Agilent 8163A Lightwave Multimeter,
Agilent 8164A Lightwave Measurement System, &
Agilent 8166A Lightwave Multichannel System
Programming Guide
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2 Agilent 8163A Lightwave Multimeter, Agilent 8164A Lightwave Measurement System,
& Agilent 8166A Lightwave Multichannel System, Third Edition
In this Manual
This manual contains information about SCPI commands which can be
used to program the following instruments:
• Agilent 8163A Lightwave Multimeter
• Agilent 8164A Lightwave Measurement System
• Agilent 8166A Lightwave Multichannel System
The Structure of this Manual
This manual is divided into 5 parts:
• “Introduction to Programming” on page 15 gives a general
introduction to SCPI programming with the Agilent 8163A Lightwave
Multimeter, the Agilent 8164A Lightwave Measurement System, and
the Agilent 8166A Lightwave Multichannel System.
• “Specific Commands” on page 35 lists all instrument specific
commands.
• “Instrument Setup and Status” on page 45, “Measurement
Operations & Settings” on page 67, and “Mass Storage, Display, and
Print Functions” on page 129 give fuller explanations of all
instrument specific commands.
• “VISA Programming Examples” on page 133 gives some example
programs showing how the SCPI commands can be used with the
Agilent 8163A Lightwave Multimeter, the Agilent 8164A Lightwave
Measurement System, and the Agilent 8166A Lightwave Multichannel
System.
• “The Agilent 816x VXIplug&play Instrument Driver” on page 155,
“GPIB Command Compatibility List” on page 183, and “Error
Codes” on page 191 give information about the Agilent 816x
VXIplug&play Instrument Driver, compatibility issues, and error
codes.
Conventions used in this Manual
• All commands and typed text is written in Courier font, for example
INIT[:IMM].
Agilent 8163A Lightwave Multimeter, Agilent 8164A Lightwave Measurement System, & Agilent 8166A Lightwave Multichannel
System, Third Edition
3
• SCPI commands are written in mixed case: text that you MUST print is
written in capitals; text which is helpful but nor necessary is written in
lower case.
So, the command INITiate[:IMMediate] can be entered either as
init[:imm], or as initiate[:immediate]. It does not matter
whether you enter text using capitals or lower-case letters.
• SCPI commands often contain extra arguments in square brackets.
These arguments may be helpful, but they need not be entered.
So, the command INITiate[:IMMediate] can be entered as init
or initiate:imm.
• A SCPI command which can be either a command or a query is
appended with the text /?.
So, DISPlay:ENABle/? refers to both the command
DISPlay:ENABle and the query DISPlay:ENABle?.
Related Manuals
You can find more information about the instruments covered by this
manual in the following manuals:
• Agilent 8163A Lightwave Multimeter, Agilent 8164A Lightwave
Measurement System, & Agilent 8166A Lightwave Multichannel
System User’s Guide (Agilent Product Number 08164-91011).
NOTE Please note that User Guides no longer contain programming
information, and must now be used in conjunction with this manual.
If you are not familiar with the General Purpose Interface Bus, GPIB,
then refer to the following books:
• ANSI/IEEE-488.1-1978, IEEE Standard Digital Interface for
Programmable Instrumentation, and ANSI/IEEE-488.2-1987, IEEE
Standard Codes, Formats, and Common Commands, published by
the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers.
In addition, the commands not from the IEEE 488.2 standard are defined
according to the Standard Commands for Programmable Instruments
(SCPI). For an introduction to SCPI and SCPI programming techniques,
refer to the following documents:
• Hewlett-Packard Press (Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Inc.): A
Beginners Guide to SCPI by Barry Eppler.
