Tektronix 6517B Reference manual

Model 6517B
Electrometer

Reference Manual

6517B-901-01 Rev. E August 2022

tek.com/keithley

*P6517B-901-01E*

6517B-901-01E

Electrometer

Reference Manual

Model 6517B

© 2022, Keithley Instruments, LLC

Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A.

All rights reserved.

Any unauthorized reproduction, photocopy, or use of the information herein, in whole or in part,

without the prior written approval of Keithley Instruments, LLC, is strictly prohibited.

These are the original instructions in English.

All Keithley Instruments product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of Keithley

Instruments, LLC. Other brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective

holders.

Document number: 6517B-901-01 Rev. E August 2022

Safety precautions

The following safety precautions should be observed before using this product and any associated instrumentation. Although
some instruments and accessories would normally be used with nonhazardous voltages, there are situations where hazardous
conditions may be present.

This product is intended for use by personnel who recognize shock hazards and are familiar with the safety precautions required
to avoid possible injury. Read and follow all installation, operation, and maintenance information carefully before using the
product. Refer to the user documentation for complete product specifications.

If the product is used in a manner not specified, the protection provided by the product warranty may be impaired.
The types of product users are:
Responsible body is the individual or group responsible for the use and maintenance of equipment, for ensuring that the

equipment is operated within its specifications and operating limits, and for ensuring that operators are adequately trained.
Operators use the product for its intended function. They must be trained in electrical safety procedures and proper use of the

instrument. They must be protected from electric shock and contact with hazardous live circuits.
Maintenance personnel perform routine procedures on the product to keep it operating properly, for example, setting the line

voltage or replacing consumable materials. Maintenance procedures are described in the user documentation. The procedures
explicitly state if the operator may perform them. Otherwise, they should be performed only by service personnel.

Service personnel are trained to work on live circuits, perform safe installations, and repair products. Only properly trained
service personnel may perform installation and service procedures.

Keithley products are designed for use with electrical signals that are measurement, control, and data I/O connections, with low
transient overvoltages, and must not be directly connected to mains voltage or to voltage sources with high transient
overvoltages. Measurement Category II (as referenced in IEC 60664) connections require protection for high transient
overvoltages often associated with local AC mains connections. Certain Keithley measuring instruments may be connected to
mains. These instruments will be marked as category II or higher.

Unless explicitly allowed in the specifications, operating manual, and instrument labels, do not connect any instrument to mains.
Exercise extreme caution when a shock hazard is present. Lethal voltage may be present on cable connector jacks or test

fixtures. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) states that a shock hazard exists when voltage levels greater than
30 V RMS, 42.4 V peak, or 60 VDC are present. A good safety practice is to expect that hazardous voltage is present in any
unknown circuit before measuring.

Operators of this product must be protected from electric shock at all times. The responsible body must ensure that operators
are prevented access and/or insulated from every connection point. In some cases, connections must be exposed to potential
human contact. Product operators in these circumstances must be trained to protect themselves from the risk of electric shock. If
the circuit is capable of operating at or above 1000 V, no conductive part of the circuit may be exposed.

Do not connect switching cards directly to unlimited power circuits. They are intended to be used with impedance-limited
sources. NEVER connect switching cards directly to AC mains. When connecting sources to switching cards, install protective
devices to limit fault current and voltage to the card.

Before operating an instrument, ensure that the line cord is connected to a properly-grounded power receptacle. Inspect the
connecting cables, test leads, and jumpers for possible wear, cracks, or breaks before each use.

When installing equipment where access to the main power cord is restricted, such as rack mounting, a separate main input
power disconnect device must be provided in close proximity to the equipment and within easy reach of the operator.

For maximum safety, do not touch the product, test cables, or any other instruments while power is applied to the circuit under
test. ALWAYS remove power from the entire test system and discharge any capacitors before connecting or disconnecting
cables or jumpers, installing or removing switching cards, or making internal changes, such as installing or removing jumpers.

Do not touch any object that could provide a current path to the common side of the circuit under test or power line (earth)
ground. Always make measurements with dry hands while standing on a dry, insulated surface capable of withstanding the
voltage being measured.

For safety, instruments and accessories must be used in accordance with the operating instructions. If the instruments or
accessories are used in a manner not specified in the operating instructions, the protection provided by the equipment may be
impaired.

Do not exceed the maximum signal levels of the instruments and accessories. Maximum signal levels are defined in the
specifications and operating information and shown on the instrument panels, test fixture panels, and switching cards.

When fuses are used in a product, replace with the same type and rating for continued protection against fire hazard.
Chassis connections must only be used as shield connections for measuring circuits, NOT as protective earth (safety ground)

connections.
If you are using a test fixture, keep the lid closed while power is applied to the device under test. Safe operation requires the use

of a lid interlock.

If a screw is present, connect it to protective earth (safety ground) using the wire recommended in the user documentation.

The symbol on an instrument means caution, risk of hazard. The user must refer to the operating instructions located in the
user documentation in all cases where the symbol is marked on the instrument.

The symbol on an instrument means warning, risk of electric shock. Use standard safety precautions to avoid personal
contact with these voltages.

The symbol on an instrument shows that the surface may be hot. Avoid personal contact to prevent burns.

The symbol indicates a connection terminal to the equipment frame.

If this symbol is on a product, it indicates that mercury is present in the display lamp. Please note that the lamp must be
properly disposed of according to federal, state, and local laws.

The WARNING heading in the user documentation explains hazards that might result in personal injury or death. Always read
the associated information very carefully before performing the indicated procedure.

The CAUTION heading in the user documentation explains hazards that could damage the instrument. Such damage may
invalidate the warranty.

The CAUTION heading with the symbol in the user documentation explains hazards that could result in moderate or minor
injury or damage the instrument. Always read the associated information very carefully before performing the indicated
procedure. Damage to the instrument may invalidate the warranty.

Instrumentation and accessories shall not be connected to humans.
Before performing any maintenance, disconnect the line cord and all test cables.
To maintain protection from electric shock and fire, replacement components in mains circuits — including the power

transformer, test leads, and input jacks — must be purchased from Keithley. Standard fuses with applicable national safety
approvals may be used if the rating and type are the same. The detachable mains power cord provided with the instrument may
only be replaced with a similarly rated power cord. Other components that are not safety-related may be purchased from other
suppliers as long as they are equivalent to the original component (note that selected parts should be purchased only through
Keithley to maintain accuracy and functionality of the product). If you are unsure about the applicability of a replacement
component, call a Keithley office for information.

Unless otherwise noted in product-specific literature, Keithley instruments are designed to operate indoors only, in the following
environment: Altitude at or below 2,000 m (6,562 ft); temperature 0 °C to 50 °C (32 °F to 122 °F); and pollution degree 1 or 2.

To clean an instrument, use a cloth dampened with deionized water or mild, water-based cleaner. Clean the exterior of the
instrument only. Do not apply cleaner directly to the instrument or allow liquids to enter or spill on the instrument. Products that
consist of a circuit board with no case or chassis (e.g., a data acquisition board for installation into a computer) should never
require cleaning if handled according to instructions. If the board becomes contaminated and operation is affected, the board
should be returned to the factory for proper cleaning/servicing.

Safety precaution revision as of June 2018.

