed on two 3.5 inch high density floppy diskettes. The
PGUI32 must be installed from these diskettes using the setup program located on disk 1 as
all required files are compressed. You cannot copy the contents of these diskettes to your
PC hard drive and run the program. To install the PGUI32, proceed as follows:

1. Turn on the PC and boot up in Windows™

2. Insert the first disk (labeled Disk 1 of 2) in drive A or B.

3. From the Windows Start Menu, select RUN.

4. At the “Open” prompt, type A:Setup or B:Setup depending on which disk drive

you used and click on the OK button.

5. Follow the instructions provided by the setup program to complete the

installation. At some point, you will be asked to insert the second disk (Disk 2
of 2). Remove the first disk and replace it with disk 2 and press Ok to continue
the installation.

6. When the installation has completed, remove the second disk from the floppy

drive and store both disks in a safe place.

Reboot the PC to activate the new settings. You are now ready to start using the PGUI32
software.

9.4. Trouble Shooting - RS232C

This section provides guidelines for resolving communication problems that may occur when
using the PGUI /PGUI32 software under Windows 95/NT.

40

October 2001 RP Series

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

You may encounter problems when using the serial interface with the PGUI program that is
supplied with the interface option for this source.

Symptoms:

1. Unable to verify connection to the power source through RS232C interface. Timeout
occurs and dialog box appears that asks if you want to switch to simulation mode. An
error message (ERR -100) may appear on the front panel LCD’s of the power source.

- Or -

2. Verification is successful but slewing of voltage, frequency or current limit results in an
ERR -100.

Things to check first:

1. Is the PC com port you selected to use really available for this purpose? On older PC’s
com port interrupts are often shared between com 1 and com3 as well as com2 and
com 4. If any of these other com ports is in use, it may prevent you from using the com
port that shares the same interrupt.

2. Did you use the RS232C cable that was supplied with the P/RP AC source? This is not
a null-modem cable and cannot easily be obtained at a computer store. If you do not
have the original cable, consult the PGUI on line help under Interface settings for a
wiring diagram.

3. Did you connect the cable in the right direction? This cable is uni-directional and should
be marked with a SOURCE and a PC label. Make sure you connect the SOURCE side
of the cable to the back of the AC source and the PC side of the cable to the PC port.

Resolution for Symptom 1

The P and RP Series of AC sources require hardware handshaking to control data flow from
the PC to the AC source. After receiving a command, the AC source asserts the DTR line to
hold off further communication from the PC until the command just sent has been processed.
Under Windows 95, it is possible to use a 16 byte transmit buffer if a 16550 UART is
present. This FIFO exceeds the length of most AC source commands. When enabled, this
mode may result in more than one command being placed in the UART output buffer. If this
happens, the handshake from the AC source will not prevent the content of this buffer being
sent to the AC source and thus will result in more than one command being sent to the AC
source.

To resolve this problem, the UART FIFO length needs to be reduced or disabled altogether.
The procedure to disabled the FIFO mode is outlined in the next paragraph.

Note: If turning off the UART FIFO conflicts with other applications that need to run on the
same PC using the same COM port, this solution may not be acceptable. In this case, skip
this step and proceed to the second symptom resolution which relies on a software
implemented hold-off instead of turning off the FIFO buffer. If you are using Windows 3.1
and experience the same problem, the latter method is the only resolution available to you
so you should skip the next paragraph as well.

Procedure

RP Series October 2001

41

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

1. Make sure the PGUI program is closed and no device is using the com port in use.

2. From the Windows 95 desktop, right click on
the “My Computer” icon which is located in
the top left corner of the screen.

3. From the popup menu, select the “Properties”
entry.

4. This brings up the System Properties dialog
box

5. From the tabs shown at the top of the dialog
box, select the “Device Manager” tab.

6. The relevant screen is shown in Figure 9-1.

7. Expand the Ports(COM&LPT) tree selection
by clicking on the ‘+’ sign

8. Select the COM port you plan to use to
communicate with the P or RP series power
source.

9. With the correct COM port selected, click on
the Properties button at the bottom left of the
dialog box.

10. This brings up the settings dialog box for the
COM port. In this example, COM2 is used.

11. From the tabs at the bottom of the dialog box,
select the “Port Settings” tab.

12. This should bring up the dialog shown in
Figure 9-2.

13. Next, select the Advanced button to bring up
the advanced port settings dialog box shown in
Figure 9-3.

Figure 9-1: System Properties Dialog Box

14. At the top of the dialog box, disable the “Use
FIFO buffers (requires 16550 compatible

15. Click on the all OK buttons to close all dialog

16. This should enable the PGUI to work correctly.

Figure 9-3: COM Port Properties Dialog

Box

Resolution for Symptom 2

Figure 9-2: Advanced Port Settings Dialog Box

UART)” checkbox. This will bypass the UART
FIFO’s and enable the hardware handshake to
work correctly.

boxes that remain open.

42

October 2001 RP Series

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

Execute the suggested procedure to resolve symptom 1 first. If an occasional error
continues to occur while slewing the voltage or frequency slider controls in the PGUI
program, add a command delay to the PGUI ini file using the following procedure. This
symptom may occur on some PC’s.

Procedure

1. Close the PGUI program if it is still open.

2. Use the Windows Explorer and select the PGUI directory or the directory into which you
installed the PGUI program.

3. Locate the PGUI.INI file (Type = Configuration Settings).

4. Open the PGUI.INI file using a text editor such as Notepad.

5. Locate the [Interface] section and find the entry called “CmdDelay”. If no such entry is
present add it yourself.

6. The default value for the CmdDelay is set to 0. Change this value to 10.

7. Your PGUI.INI file should look like this now:

[Interface]
Bus=0
CommPort=2
GPIBDriver=0
ACSourceAddress=1
CmdDelay=10

[PowerSource]
Model_number=0

[WindowState]
Top=5272
Left=6112
Height=4815
Width=6975

8. Save the file using the File, Save menu.

9. Close Notepad and start the PGUI.

10. Try to connect again. You may have to cycle the power on the AC source if it still
shows the Err -100 display.

Higher values than 10 may be set for the CmdDelay parameter if this fix does not resolve
your problem.

RP Series October 2001

43

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

9.5. Installed Files

The installation program will install the following files in the directories specified. Note that
files with the same name that already exists in these directories will not be overwritten as
part of the installation process. If older files of the same name are found, they will be
replaced. If you need to retain a copy of these older version files, we recommend you back
these files up prior to running the installation program.