4 Agilent 8163A Lightwave Multimeter, Agilent 8164A Lightwave Measurement System,
& Agilent 8166A Lightwave Multichannel System, Third Edition
• The SCPI Consortium: Standard Commands for Programmable
Instruments. To obtain a copy of this manual, contact the following
address:
SCPI Consortium Office
Bode Enterprise
2515 Camino del Rio South, Suite 340
San Diego, CA, 92108
USA
Web: http://www.scpiconsortium.org
Agilent 8163A Lightwave Multimeter, Agilent 8164A Lightwave Measurement System, & Agilent 8166A Lightwave Multichannel
System, Third Edition
5
6 Agilent 8163A Lightwave Multimeter, Agilent 8164A Lightwave Measurement System,
& Agilent 8166A Lightwave Multichannel System, Third Edition
Contents
Contents
In this Manual 3
The Structure of this Manual 3
Conventions used in this Manual 3
Related Manuals 4
Contents 7
Figures 11
Tables 13
Introduction to Programming 15
GPIB Interface 17
Setting the GPIB Address 18
Returning the Instrument to Local Control 19
Message Queues 19
How the Input Queue Works 19
Clearing the Input Queue 20
The Output Queue 20
The Error Queue 20
Programming and Syntax Diagram Conventions 21
Short Form and Long Form 21
Command and Query Syntax 22
Units 22
Data Types 23
Slot and Channel Numbers 23
Laser Selection Numbers 24
Common Commands 25
Common Command Summary 25
Common Status Information 25
The Status Model 27
Status Registers 27
Status System for 8163A & 8164A 30
Status System for 8166A 30
Agilent 8163A Lightwave Multimeter, Agilent 8164A Lightwave Measurement System, & Agilent 8166A Lightwave Multichannel
System, Third Edition
7
Contents
Annotations 32
Status Byte Register 32
Standard Event Status Register 32
Operation/Questionable Status Summary 32
Operation/Questionable Status Summary Register 32
Operation/Questionable Slot Status 33
Operation Slot Status Register 33
Questionable Slot Status Register 33
Status Command Summary 34
Other Commands 34
Specific Commands 35
Specific Command Summary 37
Instrument Setup and Status 45
IEEE-Common Commands 47
Status Reporting – The STATus Subsystem 54
Interface/Instrument Behaviour Settings – The SYSTem
Subsystem
64
Measurement Operations & Settings 67
Root Layer Command 69
Measurement Functions – The SENSe Subsystem 72
Agilent 81635A and Agilent 81619A- Master and Slave
Channels
72
Signal Generation – The SOURce Subsystem 92
Triggering - The TRIGger Subsystem 117
Extended Trigger Configuration 123
Extended Trigger Configuration Example 127
Mass Storage, Display, and Print Functions 129
Display Operations – The DISPlay Subsystem 131
VISA Programming Examples 133
How to Use VISA Calls 135
How to Set up a Fixed Laser Source 137
How to Measure Power using FETCh and READ 139
8 Agilent 8163A Lightwave Multimeter, Agilent 8164A Lightwave Measurement System,
& Agilent 8166A Lightwave Multichannel System, Third Edition
Contents
How to Co-ordinate Two Modules
143
How Power Varies with Wavelength 147
How to Log Results 150
The Agilent 816x VXIplug&play Instrument Driver 155
Installing the Agilent 816x Instrument Driver 157
Using Visual Programming Environments 160
Getting Started with HP VEE 160
GPIB Interfacing in HP VEE 161
Getting Started with LabView 162
Getting Started with LabWindows 165
Features of the Agilent 816x Instrument Driver 165
Directory Structure 167
Opening an Instrument Session 167
Closing an Instrument Session 168
VISA Data Types and Selected Constant Definitions 168
Error Handling 169
Introduction to Programming 170
Example Programs 170
VISA-Specific Information 171
Instrument Addresses 171
Callbacks 171
Development Environments 171
Microsoft Visual C++ 4.0 (or higher) and Borland C++ 4.5 (or higher)
171
Microsoft Visual Basic 4.0 (or higher) 171
HP VEE 5.01 (or higher) 172
LabWindows CVI/ (R) 4.0 (or higher) 172
Online Information 172
Lambda Scan Applications 173
Equally Spaced Datapoints 174
How to Perform a Lambda Scan Application 176
The Prepare Lambda Scan Function 176
The Get Lambda Scan Parameters Function 177
The Execute Lambda Scan Function 177
How to Perform a Multi-Frame Lambda Scan Application 178
The Equally Spaced Datapoints Function 179
The Register Mainframe Function 179
Agilent 8163A Lightwave Multimeter, Agilent 8164A Lightwave Measurement System, & Agilent 8166A Lightwave Multichannel
System, Third Edition
9
Contents
The Unregister Mainframe Function 179
The Prepare Multi Frame Lambda Scan Function 180
The Get MF Lambda Scan Parameters Function 181