Introduction ............................................................................................................... 1-1

Welcome .............................................................................................................................. 1-1

Extended warranty ............................................................................................................... 1-1

Contact information .............................................................................................................. 1-1

Remote operations ................................................................................................... 2-1

Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 2-1

Select the communications interface ................................................................................... 2-1

GPIB communications interface ........................................................................................... 2-2

IEEE-488 bus connections ........................................................................................................ 2-2

Select the GPIB primary address .............................................................................................. 2-4

Select the GPIB data elements ................................................................................................ . 2-4

IEEE-488 front-panel operation ................................................................................................. 2-5

General bus commands ............................................................................................................ 2-6

RS-232 serial interface......................................................................................................... 2-8

RS-232 interface connections ................................................................................................... 2-8

RS-232 6517B configuration ..................................................................................................... 2-9

RS-232 computer configuration ............................................................................................... 2-10

Select the RS-232 data elements ............................................................................................ 2-10

RS-232 operating considerations ............................................................................................ 2-11

Program examples ............................................................................................................. 2-13

Changing the function and range ............................................................................................ 2-13

One-shot triggering ................................................................................................................. 2-14

Continuous triggering 1 ........................................................................................................... 2-15

Continuous triggering 2 ........................................................................................................... 2-15

Generating SRQ on buffer full ................................................................................................. 2-16

Store readings in the buffer ..................................................................................................... 2-17

Making readings with the scanner card ................................................................................... 2-18

Using the staircase sweep test sequence ............................................................................... 2-20

Measurement options ............................................................................................... 3-1

Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 3-1

Integration time .................................................................................................................... 3-1

Display resolution ................................................................................................................. 3-3

Line synchronization ............................................................................................................ 3-4

Voltage source ..................................................................................................................... 3-5

Voltage source configuration ..................................................................................................... 3-6

Sourcing options ....................................................................................................................... 3-6

Setting voltage source value ..................................................................................................... 3-9

Voltage and current limit ......................................................................................................... 3-10

Operate and standby ............................................................................................................... 3-11

Analog outputs ................................................................................................................... 3-12

2 V analog output .................................................................................................................... 3-12

Preamplifier output .................................................................................................................. 3-14

Using external feedback..................................................................................................... 3-17

Table of contents

Table of contents Model 6517B Electrometer Reference Manual

6517B input circuitry ................................................................................................................ 3-17

Shielded fixture construction ................................................................................................... 3-18

External feedback procedure .................................................................................................. 3-20

Nonstandard coulombs ranges ............................................................................................... 3-20

Logarithmic currents ................................................................................................................ 3-21

Nondecade current gains ........................................................................................................ 3-22

Measurement range ........................................................................................................... 3-23

Range messages .................................................................................................................... 3-24

Damping ............................................................................................................................. 3-27

Zero check ......................................................................................................................... 3-28

Relative offset .................................................................................................................... 3-29

Configuring relative offset manually ........................................................................................ 3-30

Enabling relative offset and setting relative offset automatically ............................................. 3-30

Display reading with and without relative offset applied .......................................................... 3-31

Zero correct ........................................................................................................................ 3-31

Specification considerations .................................................................................................... 3-32

Accuracy calculations ......................................................................................................... 3-32

Calculating voltage accuracy................................................................................................... 3-32

Calculating current accuracy ................................................................................................... 3-32

Calculating resistance accuracy .............................................................................................. 3-33

Calculating charge accuracy ................................................................................................... 3-33

Calculating resistance/resistivity accuracy and repeatability using the alternating

polarity method ....................................................................................................................... 3-34

Measurement considerations .................................................................................. 4-1

Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 4-1

Voltage measurement considerations .................................................................................. 4-1

Loading effects .......................................................................................................................... 4-1

Guarding ................................................................................................................................... 4-2

Cable leakage resistance .......................................................................................................... 4-4

Input capacitance ...................................................................................................................... 4-4

Current measurement considerations .................................................................................. 4-4

Input bias current ...................................................................................................................... 4-4

Voltage burden .......................................................................................................................... 4-5

Noise ......................................................................................................................................... 4-5

Guarding ................................................................................................................................... 4-7

Resistance measurement considerations .......................................................................... 4-10

Leakage resistance ................................................................................................................. 4-10

Voltage coefficient ................................................................................................................... 4-11

Test voltage and electrification time ........................................................................................ 4-11

Current measurement considerations ..................................................................................... 4-11

Charge measurement considerations ................................................................................ 4-11

Input bias current .................................................................................................................... 4-12

External voltage source ........................................................................................................... 4-12

Measurement times ................................................................................................................. 4-12

Zero check hop and autodischarge hop .................................................................................. 4-12

Other measurement considerations ................................................................................... 4-12

Ground loops ........................................................................................................................... 4-13

Triboelectric effects ................................................................................................................. 4-14

Piezoelectric and stored charge effects .................................................................................. 4-14

Electrochemical effects ........................................................................................................... 4-14

Model 6517B Electrometer Reference Manual Table of contents

Humidity .................................................................................................................................. 4-14

Light ................................ ........................................................................................................ 4-15

Electrostatic interference ......................................................................................................... 4-15

Magnetic fields ................................ ................................................................ ........................ 4-15

Electromagnetic interference................................................................................................... 4-16

Test sequences ......................................................................................................... 5-1

Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 5-1

Diode leakage current test ................................................................................................... 5-2

Diode leakage current test connections .................................................................................... 5-3

Run the diode leakage current test ........................................................................................... 5-4

Capacitor leakage current test ............................................................................................. 5-5

Capacitor leakage current test connections .............................................................................. 5-5

Run the capacitor leakage current test ...................................................................................... 5-6

Cable insulation resistance test ........................................................................................... 5-7

Cable insulation resistance test connections............................................................................. 5-7

Run the cable insulation resistance test .................................................................................... 5-8

Resistor voltage coefficient test ........................................................................................... 5-9

Resistor voltage coefficient test connections............................................................................. 5-9

Run the resistor voltage coefficient test .................................................................................. 5-10

Standard method resistivity tests ....................................................................................... 5-11

Resistivity test connections ..................................................................................................... 5-11

Run the surface or volume resistivity test ................................................................................ 5-12

Alternating polarity resistance/resistivity test ..................................................................... 5-13

Run the alternating polarity resistance/resistivity test .............................................................. 5-14

Surface insulation resistance (SIR) test ............................................................................. 5-16

Surface insulation resistance connections .............................................................................. 5-16

Run the surface insulation resistance test ............................................................................... 5-18

Square wave sweep test .................................................................................................... 5-19

Run the square wave sweep test ............................................................................................ 5-19

Staircase sweep test .......................................................................................................... 5-20

Run the staircase sweep test .................................................................................................. 5-21

Configure sequence menu ................................................................................................. 5-22

Triggering .................................................................................................................. 6-1

Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 6-1

Trigger configuration menu .................................................................................................. 6-1

Basic trigger model .............................................................................................................. 6-3

Basic trigger model configuration .............................................................................................. 6-4

Advanced trigger model ....................................................................................................... 6-5

Front-panel trigger model .......................................................................................................... 6-5

IEEE-488 trigger model ............................................................................................................. 6-7

Idle ............................................................................................................................................ 6-9

Trigger model layers ................................................................................................................. 6-9

Advanced trigger model configuration ..................................................................................... 6-10

Control sources ....................................................................................................................... 6-12

Source bypasses ..................................................................................................................... 6-14

Delays ..................................................................................................................................... 6-15

Table of contents Model 6517B Electrometer Reference Manual

Output triggers ........................................................................................................................ 6-15

Counters.................................................................................................................................. 6-16

Continuous initiation ................................................................................................................ 6-16

Halting triggers ........................................................................................................................ 6-16

Device action ........................................................................................................................... 6-17

External triggering .............................................................................................................. 6-17

Trigger-link connector ............................................................................................................. 6-17

Asynchronous operation ......................................................................................................... 6-18

Semi-synchronous operation................................................................................................... 6-23