9.5.1. PGUI32 Distribution Files

Application directory files

The following files are copied to the application directory. The application directory name is
chosen by the user during the installation process. The default directory for the PGUI32 is:

C:\Program Files\California Instruments\PGUI32
Pgui32.exe Executable

Pgui32.hlp On Line Help file
Pgui32.cnt Help Contents file

Windows System directory files

The following shared files are stored in the Windows\System directory during installation:
Mscomm32.ocx Microsoft Serial communications active control

ss32x25.ocx Grid spreadsheet active control
Comdlg32.ocx Microsoft Common dialog active control
Comctl32.ocx Microsoft Common controls
Msvbvm60.dll Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 virtual machine library

Note: The location of these files as well as the files themselves may change with future
versions of the PGUI32. Consult the included readme file for last minute program
information.

9.6. Software Registration

Updates of this and other California Instruments programs are posted on a regular basis on
the California Instruments web site. You can find available programs by selecting the
Software, GUI's and Drivers menu. To gain access to these downloads, you will need to
register as a user on our web site. For instructions on how to register and request the
required access level for software downloads, visit our web site at

www.calinst.com

44

October 2001 RP Series

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

10. Top Assembly Replaceable Parts

Table 10: Replaceable Parts

SEQ# C.I.PART # DESCRIPTION QTY.

1251RP TOP ASSEMBLY (5003-400-1)
A1 5003-401-1 HEATSINK ASSEMBLY, DC-DC 1
A2 5003-402-1 HEATSINK ASSEMBLY, DC-AC/ PFC 1
A4 5003-700-1 PC ASSEMBLY, OSCILLATOR 1

*A5

B1/B2 241187 FAN, 3” 24 VDC 1

F1 270167 FUSE, 15A, 250V, 60Hz 1

J1 410666 CONNECTOR,RCPT,3 PIN, PWR

J2 410665 CONNECTOR,AC,RCPT,125V,

J3 410589 CONNECTOR,RCPT,3

S1 240562 SWITCH,ROCKER, DPST 1

XF1 250587 FUSE HOLDER, CHASSIS 1

* OPTIONAL

Contact California Instruments for replacement parts.

5003-701-1 PC ASSEMBLY, RS232 / IEEE 488 1

INPUT

SINGLE

SOC,EUROPEAN

250596 FUSE CARRIER,1-1/4” x 1/4 1

1

1

1

RP Series October 2001

45

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

11. Introduction to SCPI

SCPI (Standard Commands for Programmable Instruments) is a programming language for
controlling instrument functions over the RS232 or IEEE 488 bus. The same SCPI
commands and parameters control the same functions in different classes of instruments.
For example, you would use the same MEAS:VOLT? command to measure the AC source
output voltage or the output voltage of a SCPI-compatible multimeter.

11.1. Conventions Used in This Manual

Angle brackets<> Items within angle brackets are parameter abbreviations. For

example, <NR1> indicates a specific form of numerical data.

Vertical bar Vertical bars separate alternative parameters. For example, 0 | 1

indicates that either "0" or "1" can be used as a parameter.

Square Brackets[] Items within square brackets are optional. The representation

[SOURce:]VOLT means that SOURce: may be omitted.

Boldface font Boldface font is used to emphasize syntax in command definitions.

CURR <NRf> shows a command definition.

Upper case font Upper case font is used to show program lines in text. OUTP 1

shows a program line.

11.2. The SCPI Commands and Messages

This paragraph explains the syntax difference between SCPI Commands and SCPI
messages.

11.2.1. Types of SCPI Commands

SCPI has two types of commands, common and subsystem.

• Common commands are generally not related to specific operations but to controlling
overall AC source functions such as reset, status and synchronization. All common
commands consist of a three-letter mnemonic preceded by an asterisk:

*RST *IDN? *SRE 255

• Subsystem commands perform specific AC source functions. They are organized into
an inverted tree structure with the "root" at the top. Some are single commands while
others are grouped within specific subsystems. You must include the root header in

all commands sent to the AC source.

Refer to appendix A for the AC source SCPI tree structure.

11.2.2. Types of SCPI Messages

46

There are two types of SCPI messages, program and response.

October 2001 RP Series

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

• A program message consists of one or more properly formatted SCPI commands sent
from the controller to the AC source. The message, which may be sent at any time,
requests the AC source to perform some action.

• A response message consists of data in a specific SCPI format sent from the AC
source to the controller. The AC source sends the message only when commanded by a
program message called a "query."

11.2.3. The SCPI Command Tree

As previously explained, the basic SCPI communication method involves sending one or
more properly formatted commands from the SCPI command tree to the instrument as
program messages. The following figure shows a portion of a subsystem command tree,
from which you access the commands located along the various paths (you can see the
complete tree in appendix A).

Root

[:SOURce] :VOLTage [:LEVel]

:CURRent :RANGe

:SYSTem :REMote

:ERRor

:LIMit :FREQuency :LOW?

:HIGH?

Figure 11-1: Partial Command Tree

The Root Level

Note the location of the ROOT node at the top of the tree. Commands at the root level are
at the top level of the command tree. The SCPI interface is at this location when:

• the AC source is powered on

• a device clear (DCL) is sent to the AC source

• the SCPI interface encounters a message terminator

• the SCPI interface encounters a root specifier

Active Header Path

In order to properly traverse the command tree, you must understand the concept of the
active header path. When the AC source is turned on (or under any of the other conditions
listed above), the active path is at the root. That means the SCPI interface is ready to
accept any command at the root level, such as SOURCe or MEASurement.

RP Series October 2001

47

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

If you enter SOURCe the active header path moves one colon to the right. The interface is
now ready to accept :VOLTage :FREQuency, or :CURRent as the next header. You must
include the colon, because it is required between headers.

If you now enter :VOLTage, the active path again moves one colon to the right. The
interface is now ready to accept either :RANGe or :LEVel as the next header.

If you now enter :RANGe you have reached the end of the command string. The active
header path remains at :RANGe If you wished, you could have entered :RANGe 136 ;LEVel
115 and it would be accepted as a compound message consisting of:

1. SOUR:VOLT:RANG 136.

2. SOUR:VOLT:LEV 115.

The entire message would be:

SOUR:VOLT:RANG 136;LEV 115.
The message terminator after LEVel 115 returns the path to the root.
Note: The RP Series interface buffer is limited to 21 characters, however. As such,

compound commands are not recommended as they often exceed this message length limit.