The Execute Multi Frame Lambda Scan Function 181
The Get Lambda Scan Result Function 181
The Get Number of PWM Channels Function 182
The Get Channel Location Function 182
GPIB Command Compatibility List 183
Compatibility Issues 185
GPIB Bus Compatibility 185
Status Model 185
Preset Defaults 185
Removed Command 186
Obsolete Commands 187
Changed Parameter Syntax and Semantics 187
Changed Query Result Values 188
Timing Behavior 189
Error Handling 189
Command Order 190
Instrument Status Settings 190
Error Codes 191
GPIB Error Strings 193
Index 199
10 Agilent 8163A Lightwave Multimeter, Agilent 8164A Lightwave Measurement System,
& Agilent 8166A Lightwave Multichannel System, Third Edition
Figures
Figures
Figure 1 Remote Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Figure 2 The Event Status Bit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Figure 3 The Registers and Filters for a Node . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Figure 4 The Operational/Questionable Status System for 8163A & 8164A . . . . 30
Figure 5 The Operational/Questionable Status System for 8166A . . . . . . 31
Figure 6 Extended Trigger Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Figure 7 Setup for Extended Trigger Configuration Example . . . . . . 127
Figure 8 Non-Administrator Installation Pop-Up Box . . . . . . . . 157
Figure 9 Message Screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Figure 10 Customizing Your Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Figure 11 Program Folder Item Options . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Figure 12 Device Configuration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Figure 13 Advanced Device Configuration - Plug&play Driver . . . . . . 162
Figure 14 Search for GPIB Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Figure 15 FP Conversion Options Box . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Figure 16 Windows 95 and Windows NT VXIPNP Directory Structure . . . . 167
Figure 17 Equally Spaced Datapoints . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Figure 18 Lambda Scan Operation Setup . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Figure 19 Multi Frame Lambda Scan Operation Setup . . . . . . . . 178
Agilent 8163A Lightwave Multimeter, Agilent 8164A Lightwave Measurement System, & Agilent 8166A Lightwave Multichannel
System, Third Edition
11
Figures
12 Agilent 8163A Lightwave Multimeter, Agilent 8164A Lightwave Measurement System,
& Agilent 8166A Lightwave Multichannel System, Third Edition
Tables
Tables
Table 1 GPIB Capabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Table 2 Units and allowed Mnemonics . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Table 3 Common Command Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Table 4 Specific Command Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Table 5 Commands that can only be configured using the master channel . . . 73
Table 6 Commands that are independent for both master and slave channels . . 73
Table 7 Triggering and Power Measurements . . . . . . . . . 117
Table 8 Generating Output Triggers from Power Measurements . . . . . 118
Table 9 Incompatible GPIB Bus Commands . . . . . . . . . . 185
Table 10 Removed Commands. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Table 11 Obsolete Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Table 12 Commands with Different Parameters or Syntax . . . . . . . 187
Table 13 Queries with Different Result Values . . . . . . . . . . 188
Table 14 Timing Behavior Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Table 15 Error Handling Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Table 16 Specific Errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Table 17 Overview for Supported Strings . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Table 18 Overview for Unsupported Strings . . . . . . . . . . 196
Agilent 8163A Lightwave Multimeter, Agilent 8164A Lightwave Measurement System, & Agilent 8166A Lightwave Multichannel
System, Third Edition
13
Tabl es
14 Agilent 8163A Lightwave Multimeter, Agilent 8164A Lightwave Measurement System,
& Agilent 8166A Lightwave Multichannel System, Third Edition
Introduction to Programming
Agilent 8163A Lightwave Multimeter, Agilent 8164A Lightwave Measurement System, & Agilent 8166A Lightwave Multichannel
System, Third Edition
15
Introduction to Programming
This chapter gives general information on how to control your
instrument remotely.