Buffer (data store) ..................................................................................................... 7-1

Buffer overview .................................................................................................................... 7-1

Set the type of buffer control ................................................................................................ 7-1

Buffer control step sequence..................................................................................................... 7-2

Set up a fill-and-stop buffer ....................................................................................................... 7-3

Set up a pretrigger buffer .......................................................................................................... 7-3

Set up a continuous buffer ........................................................................................................ 7-4

Set the number of readings to store ..................................................................................... 7-4

Set the real-time clock .......................................................................................................... 7-5

Set up timestamps ............................................................................................................... 7-6

Include data elements in the buffer reading ......................................................................... 7-7

Clear all buffer readings ....................................................................................................... 7-8

Reading buffer display during storage ................................................................................. 7-8

Data store configuration menu ............................................................................................. 7-9

View buffer readings from the front panel .......................................................................... 7-10

Filters and math ........................................................................................................ 8-1

Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 8-1

Filters.................................................................................................................................... 8-1

Digital filters ............................................................................................................................... 8-1

Median filter............................................................................................................................... 8-5

Configuring the filters ................................................................................................................ 8-5

Math ..................................................................................................................................... 8-7

Polynomial................................................................................................................................. 8-7

Percent ................................ ................................................................ ...................................... 8-8

Percent deviation ...................................................................................................................... 8-9

Deviation ................................................................................................................................... 8-9

Ratio ........................................................................................................................................ 8-10

Logarithmic.............................................................................................................................. 8-10

Set up no math function .......................................................................................................... 8-11

Math annunciators ................................................................................................................... 8-11

Math and actual reading display.............................................................................................. 8-11

View math readings from the front panel ................................................................................. 8-12

Limits, digital I/O, and scanning .............................................................................. 9-1

Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 9-1

Model 6517B Electrometer Reference Manual Table of contents

Limits .................................................................................................................................... 9-1

Setting limits .............................................................................................................................. 9-2

View limit test 1 results on the front panel ................................................................................. 9-2

Limits example ................................ .......................................................................................... 9-4

Digital I/O ............................................................................................................................. 9-5

Controlling digital circuitry ......................................................................................................... 9-6

External voltage supply ............................................................................................................. 9-6

Outputs used as logic inputs ..................................................................................................... 9-8

Scanning .............................................................................................................................. 9-9

Internal scanning ....................................................................................................................... 9-9

External scanning ...................................................................................................................... 9-9

Introduction to SCPI commands ............................................................................ 10-1

Programming syntax .......................................................................................................... 10-1

Command words ..................................................................................................................... 10-1

Query commands .................................................................................................................... 10-3

Program messages ................................................................................................................. 10-4

Response messages ............................................................................................................... 10-6

Multiple response messages ................................................................................................... 10-6

Message exchange protocol ................................................................................................... 10-6

Using the SCPI command reference ................................................................................. 10-7

Command name and summary table ...................................................................................... 10-8

Command usage ..................................................................................................................... 10-9

Command details .................................................................................................................... 10-9

Example section .................................................................................................................... 10-10

Related commands list .......................................................................................................... 10-10

SCPI command reference ....................................................................................... 11-1

Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 11-1

Signal-oriented measurement commands ......................................................................... 11-1

:CONFigure:<function> ........................................................................................................... 11-2

:FETCh? .................................................................................................................................. 11-3

:MEASure[:<function>]? .......................................................................................................... 11-3

:READ? ................................................................................................................................... 11-4

SCPI conformance and command summary ..................................................................... 11-5

General notes .......................................................................................................................... 11-6

CALCulate command summary .............................................................................................. 11-6

DISPlay command summary ................................................................................................... 11-9

FORMat command summary ................................................................................................ 11-10

OUTPut command summary ................................................................................................. 11-10

ROUTe command summary.................................................................................................. 11-11

SENSe command summary - general commands ................................................................ 11-11

SENSe command summary - voltage commands ................................................................. 11-12

SENSe command summary - current commands ................................................................. 11-13

SENSe command summary - resistance commands ............................................................ 11-14

SENSe command summary - charge commands ................................................................. 11-17

SOURce command summary ................................................................................................ 11-18

STATus command summary ................................................................................................. 11-19

SYSTem command summary ............................................................................................... 11-21

TRACe command summary .................................................................................................. 11-22

TRIGger command summary - general commands .............................................................. 11-23

TRIGger command summary - ARM commands .................................................................. 11-23

Table of contents Model 6517B Electrometer Reference Manual

TRIGger command summary - SEQuence commands ......................................................... 11-24

TSEQuence command summary .......................................................................................... 11-25

UNIT command summary ..................................................................................................... 11-28

CALCulate subsystem ...................................................................................................... 11-28

CALCulate[1] subsystem ....................................................................................................... 11-28

:CALCulate[1]:DATA? ........................................................................................................... 11-29

:CALCulate[1]:FORMat ......................................................................................................... 11-29

:CALCulate[1]:IMMediate ...................................................................................................... 11-30

:CALCulate[1]:KMATh:MA0Factor ........................................................................................ 11-31

:CALCulate[1]:KMATh:MA1Factor ........................................................................................ 11-31

:CALCulate[1]:KMATh:MA2Factor ........................................................................................ 11-32

:CALCulate[1]:KMATh:PERCent ........................................................................................... 11-32

:CALCulate[1]:REFerence ..................................................................................................... 11-33

:CALCulate[1]:STATe ............................................................................................................ 11-33

CALCulate2 subsystem ................................................................ ......................................... 11-34

:CALCulate2:DATA? ............................................................................................................. 11-34

:CALCulate2:FORMat ........................................................................................................... 11-34

:CALCulate2:IMMediate ........................................................................................................ 11-35

:CALCulate2:STATe .............................................................................................................. 11-36

CALCulate3 subsystem.................................................................................................... 11-36

:CALCulate3:BSTRobe:STATe ................................................................ ............................. 11-36

:CALCulate3:CLIMits:FAIL? .................................................................................................. 11-37

:CALCulate3:IMMediate ........................................................................................................ 11-37

:CALCulate3:LIMit2:CLEar:AUTO ......................................................................................... 11-38

:CALCulate3:LIMit2:CLEar[:IMMediate] ................................................................................ 11-39

:CALCulate3:LIMit2:FAIL?..................................................................................................... 11-39

:CALCulate3:LIMit2:LOWer:SOURce .................................................................................... 11-40

:CALCulate3:LIMit2:LOWer[:DATA] ...................................................................................... 11-41

:CALCulate3:LIMit2:STATe ................................................................................................... 11-41

:CALCulate3:LIMit2:UPPer:SOURce .................................................................................... 11-42

:CALCulate3:LIMit2:UPPer[:DATA] ....................................................................................... 11-43

:CALCulate3:LIMit[1]:CLEar:AUTO ....................................................................................... 11-44

:CALCulate3:LIMit[1]:CLEar[:IMMediate] .............................................................................. 11-44

:CALCulate3:LIMit[1]:FAIL?................................................................................................... 11-45

:CALCulate3:LIMit[1]:LOWer:SOURce .................................................................................. 11-45

:CALCulate3:LIMit[1]:LOWer[:DATA] .................................................................................... 11-46

:CALCulate3:LIMit[1]:STATe ................................................................................................. 11-47

:CALCulate3:LIMit[1]:UPPer:SOURce .................................................................................. 11-48

:CALCulate3:LIMit[1]:UPPer[:DATA] ..................................................................................... 11-49

:CALCulate3:PASS:SOURce ................................................................................................ 11-49

DISPlay subsystem .......................................................................................................... 11-51