Moving Among Subsystems

In order to combine commands from different subsystems, you need to be able to restore
the active path to the root. You do this with the root specifier (:). For example, you could set
the output frequency to 60 Hz and set the display mode to frequency.

FREQ 60

DISP:MODE 0
Because the root specifier resets the command parser to the root, you can use the root

specifier and do the same thing in one message:

FREQ 60;:DISP:MODE 0

Including Common Commands

You can combine common commands with system commands in the same message. Treat
the common command as a message unit by separating it with a semicolon (the message
unit separator). Common commands do not affect the active header path; you may insert
them anywhere in the message.

48

VOLTage 115;*ESE 255

OUTPut 0;*RCL 2

October 2001 RP Series

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

11.3. Using Queries

Observe the following precautions with queries:

• Set up the proper number of variables for the returned data.

• Read back all the results of a query before sending another command to the AC

source. Otherwise a Query Error will occur and the unreturned data will be lost.

11.4. Structure of a SCPI Message

SCPI messages consist of one or more message units ending in a message terminator. The
terminator is not part of the syntax, but implicit in the way your programming language
indicates the end of a line (such as a newline or end-of-line character).

11.4.1. The Message Unit

The simplest SCPI command is a single message unit consisting of a command header (or
keyword) followed by a message terminator.

FREQuency?<newline>
VOLTage?<newline>

The message unit may include a parameter after the header. The parameter usually is
numeric:

VOLTage 20<newline>
OUTPut 1<newline>

RP Series October 2001

49

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

11.4.2. Combining Message Units

The following command message is briefly described here, with details in subsequent
paragraphs.

Header

SOUR:VOLT 80; FREQ 60; :CURR? <NL>

Separator Unit Specifier Terminator

Data Query Indicator
Message Unit

Header Message Root Message

Separator

Figure 11-2: Command Message Structure

The basic parts of the above message are:

Message Component Example

Headers SOURC VOLT FREQ CURR
Header Separator The colon in SOUR:VOLT
Data 80 60
Data Separator The space in VOLT 80 and FREQ 60
Message Units VOLT 80 FREQ 60 CURR?
Message Unit Separator The semicolons in VOLT 80; and FREQ 60;
Root Specifier The colon in :CURR?
Query Indicator The question mark in CURR?
Message Terminator The <NL> (newline) indicator. Terminators are not part of

the SCPI syntax

Note: The use of compound messages such as the one shown in Figure 12-2 is not
recommended as they typically exceed the available receive buffer length of the RP Series
interface.

50

October 2001 RP Series

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

11.4.3. Headers

Headers are instructions recognized by the AC source. Headers (which are sometimes
known as "keywords") may be either in the long form or the short form.

Long Form The header is completely spelled out, such as VOLTAGE, SYSTEM, and

OUTPUT.

Short Form The header has only the first three or four letters, such as VOLT, SYST,

and OUTP.

The SCPI interface is not sensitive to case. It will recognize any case mixture, such as
VOLTAGE, VOLTage,Voltage. Short form headers result in faster program execution.

In view of the 21 character receive buffer size of the RP Series, the short form is
recommended under all circumstances.

Header Convention

In the command descriptions in chapter 13 of this manual, headers are emphasized with
boldface type. The proper short form is shown in upper-case letters, such as DELay.

Header Separator
If a command has more than one header, you must separate them with a colon

(SYSTem:ERRor LIMit:FREQuency:LOW).

Optional Headers

The use of some headers is optional. Optional headers are shown in brackets, such as
VOLTage[:LEVel] 100.

11.4.4. Query Indicator

Following a header with a question mark turns it into a query (VOLTage?, VRANGe?).

11.4.5. Message Unit Separator

When two or more message units are combined into a compound message, separate the
units with a semicolon (VOLT 100;FREQ 60).

RP Series October 2001

51

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

11.4.6. Root Specifier

When it precedes the first header of a message unit, the colon becomes the root specifier.
It tells the command parser that this is the root or the top node of the command tree. Note
the difference between root specifiers and header separators in the following examples:

SOURce:VOLTage:LEVel 100 All colons are header separators
:SOURce:VOLTage:LEVel 100 Only the first colon is a root specifier
SOURce:VOLTage:LEVel 100;:FREQuency 55 Only the third colon is a root specifier

You do not have to precede root-level commands with a colon; there is an implied colon in
front of every root-level command.

11.4.7. Message Terminator

A terminator informs SCPI that it has reached the end of a message. The only permitted
message terminator is:

• newline (<NL>), which is ASCII decimal 10 or hex 0A.
In the examples of this manual, there is an assumed message terminator at the end of each

message. If the terminator needs to be shown, it is indicated as <NL> regardless of the
actual terminator character.

11.5. SCPI Data Formats

All data programmed to or returned from the AC source is in ASCII. The data type may be
numerical or character string.

11.5.1. Numerical Data Formats

Symbol Data Form

Talking Formats

<NR1> Digits with an implied decimal point assumed at the right of the least-

significant digit. Examples: 273
<NR2> Digits with an explicit decimal point. Example:.0273
<NR3> Digits with an explicit decimal point and an exponent. Example: 2.73E+2
<Bool> Boolean Data. Example: 0 | 1

Listening Formats

<Nrf> Extended format that includes <NR1>, <NR2> and <NR3>. Examples: 273.2

, 2.73E2
<Bool> Boolean Data. Example: 0 | 1

52

October 2001 RP Series

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

11.5.2. Character Data

Character strings returned by query statements may take either of the following forms,
depending on the length of the returned string:

<CRD> Character Response Data. Permits the return of character strings.
<AARD> Arbitrary ASCII Response Data. Permits the return of undelimited 7-bit

ASCII. This data type has an implied message terminator.

<SRD> String Response Data. Returns string parameters enclosed in double

quotes.

RP Series October 2001

53

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

12. System Considerations

• This chapter addresses some system issues concerning programming.

12.1. IEEE Interface

The 801RP/1251RP can optionally be equipped with both RS232C and IEEE-488
interfaces. The desired interface is selected by moving the DIP switch position 5 to the
correct mode. Only one interface can be active at a time.

12.1.1. IEEE Address Selection

The IEEE address of the 801RP/1251RP is set using the DIP switch at the rear of the unit.
Switch position 4 through 0 corresponds to bits 4 through 0 of the IEEE address. See
Figure 12-1 below.