Descriptions for the actual commands for the instruments are given in
the following chapters. The information in these chapters is specific to
the Agilent 8163A Lightwave Multimeter, Agilent 8164A Lightwave
Measurement System, and Agilent 8166A Lightwave Multichannel System
and assumes that you are already familiar with programming the GPIB.
16 Agilent 8163A Lightwave Multimeter, Agilent 8164A Lightwave Measurement System,
& Agilent 8166A Lightwave Multichannel System, Third Edition
GPIB Interface Introduction to Programming
GPIB Interface
The interface used by your instrument is the GPIB (General Purpose
Interface Bus).
GPIB is the interface used for communication between a controller and
an external device, such as the tunable laser source. The GPIB conforms
to IEEE standard 488-1978, ANSI standard MC 1.1 and IEC
recommendation 625-1.
If you are not familiar with the GPIB, then refer to the following books:
• The International Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
IEEE Standard 488.1-1987, IEEE Standard Digital Interface for
Programmable Instrumentation. New York, NY, 1987
• The International Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
IEEE Standard 488.2-1987, IEEE Standard Codes, Formats,
Protocols and Common Commands For Use with ANSI/IEEE Std
488.1-1987. New York, NY, 1987
To obtain a copy of either of these last two documents, write to:
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.
345 East 47th Street
New York, NY 10017
USA.
In addition, the commands not from the IEEE-488.2 standard, are defined
according to the Standard Commands for Programmable Instruments
(SCPI).
For an introduction to SCPI, and SCPI programming techniques, please
refer to the following documents:
• Hewlett-Packard Press (Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Inc.). A
Beginners Guide to SCPI. Barry Eppler. 1991.
• The SCPI Consortium: Standard Commands for Programmable
Instruments. To obtain a copy of this manual, contact the following
address:
SCPI Consortium Office
Bode Enterprise
2515 Camino del Rio South, Suite 340
San Diego, CA, 92108
USA
Web: http://www.scpiconsortium.org
Agilent 8163A Lightwave Multimeter, Agilent 8164A Lightwave Measurement System, & Agilent 8166A Lightwave Multichannel
System, Third Edition
17
Introduction to Programming GPIB Interface
The interface of the Agilent 8163A Lightwave Multimeter and of the
Agilent 8164A Lightwave Measurement System to the GPIB is defined by
the IEEE Standards 488.1 and 488.2.
Table 1 shows the interface functional subset that the instruments
implement.
Table 1 GPIB Capabilities
Mnemonic Function
SH1 Complete source handshake capability
AH1 Complete acceptor handshake capability
T6 Basic talker; serial poll; unaddressed to talk if addressed to
listen
L4 Basic listener; unaddressed to listen if addressed to talk; no
listen only
SR1 Complete service request capability
RL1 Complete remote/local capability
PP0 No parallel poll capability
DC1 Device clear capability
DT0 No device trigger capability
C0 No controller capability (Controller capability to be imple-
mented)
Setting the GPIB Address
There are two ways to set the GPIB address:
• You can set the GPIB address by using the command
“:SYSTem:COMMunicate:GPIB[:SELF]:ADDRess” on page 66.
• You can set the GPIB address from the front panel. See your
instrument’s User’s Guide for more information.
The default GPIB address is 20.
18 Agilent 8163A Lightwave Multimeter, Agilent 8164A Lightwave Measurement System,
& Agilent 8166A Lightwave Multichannel System, Third Edition
Message Queues Introduction to Programming
Returning the Instrument to Local Control
If the instrument is in remote control, a screen resembling
Figure 1 will appear. Press [Local] if you wish to return the instrument to
local control.
Figure 1 Remote Control
Message Queues
The instrument exchanges messages using an input and an output queue.
Error messages are kept in a separate error queue.