:DISPlay:CNDisplay .............................................................................................................. 11-51

:DISPlay:ENABle ................................................................................................................... 11-51

:DISPlay:SMESsage ............................................................................................................. 11-52

:DISPlay:WINDow2:ATTRibutes? ......................................................................................... 11-52

:DISPlay:WINDow2:DATA?................................................................................................... 11-53

:DISPlay:WINDow2:TEXT:DATA .......................................................................................... 11-53

:DISPlay:WINDow2:TEXT:STATe ......................................................................................... 11-54

:DISPlay[:WINDow[1]]:ATTRibutes? ..................................................................................... 11-55

:DISPlay[:WINDow[1]]:DATA? ............................................................................................... 11-55

:DISPlay[:WINDow[1]]:TEXT:DATA ...................................................................................... 11-56

:DISPlay[:WINDow[1]]:TEXT:STATe ..................................................................................... 11-56

FORMat subsystem ......................................................................................................... 11-57

:FORMat:BORDer ................................................................................................................. 11-57

:FORMat:ELEMents .............................................................................................................. 11-58

:FORMat[:DATA] ................................................................................................................... 11-60

Model 6517B Electrometer Reference Manual Table of contents

OUTPut subsystems ........................................................................................................ 11-63

:OUTPut1[:STATe] ................................................................................................................ 11-63

:OUTPut2:TTLX:LSENse ...................................................................................................... 11-64

ROUTe subsystem ........................................................................................................... 11-65

:ROUTe:CLOSe .................................................................................................................... 11-65

:ROUTe:CLOSe:STATe? ...................................................................................................... 11-66

:ROUTe:OPEN ...................................................................................................................... 11-66

:ROUTe:OPEN:ALL .............................................................................................................. 11-67

:ROUTe:SCAN:EXTernal ...................................................................................................... 11-67

:ROUTe:SCAN:LSELect ....................................................................................................... 11-68

:ROUTe:SCAN:SMEThod ..................................................................................................... 11-68

:ROUTe:SCAN:STIMe .......................................................................................................... 11-69

:ROUTe:SCAN:VSLimit ......................................................................................................... 11-69

:ROUTe:SCAN[:INTernal] ..................................................................................................... 11-70

SENSe[1] subsystem ....................................................................................................... 11-71

[:SENSe[1]]:<function>:APERture ......................................................................................... 11-71

[:SENSe[1]]:<function>:APERture:AUTO .............................................................................. 11-72

[:SENSe[1]]:<function>:AVERage:ADVanced:NTOLerance ................................................. 11-73

[:SENSe[1]]:<function>:AVERage:COUNt ............................................................................ 11-74

[:SENSe[1]]:<function>:AVERage:TCONtrol ......................................................................... 11-75

[:SENSe[1]]:<function>:AVERage:TYPE ............................................................................... 11-76

[:SENSe[1]]:<function>:AVERage[:STATe] ........................................................................... 11-77

[:SENSe[1]]:<function>:DAMPing .......................................................................................... 11-78

[:SENSe[1]]:<function>:DIGits ............................................................................................... 11-79

[:SENSe[1]]:<function>:DIGits:AUTO .................................................................................... 11-80

[:SENSe[1]]:<function>:MEDian:RANK ................................................................................. 11-81

[:SENSe[1]]:<function>:MEDian[:STATe] .............................................................................. 11-82

[:SENSe[1]]:<function>:NPLCycles ....................................................................................... 11-83

[:SENSe[1]]:<function>:NPLCycles:AUTO ............................................................................ 11-84

[:SENSe[1]]:<function>:RANGe:AUTO ................................................................................. 11-85

[:SENSe[1]]:<function>:RANGe:AUTO:LLIMit ....................................................................... 11-86

[:SENSe[1]]:<function>:RANGe:AUTO:ULIMit ...................................................................... 11-87

[:SENSe[1]]:<function>:RANGe[:UPPer] ............................................................................... 11-88

[:SENSe[1]]:<function>:REFerence ....................................................................................... 11-89

[:SENSe[1]]:<function>:REFerence:ACQuire ........................................................................ 11-90

[:SENSe[1]]:<function>:REFerence:STATe .......................................................................... 11-91

[:SENSe[1]]:CHARge:ADIScharge:LEVel ............................................................................. 11-92

[:SENSe[1]]:CHARge:ADIScharge[:STATe] .......................................................................... 11-92

[:SENSe[1]]:CHARge:RANGe:AUTO:LGRoup ...................................................................... 11-93

[:SENSe[1]]:DATA:FRESh? .................................................................................................. 11-93

[:SENSe[1]]:DATA[:LATest]?................................................................................................. 11-94

[:SENSe[1]]:FUNCtion ........................................................................................................... 11-95

[:SENSe[1]]:RESistance:IREFerence .................................................................................... 11-96

[:SENSe[1]:RESistance:MANual:CRANge:AUTO ................................................................. 11-97

[:SENSe[1]]:RESistance:MANual:CRANge[:UPPer] ............................................................. 11-98

[:SENSe[1]]:RESistance:MANual:VSOurce:OPERate .......................................................... 11-98

[:SENSe[1]]:RESistance:MANual:VSOurce:RANGe ............................................................. 11-99

[:SENSe[1]]:RESistance:MANual:VSOurce[:AMPLitude] ...................................................... 11-99

[:SENSe[1]]:RESistance:MSELect ...................................................................................... 11-100

[:SENSe[1]]:RESistance:RESistivity:FSELect ..................................................................... 11-100

[:SENSe[1]]:RESistance:RESistivity:M8009:RSWitch? ....................................................... 11-101

[:SENSe[1]]:RESistance:RESistivity:STHickness ................................................................ 11-102

[:SENSe[1]]:RESistance:RESistivity:USER:KSURface ....................................................... 11-102

[:SENSe[1]]:RESistance:RESistivity:USER:KVOLume ....................................................... 11-103

[:SENSe[1]]:RESistance:RESistivity:USER:RSELect .......................................................... 11-103

[:SENSe[1]]:RESistance:VSControl .................................................................................... 11-104

[:SENSe[1]:RESistance[:AUTO]:RANGe:AUTO .................................................................. 11-104

[:SENSe[1]]:RESistance[:AUTO]:RANGe:AUTO:LLIMit ...................................................... 11-105

Table of contents Model 6517B Electrometer Reference Manual

[:SENSe[1]]:RESistance[:AUTO]:RANGe:AUTO:ULIMit ..................................................... 11-106

[:SENSe[1]]:RESistance[:AUTO]:RANGe[:UPPer] .............................................................. 11-106

[:SENSe[1]]:VOLTage[:DC]:GUARd .................................................................................... 11-107

[:SENSe[1]]:VOLTage[:DC]:XFEedback ............................................................................. 11-107

SOURce subsystem ....................................................................................................... 11-108

:SOURce:CURRent:LIMit[:STATe]? .................................................................................... 11-108

:SOURce:CURRent:RLIMit:STATe ..................................................................................... 11-108

:SOURce:TTLX:[LEVel] ................................................................ ....................................... 11-109

:SOURce:VOLTage:LIMit:STATe ........................................................................................ 11-110

:SOURce:VOLTage:LIMit[:AMPLitude] ............................................................................... 11-110

:SOURce:VOLTage:MCONnect .......................................................................................... 11-111

:SOURce:VOLTage:RANGe ............................................................................................... 11-112

:SOURce:VOLTage[:LEVel][:IMMediate][:AMPLitude] ........................................................ 11-112

STATus subsystem ........................................................................................................ 11-113

:STATus:MEASurement:CONDition? .................................................................................. 11-113