• The black section represents the switches.

• The above configuration would cause the 801RP/1251RP to be in GPIB mode at

address 10.

• Listen only must be in the up position to work properly.

Note: Switch setting changes do not take effect until power is cycled.

12.2. RS232C Interface

A suitable cable to connect the 801RP/1251RP AC Source to a 9 pin PC-AT style serial
port is supplied with the source. If you are unable to locate this cable, you need to use a
cable that conforms to the wiring diagram shown in Figure 12-2.

54

Figure 12-1: GPIB Address Selection Switch

October 2001 RP Series

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

12.2.1. Serial Communication Test Program

The following sample program written in Quick-BASIC can be used to check communication
to the RP Series AC source over the RS232C serial interface. The interface is optional and
must be installed for this to work.

'California Instruments P Series RS232C Communication Demo Program
'(c) 1996 Copyright California Instruments, All Rights Reserved
'
'This program is for demonstration purposes only and is not to be
'used for any commercial application
'================================================================
'Function and Subroutine Declarations
DECLARE FUNCTION retstring$ ()

'================================================================
'MAIN PROGRAM CODE
'================================================================

'OPEN COM2. Replace with COM1, COM3 or COM4 for Com port used
'The input and output buffers are set to 2K each although
'this is not required for most operations.

OPEN "COM2:9600,n,8,1,BIN,LF,TB2048,RB2048" FOR RANDOM AS #1 LEN = 1
CLS
PRINT "**** P SERIES INTERACTIVE MODE ****"
'Enter and endless loop to accept user entered commands
DO
INPUT "Enter Command ('quit' to exit)--> ", cmd$
IF cmd$ <> "QUIT" AND cmd$ <> "quit" THEN
IF LEN(cmd$) > 0 THEN
PRINT #1, cmd$ + CHR$(10);
END IF
IF INSTR(cmd$, "?") THEN
PRINT "AC Source response = " + retstring$
END IF
'Check for Errors after each command is issued
PRINT #1, "*ESR?" + CHR$(10);
'Mask off bits 5,4,3,2 only. Other bits are not used.
esr% = VAL(retstring$) AND 60
'Process esr% value for error bits
IF esr% AND 4 THEN
PRINT "*** Query Error Reported by AC Source ***"
END IF
IF esr% AND 8 THEN
PRINT "*** Instrument Dependent Error Reported by AC Source ***"
END IF
IF esr% AND 16 THEN
PRINT "*** Command Execution Error Reported by AC Source ***"
END IF
IF esr% AND 32 THEN
PRINT "*** Command Syntax Error Reported by AC Source ***"
END IF
'Clear ERR. -XXX Message from front panel if any error occured
IF esr% <> 0 THEN
PRINT #1, "*CLS" + CHR$(10);
END IF
END IF
LOOP UNTIL cmd$ = "QUIT" OR cmd$ = "quit"
'Close COM port on exit
CLOSE #1
END

'================================================================

RP Series October 2001

55

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

FUNCTION retstring$
'This function returns a response string from the P Series

'AC power source. The QBasic statement LINE INPUT cannot be used
'as the P Series does not return a CR <13> after a response
'message. The LINE INPUT function waits for a CR before
'returning a string. The P Series returns a LF <10> instead
'so we need to poll each returned character for a LF to
'assemble the response string. The COM port needs to be
'opened AS random with a record length of 1 for it to support
'this function. Also, the device number is assumed to be #1
'Optionally, this value could be passed as a parameter to
'make this program more generic.

DIM char AS STRING * 1
DIM resp AS STRING
char = ""
resp = ""
DO
char = INPUT$(1, #1)
resp = resp + char
LOOP UNTIL char = CHR$(10)
'Return result
retstring = LEFT$(resp, LEN(resp) - 1)

END FUNCTION

56

October 2001 RP Series

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

12.2.2. Serial Cable Diagram

The following wiring diagram is required for the serial interface cable between the RP Series
AC power source and a PC communications port connector.

Figure 12-2: RS232C Interface cable wiring diagram

DB-9 PC

Pin

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

DB-9 AC Source

Pin

Direction

1

output

2

input

3

output

4

output

5

-

6

input

7

-

8

-

9

output

Description
reserved
Receive data(RxD)
Transmit data (TxD)
Data Terminal Ready (DTR)
Signal Ground
Data Set Ready (DSR)
no connect
no connect
reserved

RP Series October 2001

57

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

13. SCPI Command Reference

13.1. Introduction

Related Commands
Where appropriate, related commands or queries are included. These are listed because

they are either directly related by function, or because reading about them will clarify or
enhance your understanding of the original command or query.

This chapter is organized as follows:

• Subsystem commands, arranged by subsystem

• IEEE 488.2 common commands

13.2. Subsystem Commands

Subsystem commands are specific to AC source functions. They can be a single command
or a group of commands. The groups are comprised of commands that extend one or more
levels below the root. The description of common commands follows the description of the
subsystem commands.

The subsystem command groups are listed in alphabetical order and the commands within
each subsystem are grouped alphabetically under the subsystem. Commands followed by a
question mark (?) take only the query form. When commands take both the command and
query form, this is noted in the syntax descriptions.

58

October 2001 RP Series

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

13.2.1. Measurement Subsystem

This subsystem programs the current and voltage measurement capability of the RP Series
AC source.

Subsystem Syntax

:MEASure

:CURRent? Returns the rms value of current

:VOLTage? Returns the rms value of voltage

MEASure:CURRent?

This query returns the rms value of the output AC current being sourced at the output
terminals. Note that the output relay must be closed to obtain current flow.

Query Syntax MEASure:CURRent?
Parameters None
Examples MEAS:CURR?
Returned Parameters <NR2>
Related Commands OUTP 0  1

MEASure:VOLTage?

This query returns the AC rms voltage being sourced at the output terminals. Note that the
output relay must be closed or 0 volts will exist at the terminals.

Query Syntax MEASure:VOLTage?
Parameters None
Examples MEAS:VOLT?
Returned Parameters <NR2>
Related Commands OUTP 0  1

RP Series October 2001

59

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

13.2.2. Source Subsystem

This subsystem programs all the output parameters of the RP Series AC source.

Subsystem Syntax

[SOURce:]

CURRent: Set the rms current limit in amps.
VOLTage:

[LEVel] Set the rms output voltage value in volts.

RANGe: Set the output voltage range.