How the Input Queue Works
The input queue is a FIFO queue (first-in first-out). Incoming bytes are
stored in the input queue as follows:
1 Receiving a byte:
– Clears the output queue.
– Clears Bit 7 (MSB).
Agilent 8163A Lightwave Multimeter, Agilent 8164A Lightwave Measurement System, & Agilent 8166A Lightwave Multichannel
System, Third Edition
19
Introduction to Programming Message Queues
2 No modification is made inside strings or binary blocks. Outside
strings and binary blocks, the following modifications are made:
– Lower-case characters are converted to upper-case.
– The characters 00
).
(20
16
– Two or more blanks are truncated to one.
3 An EOI (End Or Identify) sent with any character is put into the input
queue as the character followed by a line feed (LF, 0A
with a LF, only one LF is put into the input queue.
4 The parser starts if the LF character is received or if the input queue is
full.
to 0916 and 0B16 to 1F16 are converted to spaces
16
). If EOI is sent
16
Clearing the Input Queue
Switching the power off, or sending a Device Interface Clear signal,
causes commands that are in the input queue, but have not been
executed to be lost.
The Output Queue
The output queue contains responses to query messages. The instrument
transmits any data from the output queue when a controller addresses
the instrument as a talker.
Each response message ends with a carriage return (CR, 0D
), with EOI=TRUE. If no query is received, or if the query has an
(0A
16
error, the output queue remains empty.
The Message Available bit (MAV, bit 4) is set in the Status Byte register
whenever there is data in the output queue.
) and a LF
16
The Error Queue
The error queue is 30 errors long. It is a FIFO queue (first-in first-out).
That is, the first error read is the oldest error to have occurred. A new
error is only put into the queue if it is not already in it.
If more than 29 errors are put into the queue, the message:
-350 <Queue Overflow>
is placed as the last message in the queue.
20 Agilent 8163A Lightwave Multimeter, Agilent 8164A Lightwave Measurement System,
& Agilent 8166A Lightwave Multichannel System, Third Edition
Programming and Syntax Diagram Conventions Introduction to Programming
Programming and Syntax Diagram Conventions
A program message is a message containing commands or queries that
you send to the instruments. The following are a few points about
program messages:
• You can use either upper-case or lower-case characters.
• You can send several commands in a single message. Each command
must be separated from the next one by a semicolon (;).
• A command message is ended by a line feed character (LF) or
<CR><LF>.
• You can use any valid number/unit combination.
In other words, 1500NM,1.5UM and 1.5E-6M are all equivalent.
If you do not specify a unit, then the default unit is assumed. The
default unit for the commands are given with command description in
the next chapter.
Short Form and Long Form
The instrument accepts messages in short or long forms.
For example, the message
:STATUS:OPERATION:ENABLE 768
is in long form.
The short form of this message is
:STAT:OPER:ENAB 768
In this manual, the messages are written in a combination of upper and
lower case. Upper case characters are used for the short form of the
message.
For example, the above command would be written
:STATus:OPERation:ENABle
The first colon can be left out for the first command or query in your
message. That is, the example given above could also be sent as
STAT:OPER:ENAB 768
Agilent 8163A Lightwave Multimeter, Agilent 8164A Lightwave Measurement System, & Agilent 8166A Lightwave Multichannel
System, Third Edition
21
Introduction to Programming Programming and Syntax Diagram Conventions
Command and Query Syntax
All characters not between angled brackets must be sent exactly as
shown.
The characters between angled brackets (<...>) indicate the kind of
data that you should send, or that you get in a response. You do not type
the angled brackets in the actual message.
Descriptions of these items follow the syntax description. The following
types of data are most commonly used:
string is ascii data. A string is contained between double
quotes ("...") or single quotes (‘...’).
value is numeric data in integer (12), decimal (34.5) or ex-
ponential format (67.8E-9).
wsp is a white space.
Other kinds of data are described as required.
The characters between square brackets ([...]) show optional
information that you can include with the message.
The bar (|) shows an either-or choice of data, for example, a|b means
either a or b, but not both simultaneously.
Extra spaces are ignored, so spaces can be inserted to improve
readability.