:STATus:MEASurement:ENABle ........................................................................................ 11-114

:STATus:MEASurement:NTRansition ................................................................................. 11-116

:STATus:MEASurement:PTRansition ................................................................................. 11-118

:STATus:MEASurement[:EVENt]? ...................................................................................... 11-120

:STATus:OPERation:ARM:CONDition? .............................................................................. 11-122

:STATus:OPERation:ARM:ENABle ..................................................................................... 11-123

:STATus:OPERation:ARM:NTRansition .............................................................................. 11-124

:STATus:OPERation:ARM:PTRansition .............................................................................. 11-125

:STATus:OPERation:ARM:SEQuence:CONDition? ............................................................ 11-126

:STATus:OPERation:ARM:SEQuence:ENABle ................................................................... 11-127

:STATus:OPERation:ARM:SEQuence:NTRansition ........................................................... 11-128

:STATus:OPERation:ARM:SEQuence:PTRansition ............................................................ 11-129

:STATus:OPERation:ARM:SEQuence[:EVENt]? ................................................................ 11-130

:STATus:OPERation:ARM[:EVENt]? ................................................................................... 11-131

:STATus:OPERation:CONDition? ....................................................................................... 11-132

:STATus:OPERation:ENABle .............................................................................................. 11-132

:STATus:OPERation:NTRansition ....................................................................................... 11-134

:STATus:OPERation:PTRansition ....................................................................................... 11-135

:STATus:OPERation:TRIGger:CONDition?......................................................................... 11-137

:STATus:OPERation:TRIGger:ENABle ............................................................................... 11-137

:STATus:OPERation:TRIGger:NTRansition ........................................................................ 11-138

:STATus:OPERation:TRIGger:PTRansition ........................................................................ 11-139

:STATus:OPERation:TRIGger[:EVENt]? ............................................................................. 11-140

:STATus:OPERation[:EVENt]? ............................................................................................ 11-141

:STATus:PRESet ................................................................................................................ 11-143

:STATus:QUEStionable:CONDition? .................................................................................. 11-144

:STATus:QUEStionable:ENABle ......................................................................................... 11-144

:STATus:QUEStionable:NTRansition .................................................................................. 11-146

:STATus:QUEStionable:PTRansition .................................................................................. 11-147

:STATus:QUEStionable[:EVENt]? ....................................................................................... 11-149

:STATus:QUEue:CLEar ...................................................................................................... 11-151

:STATus:QUEue:DISable .................................................................................................... 11-151

:STATus:QUEue:ENABle .................................................................................................... 11-152

:STATus:QUEue[:NEXT]? ................................................................................................... 11-153

SYSTem subsystem ....................................................................................................... 11-154

:SYSTem:ARSPeed ............................................................................................................ 11-154

:SYSTem:CLEar .................................................................................................................. 11-154

:SYSTem:DATE .................................................................................................................. 11-155

:SYSTem:ERRor? ............................................................................................................... 11-155

:SYSTem:HLControl ............................................................................................................ 11-156

:SYSTem:HSControl ........................................................................................................... 11-157

:SYSTem:INTerlock? .......................................................................................................... 11-157

:SYSTem:KEY ..................................................................................................................... 11-158

Model 6517B Electrometer Reference Manual Table of contents

:SYSTem:LLOCkout ............................................................................................................ 11-160

:SYSTem:LOCal .................................................................................................................. 11-160

:SYSTem:LSYNc:STATe..................................................................................................... 11 -161

:SYSTem:POSetup ............................................................................................................. 11-161

:SYSTem:PRESet ............................................................................................................... 11-162

:SYSTem:REMote ............................................................................................................... 11-162

:SYSTem:RNUMber:RESet................................................................................................. 11-163

:SYSTem:TIME ................................................................................................................... 11-163

:SYSTem:TSControl ............................................................................................................ 11-164

:SYSTem:TSTamp:RELative:RESet ................................................................................... 11-164

:SYSTem:TSTamp:TYPE .................................................................................................... 11-165

:SYSTem:VERSion? ........................................................................................................... 11-165

:SYSTem:ZCHeck ............................................................................................................... 11-166

:SYSTem:ZCORrect:ACQuire ............................................................................................. 11-166

:SYSTem:ZCORrect[:STATe] .............................................................................................. 11-167

TRACe subsystem ......................................................................................................... 11-168

:TRACe:CLEar ................................ .................................................................................... 11-168

:TRACe:DATA? ................................................................................................................... 11-168

:TRACe:ELEMents .............................................................................................................. 11-169

:TRACe:FEED:CONTrol ...................................................................................................... 11-170

:TRACe:FEED:PRETrigger:AMOunt:READings .................................................................. 11-171

:TRACe:FEED:PRETrigger:AMOunt[:PERCent] ................................................................. 11 -171

:TRACe:FEED:PRETrigger:SOURce .................................................................................. 11-172

:TRACe:FREE? ................................................................................................................... 11-173

:TRACe:LAST? ................................................................................................................... 11-173

:TRACe:POINts ................................................................................................................... 11-174

:TRACe:POINts:ACTual? .................................................................................................... 11-175

:TRACe:POINts:AUTO ........................................................................................................ 11-176

:TRACe:TSTamp:FORMat .................................................................................................. 11-177

TRIGger subsystem ....................................................................................................... 11-177

:ABORt ................................................................................................................................ 11-177

:ARM:[SEQuence[1]]:LAYer2:TIMer .................................................................................... 11-178

:ARM[:SEQuence[1]]:LAYer2:COUNt ................................................................................. 11-178

:ARM[:SEQuence[1]]:LAYer2:DELay .................................................................................. 11-179

:ARM[:SEQuence[1]]:LAYer2:IMMediate ............................................................................ 11-180

:ARM[:SEQuence[1]]:LAYer2:SIGNal ................................................................................. 11-180

:ARM[:SEQuence[1]]:LAYer2:SOURce ............................................................................... 11-181

:ARM[:SEQuence[1]]:LAYer2:TCONfigure:ASYNchronous:ILINe ....................................... 11-182

:ARM[:SEQuence[1]]:LAYer2:TCONfigure:ASYNchronous:OLINe ..................................... 11-182

:ARM[:SEQuence[1]]:LAYer2:TCONfigure:DIRection ......................................................... 11-183

:ARM[:SEQuence[1]][:LAYer[1]]:COUNt ............................................................................. 11-184

:ARM[:SEQuence[1]][:LAYer[1]]:IMMediate ........................................................................ 11-184

:ARM[:SEQuence[1]][:LAYer[1]]:SIGNal ............................................................................. 11-185

:ARM[:SEQuence[1]][:LAYer[1]]:SOURce ........................................................................... 11-185

:ARM[:SEQuence[1]][:LAYer[1]]:TCONfigure:ASYNchronous:ILINe ................................... 11-186

:ARM[:SEQuence[1]][:LAYer[1]]:TCONfigure:ASYNchronous:OLINe ................................. 11-187

:ARM[:SEQuence[1]][:LAYer[1]]:TCONfigure:DIRection ..................................................... 11-187

:ARM[:SEQuence[1]][LAYer[1]]:RTCLock:DATE ................................................................. 11-188

:ARM[:SEQuence[1]][LAYer[1]]:RTCLock:TIME .................................................................. 11-189

:INITiate:CONTinuous ......................................................................................................... 11-189

:INITiate:POFLag ................................................................................................................ 11-190

:INITiate[:IMMediate] ........................................................................................................... 11-190

:SYSTem:MACRo:TRIGger:MODE ..................................................................................... 11-191