FREQuency: Set the output frequency value in Hz.

CURRent

This command sets the rms current limit of the output. If the output current exceeds this limit,
the output latches into a disabled state when current limiting occurs. The output voltage
programming is reset to zero when this condition occurs and the output relay state is set to
OFF.

Note that the CURRent command is coupled with the VRANGe. This means that the
maximum current limit that can be programmed at a given time depends on the voltage range
setting in which the unit is presently operating.

Command Syntax [SOURce:]CURRent <NRf>
Parameters 0 to a value specified by the LIM:CURR
Unit A (rms amperes)
*RST Defined by the PON
Examples CURR 5
Query Syntax CURRent?
Returned Parameters <NR2>
Related Commands VOLT:RANG

FREQuency

This command sets the frequency of the output sinewave.
Command Syntax [SOURce:]FREQuency <NRf+>

Parameters range specified by the LIM:FREQ:LOW and LIM:FREQ:HIGH
Unit Hz (Hertz)

*RST Value defined by PON
Examples FREQ 50
Query Syntax FREQuency?
Returned Parameters <NR2>
Related Commands LIM:FREQ;LOW? LIM:FREQ:HIGH?

commands

60

October 2001 RP Series

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

VOLTage

This command programs the AC rms output voltage level of the power source.
Command Syntax [SOURce:]VOLTage[:LEVel] <NRf+>

Parameters 0 to maximum voltage range specified by the VRAN command
Unit V (rms voltage)
*RST Value 0 volt
Examples VOLT 250 VOLT:LEV 25
Query Syntax [SOURce:]VOLTage[:LEVel]?
Returned Parameters <NR2>
Related Commands VOLT:RANGe

RANGe

This command sets the voltage range of the power source . Two voltage ranges are
available: a 135 volt range and a 270 volt range. However, to allow this voltage to be
present at the load, the AC source allows voltage settings slightly higher than this. This
allows for one or two volt of cable loss. Consequently, the actual voltage range values will
be slightly higher than 135 and 270. To determine the actual range values, use the query
format of the RANGE command. The returned values for high and low range (eg. 136 and

272) should be used to change range. In any case, the high voltage range value will be two
times the low voltage range value. Sending a parameter other than the actual range values
will not be accepted. Some RP Series may use other voltage range values than shown
here. It is recommended to query the actual range values using the LIM:VOLT? query as
part of your application program.

When the range is set to 136, the maximum rms voltage that can be programmed is 136
volts.

The VRANGe command is coupled with the CURRent command. This means that the
maximum current limit that can be programmed at a given time depends on the voltage range
setting in which the unit is presently operating.

Command Syntax [SOURce:]VOLTage:RANGe<NRf+>
Parameters 136 | 272
*RST Value defined by the PONS
Examples VOLT:RANG 136
Query Syntax VOLT:RANGe?
Returned Parameters <NR2>
Related Commands VOLT LIM:VOLT?

RP Series October 2001

61

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

13.2.3. Output Subsystem

This subsystem controls the main output function of the RP Series source.

Subsystem Syntax

OUTPut <bool> Enable/disable output voltage, current, power, etc.

OUTPut

Command Syntax OUTPut <bool>
Parameters 0 | 1
*RST Value OFF
Examples OUTP 1 OUTP: ON
Query Syntax OUTPut?
Returned Parameters 0 | 1
Related Commands *RCL *SAV

62

October 2001 RP Series

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

13.2.4. Limit Subsystem

This subsystem controls the voltage frequency and current limit of the power source. These
limits are set at the factory and depend on the power source rating. It is not accessible by
the user. The query format is accessible however.

Subsystem Syntax

LIMit:

FREQuency:

LOW? Queries the lower frequency limit

HIGH? Queries the upper frequency limit
VOLTage? Queries the upper voltage limit
CURRent? Queries the upper current limit

LIMit:FREQuency:LOW?

This command queries the lower frequency limit of the power source.
Command Syntax LIMit:FREQuency:LOW <NRf>

Parameters Low freq limit [command protected]
Query Syntax LIMit:FREQuency:LOW?
Returned Parameters <NR2>

LIMit:FREQuency:HIGH?

This command queries the upper frequency limit of the power source.
Command Syntax LIMit:FREQuency:HIGH <NRf>

Parameters High freq limit [command protected]
Query Syntax LIMit:FREQuency:HIGH?
Returned Parameters <NR2>

LIMit:CURRent?

This command queries the maximum current limit the power source will operate at in the low
voltage range.

Command Syntax [SOURce:]LIMit:CURRent <NRf>
Parameters maximum current limit at low voltage range [command

Query Syntax LIMit:CURRent?
Returned Parameters <NR2>

protected]

RP Series October 2001

63

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

LIMit:VOLTage?

This command queries the maximum voltage the power source will operate at in the high
voltage range.

Command Syntax LIMit:VOLTage<NRf>
Parameters maximum voltage available in high voltage range[command

protected]
Query Syntax LIMit:VOLTage?
Returned Parameters <NR2>

13.2.5. Display Subsystem

DISPlay:MODE

This command is used to control the AC source display. The command will allow the
Frequency/Current display to switch between display of current or frequency data.

Command Syntax DISPlay:MODE <boolean>
Parameters 0 display frequency, 1 display current
Query Syntax DISPlay:MODE <boolean>?
Returned Parameters <NR2>

64

October 2001 RP Series

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

13.3. System Commands

The system commands control the system level functions of the AC Source.

13.3.1. System Syntax Command

Subsystem Syntax

SYSTem:

ERRor? Returns the error number and error string
LOCal Go to local mode
REMote Go to remote mode
PON Define the power on register number

SYSTem:ERRor?

This query returns the next error number followed by its corresponding error message string
from the remote programming error queue. The queue is a FIFO (first-in, first-out) buffer that
stores errors as they occur. As it is read, each error is removed from the queue. When all
errors have been read, the query returns 0,”No Error”. If more errors are accumulated than
the queue can hold, the last error in the queue is -350,”Too Many Errors”.

Query Syntax SYSTem:ERRor?
Parameters None
Returned Parameters <NR1>,<SRD>
Example SYST:ERR?

SYSTem:KLOCk

This command sets or clears the power on LOCAL or REMOTE state. When set (1), the AC
Source will power up in remote state, locking out all keyboard controls. The local state can
only be entered by sending a bus command. This mode may be used to prevent operator
access to front panel controls under all conditions. Note that changing the state of the
KLOC setting does not change the REMOTE or LOCAL state. This setting only affects the
REMOTE/LOCAL state at power-up.