Units
Where units are given with a command, usually only the base units are
specified. The full sets of units are given in the table below.
Table 2 Units and allowed Mnemonics
Unit Default Allowed Mnemonics
meters M PM, NM, UM, MM, M
decibel DB MDB, DB
second S NS, US, MS, S
decibel/1mW DBM MDBM, DBM
Hertz HZ HZ, KHZ, MHZ, GHZ, THZ
Watt Watt PW, NW, UW, MW, Watt
meters per second M/S NM/S, UM/S, MM/S, M/S
22 Agilent 8163A Lightwave Multimeter, Agilent 8164A Lightwave Measurement System,
& Agilent 8166A Lightwave Multichannel System, Third Edition
Programming and Syntax Diagram Conventions Introduction to Programming
Data Types
With the commands you give parameters to the instrument and receive
response values from the instrument. Unless explicitly specified these
data are given in ASCII format. The following types of data are used:
• Boolean data may only have the values 0 or 1.
• Integer range is given for each individual command.
• Float variables may be given in decimal or exponential writing (0.123
or 123E-3).
All Float values conform to the 32 bit IEEE Standard, that is, all
Float values are returned as 32-bit real values.
• A string is contained between double quotes ("...") or single quotes
(‘...’). When the instrument returns a string, it is always included in "
" and terminated by <END>.
• When a register value is given or returned (for example *ESE), the
decimal values for the single bits are added. For example, a value of
nine means that bit 0 and bit 3 are set.
• Larger blocks of data are given as Binary Blocks, preceded by
“#<H><Len><Block>”, terminated by <END>; <H> represents the
number of digits, <Len> represents the number of bytes, and <Block>
is the data block. For example, for a Binary Block with 1 digit and 6
bytes this is: #16TRACES<END>.
Slot and Channel Numbers
Each module is identified by a slot number and a channel number. For
commands that require you to specify a channel, the slot number is
represented by [n] in a command and the channel number is represented
by [m].
The slot number represents the module’s position in the mainframe.
These are:
• from one to two for the Agilent 8163A,
• from zero to four for the Agilent 8164A, and
• from one to seventeen for the Agilent 8166A.
These numbers are displayed on the front panel beside each module slot.
NOTE The Agilent 8164A slot for back-loadable tunable laser modules is
numbered zero.
Agilent 8163A Lightwave Multimeter, Agilent 8164A Lightwave Measurement System, & Agilent 8166A Lightwave Multichannel
System, Third Edition
23
Introduction to Programming Programming and Syntax Diagram Conventions
Channel numbers apply to modules that have two inputs/outputs, for
example, the Agilent 81635A Dual Power Sensor.
Modules with two channels, for example, the Agilent 81635A Dual Power
Sensor, use the channel number to distinguish between these channels.
NOTE The channel number of single channel modules is always one.
For example, if you want to query slot 1, channel 2 with the command,
“:SENSe[n]:[CHANnel[m]]:POWer:WAVelength?” on page 89, you
should send the command:
• :sens1:chan2:pow:wav?
NOTE If you do not specify a slot or channel number, the lowest possible
number is used as the default value. This means:
• Slot 1 for the Agilent 8163A and Agilent 8166A mainframes.
• Slot 0 for the Agilent 8164A mainframe.
• Channel 1 for all channels.
Laser Selection Numbers
The laser selection number, [l], identifies the upper or lower wavelength
laser source for dual wavelength Laser Source modules and Return Loss
modules with two internal laser sources. The lower wavelength source is
denoted by 1. The upper wavelength source is denoted by 2.
NOTE For Return Loss modules, 0 denotes the use of an external laser source
as the input to your Return Loss module for the following commands:
• “:SENSe[n]:[CHANnel[m]]:RETurnloss:CORRection:FPDelta[l]” on
page 90,
• “:SENSe[n]:[CHANnel[m]]:RETurnloss:CORRection:FPDelta[l]?”
on page 90,
• “:SENSe[n]:[CHANnel[m]]:RETurnloss:CORRection:REFLectance[l]”
on page 91, and
• “:SENSe[n]:[CHANnel[m]]:RETurnloss:CORRection:REFLectance[l]
?” on page 91.