:SYSTem:MACRo:TRIGger:SOURce ................................................................................. 11-191

:SYSTem:MACRo:TRIGger:TIMer ...................................................................................... 11-192

:SYSTem:MACRo:TRIGger[:EXECute] ............................................................................... 11-193

:TRIGger:[SEQuence[1]]:TIMer ........................................................................................... 11-193

:TRIGger[:SEQuence[1]]:COUNt ......................................................................................... 11-194

:TRIGger[:SEQuence[1]]:DELay ......................................................................................... 11-194

Table of contents Model 6517B Electrometer Reference Manual

:TRIGger[:SEQuence[1]]:IMMediate ................................................................................... 11-195

:TRIGger[:SEQuence[1]]:SIGNal ......................................................................................... 11-195

:TRIGger[:SEQuence[1]]:SOURce ...................................................................................... 11-196

:TRIGger[:SEQuence[1]]:TCONfigure:ASYNchronous:ILINe .............................................. 11-197

:TRIGger[:SEQuence[1]]:TCONfigure:ASYNchronous:OLINe ............................................ 11-197

:TRIGger[:SEQuence[1]]:TCONfigure:DIRection ................................................................ 11-198

:TRIGger[:SEQuence[1]]:TCONfigure:PROTocol ................................................................ 11-198

:TRIGger[:SEQuence[1]]:TCONfigure:SSYNchronous:LINE ............................................... 11-199

TSEQuence subsystem ................................................................................................. 11-199

:TSEQuence:ABORt ........................................................................................................... 11-200

:TSEQuence:ALTPolarity:ALTVoltage ................................................................................ 11-200

:TSEQuence:ALTPolarity:DISCard ..................................................................................... 11-201

:TSEQuence:ALTPolarity:MTIMe ........................................................................................ 11-201

:TSEQuence:ALTPolarity:OFSVoltage ................................................................................ 11-202

:TSEQuence:ALTPolarity:READings ................................................................................... 11-202

:TSEQuence:ARM ............................................................................................................... 11-203

:TSEQuence:CIResistance:SPINterval ............................................................................... 11-203

:TSEQuence:CIResistance:SPOints ................................................................................... 11-204

:TSEQuence:CIResistance:SVOLtage ................................................................................ 11-204

:TSEQuence:CLEakage:SPINterval .................................................................................... 11-205

:TSEQuence:CLEakage:SPOints ........................................................................................ 11-205

:TSEQuence:CLEakage:SVOLtage .................................................................................... 11-206

:TSEQuence:DLEakage:MDELay ....................................................................................... 11-206

:TSEQuence:DLEakage:STARt .......................................................................................... 11-207

:TSEQuence:DLEakage:STEP ............................................................................................ 11-207

:TSEQuence:DLEakage:STOP ........................................................................................... 11-208

:TSEQuence:RVCoefficient:MDELay2 ................................................................................ 11-208

:TSEQuence:RVCoefficient:MDELay[1] .............................................................................. 11-209

:TSEQuence:RVCoefficient:SVOLtage2 ............................................................................. 11-209

:TSEQuence:RVCoefficient:SVOLtage[1] ........................................................................... 11-210

:TSEQuence:SIResistance:MTIMe ..................................................................................... 11-210

:TSEQuence:SIResistance:MVOLtage ............................................................................... 11-211

:TSEQuence:SIResistance:STIMe ...................................................................................... 11-211

:TSEQuence:SIResistance:SVOLtage ................................................................................ 11-212

:TSEQuence:SQSWeep:COUNt ......................................................................................... 11-212

:TSEQuence:SQSWeep:HLEVel ......................................................................................... 11-213

:TSEQuence:SQSWeep:HTIMe .......................................................................................... 11-213

:TSEQuence:SQSWeep:LLEVel ......................................................................................... 11-214

:TSEQuence:SQSWeep:LTIMe ........................................................................................... 11-214

:TSEQuence:SRESistivity:DTIMe ....................................................................................... 11-215

:TSEQuence:SRESistivity:MTIMe ....................................................................................... 11-215

:TSEQuence:SRESistivity:MVOLtage ................................................................................. 11-216

:TSEQuence:SRESistivity:PDTime ..................................................................................... 11-216

:TSEQuence:SRESistivity:STIMe ........................................................................................ 11-217

:TSEQuence:SRESistivity:SVOLtage .................................................................................. 11-217

:TSEQuence:STSWeep:STARt ........................................................................................... 11-218

:TSEQuence:STSWeep:STEP ............................................................................................ 11-218

:TSEQuence:STSWeep:STIMe ........................................................................................... 11-219

:TSEQuence:STSWeep:STOP ............................................................................................ 11-219

:TSEQuence:TLIne ............................................................................................................. 11-220

:TSEQuence:TSOurce ........................................................................................................ 11-220

:TSEQuence:TYPE ............................................................................................................. 11-221

:TSEQuence:VRESistivity:DTIMe ....................................................................................... 11-222

:TSEQuence:VRESistivity:MTIMe ....................................................................................... 11-222

:TSEQuence:VRESistivity:MVOLtage ................................................................................. 11-222

:TSEQuence:VRESistivity:PDTime ..................................................................................... 11-223

:TSEQuence:VRESistivity:STIMe ........................................................................................ 11-223

:TSEQuence:VRESistivity:SVOLtage .................................................................................. 11-224

Model 6517B Electrometer Reference Manual Table of contents

UNIT subsystem ............................................................................................................. 11-224

:UNIT:TEMPerature ............................................................................................................ 11-224

Common commands .............................................................................................. 12-1

Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 12-1

Common command summary ............................................................................................ 12-1

Common command descriptions ....................................................................................... 12-2

*CLS ........................................................................................................................................ 12-2

*ESE ....................................................................................................................................... 12-3

*ESR? ..................................................................................................................................... 12-5

*IDN? ...................................................................................................................................... 12-6

*OPC ....................................................................................................................................... 12-7

*OPC? ..................................................................................................................................... 12-8

*OPT? ..................................................................................................................................... 12-9

*RCL ..................................................................................................................................... 12-10

*RST ..................................................................................................................................... 12-10

*SAV ..................................................................................................................................... 12-11

*SRE ..................................................................................................................................... 12-11

*STB? .................................................................................................................................... 12-13

*TRG ..................................................................................................................................... 12-15

*TST? .................................................................................................................................... 12-15

*WAI ...................................................................................................................................... 12-16

Status model ........................................................................................................... 13-1

Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 13-1

Status structure .................................................................................................................. 13-1

Standard event status registers............................................................................................... 13-3

Operation event status registers ............................................................................................. 13-4

Condition registers ................................................................................................................ 13-10

Transition filters ..................................................................................................................... 13-10

Event registers ................................ ................................................................ ...................... 13-11

Enable registers .................................................................................................................... 13-11

Queues ............................................................................................................................. 13-12

Status byte and service request (SRQ) ........................................................................... 13-13

Status byte register ............................................................................................................... 13-14

Service request enable register ............................................................................................. 13-15

Serial poll and SRQ ............................................................................................................... 13-16

Calibration procedure ............................................................................................. 14-1

Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 14-1

Warmup time and environment .......................................................................................... 14-1

Calibration procedure ......................................................................................................... 14-2

Recommended calibration equipment ..................................................................................... 14-2

Comprehensive calibration procedure ..................................................................................... 14-3

Restoring factory defaults........................................................................................................ 14-3

Unlock calibration .................................................................................................................... 14-3

Voltage offset calibration ......................................................................................................... 14-3

Current offset calibration ......................................................................................................... 14-6

Current ranges calibration ....................................................................................................... 14-7