Command Syntax SYSTem:KLOCk
Parameters 0 | 1
Example SYST:KLOC 1
Query Syntax SYST:KLOC?
Returned Parameters <NR1>
Related Commands SYST:REM SYST:LOC

RP Series October 2001

65

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

SYSTem:LOCal

This command sets the interface in Local state, which enables the front panel controls. This
command only applies to the RS232C interface. If IEEE 488 is used, the remote/local state
is determined by the REN line on the IEEE 488 interface.

Command Syntax SYSTem:LOCal
Parameters None
Example SYST:LOC
Related Commands SYST:REM

SYSTem:REMote

This command sets the interface in the Remote state, which disables all front panel
controls. This command only applies to the RS232C interface. If IEEE 488 is used, the
remote/local status is determined by the REN line on the IEEE 488 interface.

Command Syntax SYSTem:REMote
Parameters None
Example SYST:REM
Related Commands SYST:LOC

66

October 2001 RP Series

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

SYSTem:PON

This command is used to define the register value the power source will use to initialize its
parameters at power up. If data in the selected register is not valid or the selected register
is 8, the initialization will be with factory default values. Refer to paragraph 14.4.6.

Command Syntax SYSTem:PON <NRf+>
Parameters 0 to 8
Examples SYST:PON 1
Query Syntax SYST:PON?
Returned Parameters <NR1>
Related Commands *SAV

RP Series October 2001

67

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

13.4. Common Commands

Common commands begin with an * and consist of three letters (command) or three letters
and a ? (query). Common commands are defined by the IEEE 488.2 standard to perform
some common interface functions. The power source responds to the required common
commands that control status reporting, synchronization, and internal operations. RP
Series units also respond to optional common commands that control stored operating
parameters.

Common commands and queries are listed alphabetically. If a command has a
corresponding query that simply returns the data or status specified by the command, then
both command and query are included under the explanation for the command. If a query
does not have a corresponding command or is functionally different from the command, then
the query is listed separately. The description for each common command or query
specifies any status registers affected. Refer to Chapter 15 which explains how to read
specific register bits and use the information that they return.

Common Commands Syntax
*CLS Clear status

*ESE <n> Standard event status enable
*ESE? Return standard event status enable
*ESR? Return event status register
*IDN? Return instrument identification
*RCL <n> Recall instrument state
*RST Reset
*SAV <n> Save instrument state
*SRE <n> Set service request enable register
*SRE? Return service request enable register
*STB? Return status byte

68

October 2001 RP Series

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

13.4.1. *CLS

This command clears the following registers (see chapter 15 for descriptions of all status
registers):

· Standard Event Status

· Status Byte

· Error Queue
Command Syntax *CLS

Parameters None

13.4.2. *ESE

This command programs the Standard Event Status Enable register bits. The programming
determines which events of the Standard Event Status Event register (see *ESR?) are
allowed to set the ESB (Event Summary Bit) of the Status Byte register. A "1" in the bit
position enables the corresponding event. All of the enabled events of the Standard Event
Status Enable Register are logically ORed to cause the Event Summary Bit (ESB) of the
Status Byte Register to be set. See Section 16 for descriptions of the Standard Event
Status registers.

The query reads the Standard Event Status Enable register.

Table 11: Bit configuration of standard event status enable register

Bit Position 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
Bit Name PON not

used

Bit Weight 128 32 16 8 4

CME Command error DDE Device-dependent error
EXE Execution error QYE Query error
PON Power-on

Command Syntax *ESE <NRf>
Parameters 0 - 255
Power-On Value 128
Example *ESE 129
Query Syntax *ESE?
Returned Parameters <NR1>(Register value)
Related Commands *ESR? *STB?

CME EXE DDE QYE not

used

not

used

RP Series October 2001

69

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

13.4.3. *ESR?

This query reads the Standard Event Status register. Reading the register clears it. The bit
configuration of this register is the same as the Standard Event Status Enable register (see
*ESE).

Query Syntax *ESR?
Parameters None
Returned Parameters <NR1>(Register value)
Related Commands *CLS *ESE *ESE?

If the *ESR? returns the value of the status bits in the ESR register. Refer to Table 12 for
the status bits and their meaning.

Table 12: Bit configuration of standard event status register

Bit Position 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

Bit Name PON not

used

Bit Weight 128 32 16 8 4

CME EXE DDE QYE not

used

not

used

CME Command error DDE Device-dependent error
EXE Execution error QYE Query error
PON Power-on

70

October 2001 RP Series

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

13.4.4. *IDN?

This query requests the source to identify itself. It returns the data in four fields separated
by commas.

Query Syntax *IDN?
Returned Parameters <AARD>

Field Information
CI Manufacturer
xxxxxx Model number and letter
nnnnnn Serial number or 0
Rev. x.x Revision level of firmware

Example "CI,1251P,S123,Rev 1.0"

Note: The 801RP/1251RP responds to a *IDN? query with model number 1251P.

This is normal and should be interpreted as a 801RP/1251RP. There are no
functional differences between the 1251P and 801RP/1251RP with respect to
remote control.

13.4.5. *RCL

This command restores the AC source to a state that was previously stored in memory with
a *SAV command to the specified location. All states are recalled with the following
exceptions:

· DISPlay:MODE
Command Syntax *RCL <NRf>

Parameters 0 through 7
Example *RCL 3
Related Commands *RST *SAV

WARNING: Recalling a previously stored state may place hazardous voltages at
the AC source output.

RP Series October 2001

71

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

13.4.6. *RST

This command resets the AC source to a setting defined by the values in the register
defined by PON if valid or by the following factory-defined states:

Table 13: *RST default parameter values

Item Value Item Value

VOLT 0V FREQ 60 HZ
CURR Note VOLT:RANGe 136V

OUTP 0 (OFF) DISP:MODE 0 (FREQ)
Note: For 1251RP: 9.2A For 801RP: 6A
Command Syntax *RST

Parameters None
Related Commands *SAV

Register Status on Power On Status after *RST

- ESE register All 0’s All 0’s

- ESR register PON bit = 1, all others 0 PON = 0, all others unaffected

- STB register All 0’s All 0’s

- SRE register All 0’s All 0’s

Note: Sending the *RST command will cause the unit to recall the REMOTE or LOCAL state
based on the setting of the SYSTem:KLOCk command. This may put the unit in local if this
state is set to 0. To avoid this, either set the SYSTem:KLOCk state to 1 or follow the *RST
command with a SYST:LOC command. See SYSTem:KLOCk for information on the power
up remote / local state.