24 Agilent 8163A Lightwave Multimeter, Agilent 8164A Lightwave Measurement System,
& Agilent 8166A Lightwave Multichannel System, Third Edition
Common Commands Introduction to Programming
Common Commands
The IEEE 488.2 standard has a list of reserved commands, called
common commands. Some of these commands must be implemented by
any instrument using the standard, others are optional.
Your instrument implements all the necessary commands, and some
optional ones. This section describes the implemented commands.
Common Command Summary
Table 3 gives a summary of the common commands.
Table 3 Common Command Summary
Command Parameter Function Page
*CLS Clear Status Command page 47
*ESE Standard Event Status Enable Command page 48
*ESE? Standard Event Status Enable Query page 48
*ESR? Standard Event Status Register Query page 49
*IDN? Identification Query page 49
*OPC Operation Complete Command page 50
*OPC? Operation Complete Query page 50
*OPT? Options Query page 51
*RST Reset Command page 51
*STB? Read Status Byte Query page 52
*TST? Self Test Query page 53
*WAI Wait Command page 53
NO T E These commands are described in more detail in “IEEE-Common Commands” on page 47.
Common Status Information
There are three registers for the status information. Two of these are
status-registers and one is an enable-registers. These registers conform
to the IEEE Standard 488.2-1987. You can find further descriptions of
these registers under *ESE, *ESR?, and *STB?.
Agilent 8163A Lightwave Multimeter, Agilent 8164A Lightwave Measurement System, & Agilent 8166A Lightwave Multichannel
System, Third Edition
25
Introduction to Programming Common Commands
Figure 2 shows how the Standard Event Status Enable Mask (SESEM)
and the Standard Event Status Register (SESR) determine the Event
Status Bit (ESB) of the Status Byte.
*ESE
sets the Standard Event Status Enable Mask
*STB?
returns the Status Byte Register
OSB ESB QSB
Status
Byte
001
All bits shown as are unused
Figure 2 The Event Status Bit
The SESR contains the information about events that are not slot
specific. For details of the function of each bit of the SESR, see
“Standard Event Status Register” on page 32.
01234567
*ESR?
Event
Status
Enable
Mask
&
&
&
&
OR
Event
Status
Register
returns the Standard Event Status Register
&
&
01234567
111111
&
&
01234567
100000
The SESEM allows you to choose the event that may affect the ESB of
the Status Byte. If you set a bit of the SESEM to zero, the corresponding
event cannot affect the ESB. The default is for all the bits of the SESEM
to be set to 0.
The questionable and operation status systems set the Operational Status
Bit (OSB) and the Questionable Status Bit (QSB). These status systems
are described in “The Status Model” on page 27 and “Status Reporting –
The STATus Subsystem” on page 54.
NOTE Unused bits in any of the registers change to 0 when you read them.
26 Agilent 8163A Lightwave Multimeter, Agilent 8164A Lightwave Measurement System,
& Agilent 8166A Lightwave Multichannel System, Third Edition
The Status Model Introduction to Programming
The Status Model
Status Registers
Each node of the status circuitry has three registers:
• A condition register (CONDition), which contains the current status.
This register is updated continuously. It is not changed by having its
contents read.
• The event register (EVENt), which contains details of any positive
transitions in the corresponding condition register, that is, when a bit
changes from 0 → 1. The contents of this register are cleared when it
is read. The contents of any higher-level registers are affected with
regard to the appropriate bit.
• The enable register (ENABle), which enables changes in the event
register to affect the next stage of registers.
NOTE The event register is the only kind of register that can affect the next
stage of registers.
Agilent 8163A Lightwave Multimeter, Agilent 8164A Lightwave Measurement System, & Agilent 8166A Lightwave Multichannel
System, Third Edition
27
Introduction to Programming The Status Model
The structures of the Operational and Questionable Status Systems are
similar. Figure 4 describe how the Questionable Status Bit (QSB) and
the Operational Status Bit (OSB) of the Status Byte Register are
determined.