Table of contents Model 6517B Electrometer Reference Manual

Charge range calibration ......................................................................................................... 14-9

Voltage measurement ranges calibration .............................................................................. 14-10

Voltage source calibration ..................................................................................................... 14-11

Temperature calibration ........................................................................................................ 14-12

Humidity calibration ............................................................................................................... 14-12

Set calibration dates .............................................................................................................. 14-12

Save calibration ..................................................................................................................... 14-12

Lock calibration ..................................................................................................................... 14-13

Partial calibration ................................................................................................................... 14-13

Calibration command reference ....................................................................................... 14-15

Voltage offset calibration commands .................................................................................... 14-15

Current offset calibration commands ..................................................................................... 14-16

Charge calibration commands ............................................................................................... 14-17

Current calibration commands .............................................................................................. 14-17

Voltage measurement calibration commands ....................................................................... 14-18

Voltage source calibration commands .................................................................................. 14-18

Humidity calibration commands ............................................................................................ 14-19

Temperature calibration commands ...................................................................................... 14-19

Miscellaneous calibration commands .................................................................................... 14-19

Calibration error codes .......................................................................................................... 14-20

Verification procedure ............................................................................................ 15-1

Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 15-1

Equipment needed for verification ........................................................................................... 15-2

Warmup time and environment ................................................................ ............................... 15-2

Considerations ................................ ................................................................ ........................ 15-3

Verification procedures ...................................................................................................... 15-3

DC voltage verification ............................................................................................................ 15-4

DC amps verification ............................................................................................................... 15-5

Charge verification .................................................................................................................. 15-8

Voltage source verification ...................................................................................................... 15-9

Temperature verification ....................................................................................................... 15-11

Humidity verification .............................................................................................................. 15-12

Resistance verification .......................................................................................................... 15-13

ASCII character codes ............................................................................................ 16-1

Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 16-1

ASCII character codes (decimal 0 to 31) ........................................................................... 16-1

ASCII character codes (decimal 32 to 95) ......................................................................... 16-2

ASCII character codes (decimal 96 to 127) ....................................................................... 16-3

IEEE-488 bus overview ........................................................................................... 17-1

Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 17-1

Bus description ................................................................................................................... 17-2

Bus lines ............................................................................................................................. 17-3

Data lines ................................................................................................................................ 17-3

Bus management lines ............................................................................................................ 17-4

Handshake lines ...................................................................................................................... 17-4

Bus commands .................................................................................................................. 17-5

Model 6517B Electrometer Reference Manual Table of contents

Uniline commands ................................................................................................................... 17-6

Universal multiline commands ................................................................................................. 17-7

Addressed multiline commands .............................................................................................. 17-7

Addressed commands ............................................................................................................ 17-8

Unaddressed commands ........................................................................................................ 17-8

Common commands ............................................................................................................... 17-8

SCPI commands ..................................................................................................................... 17-8

Command codes ..................................................................................................................... 17-9

Typical command sequences ................................................................................................ 17-10

IEEE command groups ......................................................................................................... 17-10

IEEE-488 conformance .................................................................................................... 17-11

IEEE-488 documentation requirements ................................................................................ 17-12

Coupled commands .............................................................................................................. 17-13

Interface function codes ................................................................................................... 17-15

In this section:

Welcome ...................................................................................1-1

Extended warranty ....................................................................1-1

Contact information ...................................................................1-1

Welcome

The 6½-digit 6517B Electrometer/High Resistance Meter provide reliable measurements of current
levels down to 10 aA (10×10

–18

A), charge levels down to 1 fC, and the highest resistance
measurements available up to 1018 Ω. The 6517B can also measure across a large voltage range, up
to 200 V, with an input impedance exceeding 200 TΩ.

Extended warranty

Additional years of warranty coverage are available on many products. These valuable contracts
protect you from unbudgeted service expenses and provide additional years of protection at a fraction
of the price of a repair. Extended warranties are available on new and existing products. Contact your
local Keithley Instruments office, sales partner, or distributor for details.

Contact information

If you have any questions after you review the information in this documentation, please contact your
local Keithley Instruments office, sales partner, or distributor. You can also call the Tektronix
corporate headquarters (toll-free inside the U.S. and Canada only) at 1-800-833-9200. For worldwide
contact numbers, visit tek.com/en/contact-tek.

Section 1

Introduction

In this section:

Introduction ...............................................................................2-1

Select the communications interface ........................................2-1

GPIB communications interface ................................................2-2

RS-232 serial interface .............................................................2-8

Program examples ..................................................................2-13

Introduction

You can use GPIB (IEEE-488) or RS-232 remote communications with the 6517B.
The GPIB interface conforms to the IEEE-488.2-1987 standard and the SCPI 1996 (Standard

Commands for Programmable Instruments) standard. IEEE-488.2 defines a syntax for sending data
to and from instruments, how an instrument interprets this data, what registers exist to record the
state of the instrument, and a group of common commands. The SCPI standard defines a command
language protocol. It goes one step farther than IEEE-488.2 and defines a standard set of commands
to control every programmable aspect of an instrument.

The RS-232 serial interface allows you to send program messages to the instrument and receive
response messages from the instrument. You can use all commands over this serial port. The
RS-232 serial interface is based on the electrical and mechanical characteristics of the RS-232C
standard. Typically, the serial port is used with a controller that cannot accommodate an IEEE-488
bus interface, such as a laptop computer.

Select the communications interface

You can set the communications interface to be GPIB or RS-232.

Changing the communication interface re-initializes the instrument and restores the power­on defaults.

Section 2

Remote operations

Section 2: Remote operations Model 6517B Electrometer Reference Manual

2-2 6517B-901-01 Rev. E August 2022

To select the communications interface:

1. Press the MENU key to display the MAIN MENU.

2. Select COMMUNICATION and press the ENTER key. The COMMUNICATIONS SETUP menu

is displayed.

3. Select GPIB or RS-232. Press the ENTER key.
For information on connecting and setting up the GPIB (IEEE-488) communications interface, refer to

GPIB communications interface (on page 2-2). For information on connecting and setting up the

RS-232 communications interface, refer to RS-232 serial interface (on page 2-8).

GPIB communications interface

The 6517B has a built-in GPIB (IEEE-488) interface. Over this interface, you can send data to the
instrument and receive data from the instrument.

The following information describes how to make the GPIB connections to the instrument and how to
set the GPIB address. It also describes how to set the data elements that are included with each
reading and how to operate the 6517B from the front panel when GPIB is connected. General bus
commands are also described.

IEEE-488 bus connections

The 6517B can be connected to the IEEE-488 bus through a cable equipped with standard IEEE-488
connectors. An example is shown in the following figure. The connector can be stacked to allow a
number of parallel connections to one instrument. There are two screws on each connector to ensure
that connections remain secure.

Figure 1: IEEE-488 connector

A typical connection scheme for a multi-instrument test system is shown in the following figure. It is
recommended that you stack no more than three connectors on any one instrument to avoid possible
mechanical damage.

To minimize interference caused by electromagnetic radiation, use only shielded IEEE-488 cables.

Model 6517B Electrometer Reference Manual Section 2: Remote operations

6517B-901-01 Rev. E August 2022 2-3

Figure 2: Multi-instrument connections

You can have up to 15 devices connected to a GPIB interface, including the controller. The maximum
cable length is the lesser of either:

• The number of devices multiplied by 2 m (6.5 ft)

• 20 m (65.6 ft)

You may see erratic bus operation if you ignore these limits.

To connect the 6517B to the IEEE-488 bus:

1. Line up the cable connector with the connector on the rear panel. The connector is designed so

that it fits only one way. The following figure shows the location of the IEEE-488 connector.