13.4.7. *SAV

This command stores the present state of the AC source to a specified location in memory.
Up to 8 states can be stored in nonvolatile memory.

Command Syntax *SAV
Parameters 0 through 7
Related Commands *RCL *RST

Table 14: Status register power on condition

72

October 2001 RP Series

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

13.4.8. *SRE

This command sets the condition of the Service Request Enable Register. This register
determines which bits from the Status Byte Register (see *STB for its bit configuration) are
allowed to set the Master Status Summary (MSS). A 1 in any Service Request Enable
Register bit position enables the corresponding Status Byte Register bit and all such
enabled bits then are logically ORed to cause Bit 6 of the Status Byte Register to be set.
See chapter 15 for more details concerning this process.

When the controller conducts a STB? command, the MSS bit is not cleared. When *SRE is
cleared (by programming it with 0), the source cannot generate an MSS bit.

Command Syntax *SRE <NRf>
Parameters 0 to 255
Default Value 128
Example *SRE 255
Query Syntax *SRE?
Returned Parameters <NR1>(Register binary value)
Related Commands *ESE *ESR

13.4.9. *STB?

This query reads the Status Byte register, which contains the status summary bits and the
Output Queue MAV bit. Reading the Status Byte register does not clear it. The input
summary bits are cleared when the appropriate event registers are read (see Section 15 for
more information).

Bit Position 7 6 5 4 3 2 - 0

Bit Name OPER MSS ESB MAV QUES not used
Bit Weight 128 64 32 16 8

OPER operation status summary MSS master status summary
ESB event status byte summary
QUES questionable status summary MAV message available

Query Syntax *STB?
Returned Parameters <NR1> (Register binary value)

Table 15: Bit Configuration of Status Byte Register

RP Series October 2001

73

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

14. Programming Examples

14.1. Introduction

This chapter contains examples on how to program the AC source. Simple examples show
you how to program:

· output functions such as voltage and frequency

· measurement functions
The examples in this chapter use generic SCPI commands. See Section 11 for information

about encoding the commands as language strings. Where appropriate, optional commands
are shown for clarity in the examples.

14.2. Programming the Output

Power-on Initialization

When the AC source is first turned on, it wakes up with the output state defined by the PON
register number. If the register number or the register has no valid data, the AC source
initializes to the following state.

VOLT 0
FREQ 60
OUTP 0
VOLT:RANG 136

The following commands are given implicitly at power-on:
*RST

*CLS
*SRE 128
*ESE 0

*RST is a convenient way to program all parameters to a known state. Refer to the *RST
command in paragraph 13.4.6 to see how each programmable parameter is set by *RST.

Enabling the Output

To enable the output, use the command:
OUTPut 1

Voltage and Frequency

The AC rms output voltage is controlled with the VOLTage command. For example, to set
the AC output voltage to 125 volts rms, use:

74

VOLTage 125
The maximum voltage that the AC source can output is limited by the rms value of the

waveform. This value is defined by the LIMIT subsystem.

October 2001 RP Series

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

Voltage Ranges
The power source has two voltage ranges that are controlled by a relay. The command that

controls the range is:
VOLTage:RANGe 136 | 272
When the range is set to (136), the maximum rms voltage that can be programmed is 136

volts rms, but it is only on this range that the maximum output current rating is available.
The VRANGe command is coupled with the CURRent command. This means that the

maximum current limit that can be programmed at a given time depends on the voltage range
setting in which the unit is presently operating.

Frequency
The output frequency is controlled with the FREQuency command. To set the output

frequency to 50 Hz, use:
FREQuency 50

Current Limit

To set the rms current limit use:
CURRent <n>
where <n> is the rms current limit in amperes.
If the load attempts to draw more current than the programmed limit, The AC source is

programmed to turn off its output if the rms current limit is reached.

Note: The CURRent command is coupled with the VOLTage:RANGe. This means

that the maximum current limit that can be programmed at a given time
depends on the voltage range setting in which the unit is presently
operating.

14.3. Making Measurements

The source has the capability to return current and voltage measurements.

Voltage and Current Measurements

To measure the rms voltage or current, use:

MEASure:VOLTage?
or
MEASure:CURRent?

RP Series October 2001

75

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

15. Status Registers

You can use status register programming to determine the operating condition of the AC
source at any time. For example, you may program the AC source to generate an MSS bit
when an event such as a current limit occurs. When the MSS bit is set, your program can
then act on the event in the appropriate fashion.

Figure 15-1: AC Source Status System Model

Standard event status Status request
Event Enable Logic Output Byte enable Logic
*ESR? *ESE *STB? *SRE

n.u. 0 Queue n.u. 0
n.u. 1 Data n.u. 1

QYE 2 4 4 Data n.u. 2
DDE 3 8 8 Data n.u. 3
EXE 4 16 16 OR MAV 4 16 16 OR
CME 5 32 32 ESB 5 32 32
n.u. 6 MSS 6 64 64
PON 7 128 128 n.u. 7

Service

Figure 15-1 shows the status register structure of the AC source.
The Standard Event, Status Byte, and Service Request Enable registers and the Output

Queue perform standard IEEE-488 functions as defined in the IEEE 488.2 Standard Digital
Interface for Programmable Instrumentation.

15.1. Power-On Conditions

Refer to the *RST command description in paragraph 13.4.6 for the power-on conditions of
the status registers.

76

October 2001 RP Series

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

15.2. Standard Event Status Group

This group consists of an Event register and an Enable register that are programmed by
Common commands. The Standard Event register latches events relating to interface
communication status. It is a read-only register that is cleared when read. The Standard
Event Enable register functions similarly to the enable registers of the Operation and
Questionable status groups.

Command Action

*ESE programs specific bits in the Standard Event Enable register.
*ESR? reads and clears the Standard Event register.

The PON bit in the Standard Event register is set whenever the AC source is turned on.