Enable Registers
To th e
OR
Event Registers
Condition Register
of the Next Node
A positive transition in the condition
11111
Figure 3 The Registers and Filters for a Node
The Operational/Questionable Slot Status Event Register
(OSSER/QSSER) contains the status of a particular module slot. A bit
changes from 0 → 1 when an event occurs, for example, when a laser is
switched on. For details of the function of each bit of these registers, see
“Operation/Questionable Status Summary Register” on page 32 and
“Operation/Questionable Status Summary Register” on page 32.
The Operational/Questionable Slot Enable Status Mask
(OSESM/QSESM) allows you to choose the events for each module slot
that may affect the Operational/Questionable Status Event Register (see
below). If you set a bit of the OSESM/QSESM to zero, the occurence of
the corresponding event for this particular module slot cannot affect the
Operational/Questionable Status Event Register. The default is for all the
bits of the OSESM/QSESM to be set to 0.
register, when a bit changes from 0 → 1,
causes the corresponding bit of the
corresponding event register
to change from 0 → 1.
Condition Registers
28 Agilent 8163A Lightwave Multimeter, Agilent 8164A Lightwave Measurement System,
& Agilent 8166A Lightwave Multichannel System, Third Edition
The Status Model Introduction to Programming
The Operational/Questionable Status Event Summary Register
(OSESR/QSESR) summarizes the status of every module slot of your
instrument. If, for any slot, any bit of the QSSER goes from 0 → 1 AND
the corresponding bit of the QSSEM is 1at the same time, the QSESR bit
representing that slot is set to 1.
The Operational/Questionable Status Enable Summary Mask
(OSESM/QSESM) allows you to choose the module slots that may affect
the OSB/QSB of the Status Byte. If any bit of the QSESR goes from 0 → 1
AND the corresponding bit of the QSESM is 1at the same time, the QSB
of the Status Byte is set to 1. If you set a bit of the OSESM/QSESM to
zero, the corresponding module slot cannot affect the OSB/QSB. The
default is for all the bits of the OSESM/QSESM to be set to 0.
The Operational/Questionable Status Enable Summary Mask for the
Agilent 8163A Lightwave Multimeter and the Agilent 8164A Lightwave
Measurement System consists of one level. These are described in
“Status System for 8163A & 8164A” on page 30.
As the Agilent 8166A Lightwave Multichannel System has 17 module
slots, the Operational/Questionable Status Enable Summary Mask
consists of two levels. This is described in “Status System for 8166A” on
page 30.
Agilent 8163A Lightwave Multimeter, Agilent 8164A Lightwave Measurement System, & Agilent 8166A Lightwave Multichannel
System, Third Edition
29
Introduction to Programming The Status Model
Status System for 8163A & 8164A
The status system for the Agilent 8163A Lightwave Multimeter and the
Agilent 8164A Lightwave Measurement System returns the status of 2
and 5 module slots respectively. The Operational/Questionable Status
Summary Registers consist of one level and are described by Figure 4.
Any commands that require LEVel1 do not apply to these mainframes.
Status Byte Register
Status Summary
Slot 1
Operational/Questionable Status
Enable Summary Mask
Register
Operational/Questionable Status
Event Summary Register
Operational/Questionable Status
Condition Summary Register
Operational/Questionable
Slot Status Enable Mask
Register
Operational/Questionable
Slot Status Event
Register
Operational/Questionable
Slot Status Condition
Register
Status Byte
to next
&
&
&
&
&
&
OR
for a positive
transition
&
&
to next
level
OR
for a positive
transition
level
Figure 4 The Operational/Questionable Status System for 8163A & 8164A
Status System for 8166A
The status system for the Agilent 8166A Lightwave Multichannel System
returns the status of 17 module slots. The Operational/Questionable
Status Summary Registers consists of two levels, as described by Figure
5.
30 Agilent 8163A Lightwave Multimeter, Agilent 8164A Lightwave Measurement System,
& Agilent 8166A Lightwave Multichannel System, Third Edition
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