15.3. Status Byte Register

This register summarizes the information from all other status groups as defined in the IEEE

488.2 Standard Digital Interface for Programmable Instrumentation. The bit configuration is
shown in Table 15.

Command Action

*STB? reads the data in the register but does not clear it (returns MSS in bit 6)

The MSS Bit
This is a real-time (unlatched) summary of all Status Byte register bits that are enabled by

the Service Request Enable register. MSS is set whenever the AC source has one or more
reasons for needing service. *STB? reads the MSS in bit position 6 of the response but
does not clear any of the bits in the Status Byte register.

The MAV bit and Output Queue
The Output Queue is a first-in, first-out (FIFO) data register that stores AC source-to-

controller messages until the controller reads them. Whenever the queue holds one or more
bytes, it sets the MAV bit (bit 4) of the Status byte register.

RP Series October 2001

77

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

15.4. Examples

The following section contains examples of commonly used operations involving the status
registers.

You can determine the reason for an MSS bit set by the following actions:
Step 1 : Determine which summary bits are active. Use:

*STB?

Step 2 : Read the corresponding Event register for each summary bit to determine which

events caused the summary bit to be set. Use:

ESR?

Note: When an Event register is read, it is cleared. This also clears the

corresponding summary bit.

Step 3 : Remove the specific condition that caused the event. If this is not possible, the

event may be disabled by programming the corresponding bit of the status group
Enable.

78

October 2001 RP Series

User and Programming Manual - Rev L

Appendix A: SCPI Command tree

Command Syntax Tree
Root

[SOURce:] :CURRent

:FREQuency
:VOLTage [:LEVel]

:OUTPut

:MEASurement :CURRent?

:VOLTage?

:RANGe

:DISPlay :MODE

:SYSTem :PON

:REMote
:LOCal
:SAVE

:LIMit :CURRent

:VOLTage
:FREQuency :LOW

:HIGH

RP Series October 2001

79

User and Programming Manual - Rev L California Instruments

Appendix B: SCPI Conformance Information

SCPI Version

The RP Series AC power sources conform to SCPI version 1990.0.

80 October 2001 RP Series

User and Programming Manual - Rev L California Instruments

Appendix C: Error Messages

Table 16: Error Messages

Error Number Error Message String Error Causes

0 "No error"

-100 "Command error" Generally the result of sending a
command that uses incorrect
syntax.

-200 "Execution error" Generally the result of sending a
value that is out of range, i.e., a
VOLT 200 command when the
unit is in the 136V (Low) range.

-300 "Device specific error" Generally the result of an
overcurrent (current limit trip) or
over temperature condition.

-350 "Queue overflow" Generally caused by too many
errors being generated without
reading error status, causing
error buffer to overflow.

-400 "Query error" Generally caused by sending a
query followed by another
command without accepting the
query response first.

RP Series October 2001

81

User and Programming Manual - Rev L California Instruments

Index

A

Acoustic.......................................................................7

B

bugs............................................................................37

C

Calibration.................................................................25

CE” mark.....................................................................7

CLS.............................................................................69

command

subsystem...............................................................58

commands

common.................................................................48

comments...................................................................37

Connect......................................................................39

Construction

internal.....................................................................6

Conventions...............................................................46

Cooling ........................................................................6

CURRent..................................................................60

D

Dimensions..................................................................6

DIP switch..................................................................54

directory

default program.....................................................40

disk

distribution............................................................39

diskette

distribution............................................................39

E

Efficiency.....................................................................3

Emissions.....................................................................7

ESE.............................................................................69

ESR? ..........................................................................70

F

Finish

paint..........................................................................6

form

End-user feedback.................................................37

formats

data.........................................................................52

forms

bug report...............................................................37

FREQuency............................................................60

Frequency Range .........................................................4

front panel...........................................................13, 37

lock.........................................................................14

Functional Test..........................................................10

H

hard disk space

required to install..................................................39

header

optional.................................................................51

separator ................................................................51

Header.......................................................................47

Hold-Up Time .............................................................3

I

icon

PGUI......................................................................40

IDN?...........................................................................71

IEEE-488..................................................................22

Immunity......................................................................7

Inrush Current..............................................................3

installation.............................................................9, 39

program..................................................................39

Installing

software.................................................................39

Introduction.................................................................1

Isolation Voltage.........................................................3

K

knob............................................................................15

L

LCD display...............................................................16

LED............................................................................31

LED indicators ..........................................................31

LIMit:CURRent.......................................................63

LIMit:FREQuency.................................................63

LIMit:VOLTage.......................................................64

Line Current: ...............................................................3

Line Frequency............................................................3

Line Voltage................................................................3

M

maintenance...............................................................31

manual........................................................................37

Material

chassis......................................................................6

MEASure:CURRent?................................................59

MEASure:VOLTage[:AC]?....................................59

memory

required to install..................................................39

models

supported...............................................................37

N

Noise............................................................................4

82 October 2001 RP Series

User and Programming Manual - Rev L California Instruments

O

Offset Voltage

D.C...........................................................................4

OUTPut[:STATe]...................................................62

Overcurrent..................................................................6

overload .....................................................................14

Overtemperature..........................................................6

Overvoltage..................................................................6

P

PGUI..........................................................................37

Power Factor ...............................................................3

Program Manager......................................................39

programming..............................................................54

Q

queries........................................................................49

R

RCL............................................................................71

registration.................................................................44

remote control ...........................................................14

replacement parts......................................................45

Requirements.............................................................37

root.............................................................................52

Root ...........................................................................47

RS232C....................................................................22

RST.............................................................................72

S

Safety............................................................................7

SAV............................................................................72

SCPI...........................................................................46

message..................................................................47

program message...................................................47

response message...................................................47

Separator....................................................................51

Setup

program..................................................................39

Shock............................................................................7

Short Circuit

current......................................................................6

shuttle.........................................................................15

simulation mode........................................................38

SRE............................................................................73

status..........................................................................14

STB? ..........................................................................73

suggestions ................................................................37

SYSTem:ERRor?..................................................65

SYSTem:KLOCk.....................................................65

SYSTem:LOCal.....................................................66

SYSTem:REMote..................................................66

T

Temperature

operating,storage.....................................................7

terminator ..................................................................52

top cover

removal..................................................................33

Transients

Input.........................................................................6

troubleshooting .........................................................31

V

Vibration......................................................................7

VOLTage .................................................................61

voltage ranges............................................................10

VOLTage:RANGe..................................................61

W

Weight..........................................................................6

Windows

95...........................................................................38

for Workgroups.....................................................38

version 3.1.............................................................38

version 3.1.1..........................................................38

wiring

input.........................................................................9

RP Series October 2001

83