Figure 3: IEEE-488 and RS-232 connector locations

2. Tighten the screws securely, but do not overtighten them.

3. Add additional connectors from other instruments, as required.

4. Make certain that the other end of the cable is properly connected to the controller. Most

controllers are equipped with an IEEE-488 style connector, but a few may require a different type
of connecting cable. Consult the instruction manual for your controller for the proper
connecting method.

Section 2: Remote operations Model 6517B Electrometer Reference Manual

2-4 6517B-901-01 Rev. E August 2022

Select the GPIB primary address

The default GPIB address is 27. You can set the address from 1 to 30 if it is unique in the system.
This address cannot conflict with an address that is assigned to another instrument or to the
GPIB controller.

GPIB controllers are usually set to 0 or 21. To be safe, do not configure any instrument to have an
address of 21.

The instrument saves the address in nonvolatile memory. It does not change when you send a reset
command or when you turn the power off and on again.

To check the present primary address or to change to a new one:

1. Press the MENU key to display the MAIN MENU.

2. Select COMMUNICATION. Press the ENTER key. The COMMUNICATIONS SETUP menu is

displayed.

3. Select GPIB. Press the ENTER key.

4. If you are switching from the RS-232 interface to the GPIB interface, the instrument is reset to the

power-on defaults. After the reset, repeat the steps above to display the GPIB menu.

5. Select ADDRESS. Press the ENTER key. The primary address of the instrument is displayed.

For example, if the instrument is set to primary address 27, the following message is displayed:

ADDRESS = 27 (0 to 30)

To change the primary address, use the ◄ and ► keys and the RANGE ▲ ▼ keys to set the
new address value. Press the ENTER key.

6. Press the EXIT key to return to the measurement display.

Select the GPIB data elements

You can select the following data elements to be sent with each reading:

• RDG: The numeric value of the reading.

• RDG#: The buffer location of the reading. The reading number can be reset to zero from the

GENERAL MENU in the TIMESTAMP option.

• UNIT: The units of the reading.

• CH#: The channel number the reading was made on.

• HUM: Relative humidity reading if the Model 6517-RH is used. The humidity sensor is enabled

from the A/D CONTROLS option in the GENERAL MENU.

Model 6517B Electrometer Reference Manual Section 2: Remote operations

6517B-901-01 Rev. E August 2022 2-5

• ETEMP: The external temperature reading if the Model 6517-TP is used. The humidity sensor is

enabled from the A/D CONTROLS item of the GENERAL MENU.

• TIME: The real-time or relative timestamp for each reading. Timestamp type is selected from the

TIMESTAMP option in the GENERAL MENU.

• STATUS: The reading status information, such as normal reading, measurement overflow or

underflow, and relative reading.

• VSRC: The actual output level of the voltage source.

You can also select the data elements using remote communications using the :FORMat:ELEMents
(on page 11-58) command.

To set up the GPIB elements:

1. Press the MENU key.

2. Select COMMUNICATION. Press the ENTER key.

3. Select GPIB. Press the ENTER key.

4. Select ADDRESS. Press the ENTER key.

5. Select ELEMENTS. Press the ENTER key.

6. Use the ◄ and ► keys to move between the elements. Use the RANGE ▲ and ▼ keys to set

each option to y or n.

7. When the elements are set, press the ENTER key.

IEEE-488 front-panel operation

The following paragraphs discuss aspects of the front panel that are part of IEEE-488 (GPIB)
operation, including messages, status indicators, and the LOCAL key.

IEEE-488 status indicators

The REM (remote), TALK (talk), LSTN (listen), and SRQ (service request) annunciators show the
GPIB bus status.

The REM indicator is on when the instrument is in the remote state. The instrument must be
addressed to listen with REM true before the REM indicator turns on. When the instrument is in the
remote state, all front-panel keys except for the LOCAL key are locked out. When REM is turned off,
the instrument is in the local state, and front-panel operation is restored.

The TALK indicator is on when the instrument is in the talker active state. To place the instrument in
the talk state, address it to talk with the correct MTA (My Talk Address) command. TALK is off when
the instrument is in the talker idle state. To place the instrument in the talker idle state, send an UNT
(Untalk) command, address it to listen, or send the IFC (Interface Clear) command.

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The LSTN indicator is on when the 6517B is in the listener active state, which is activated by
addressing the instrument to listen with the correct MLA (My Listen Address) command. LSTN is off

when the instrument is in the listener idle state. To place the instrument in the listener idle state, send
UNL (Unlisten), address it to talk, or send the IFC (Interface Clear) command over the bus.

When the SRQ indicator is on, a service request was generated. You can program the instrument to
generate a service request (SRQ) when one or more errors or conditions occur. This indicator stays
on until the serial poll byte is read or all the conditions that caused the SRQ have ended.

LOCAL key

The LOCAL key cancels the remote state and restores local operation of the instrument.
Pressing LOCAL also turns off the REM indicator and returns the display to normal if a user-defined

message was displayed.
The LOCAL key is inoperative if the LLO (Local Lockout) command is in effect.

General bus commands

General commands are commands that have the same general meaning, regardless of the
instrument. The following table lists the general bus commands.

Command

Effect on 6517B

DCL

Device clear. Returns the 6517B and all devices on the GPIB to known conditions. See DCL
(on page 2-6) for details.

GET

Group execute trigger. Initiates a trigger. See GET (on page 2-7) for details.

GTL

Go to local. Cancel remote; restore 6517B front-panel operation. See GTL (on page 2-7) for
details.

IFC

Interface clear. Goes into talker and listener idle states. See IFC (on page 2-7) for details.

LLO

Local lockout. LOCAL key locked out. See LLO (on page 2-7) for details.

REN

Remote enable. Goes into remote operation when next addressed to listen. See REN (on
page 2-7) for details.

SDC

Selective device clear. Returns the 6517B to known conditions. See SDC (on page 2-8) for
details.

SPE, SPD

Serial polling. Serial polls the 6517B. See SPE, SPD (on page 2-8) for details.

DCL

Use the device clear (DCL) command to clear the GPIB interface and return it to a known state. The
DCL command is not an addressed command, so all instruments equipped to implement DCL are
returned to a known state simultaneously.

When the 6517B receives a DCL command, it:

• Clears the input buffer, output queue, and command queue

• Cancels deferred commands

• Clears any command that prevents the processing of any other device command

The DCL command does not affect instrument settings and stored data.

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GET

GET is a GPIB trigger that is used as an arm, scan, or measure event to control operation. The
6517B reacts to this trigger if it is the programmed control source. GET can also be used as the
pretrigger for the reading buffer.

GTL

Use the go to local (GTL) command to put an instrument that is in remote mode instrument into local
mode. Leaving the remote state also restores operation of all front-panel controls.

IFC

The controller sends the interface clear (IFC) command to place the 6517B in the talker idle state and
the listener idle state. The instrument responds to the IFC command by canceling illumination of the
front-panel TALK or LSTN lights if the instrument was previously placed in one of these states.

Transfer of command messages to the instrument and transfer of response messages from the
instrument are not interrupted by the IFC command. If transfer of a response message from the
instrument was suspended by IFC, transfer of the message resumes when the instrument is
addressed to talk. If transfer of a command message to the instrument was suspended by the IFC
command, the rest of the message can be sent when the instrument is addressed to listen.

This command does not affect the status of the instrument. Settings, data, and event registers are not
changed.

To send the IFC command, the controller needs to set the IFC line true for a minimum of 100 μs.

LLO

The LLO command prevents local operation of the instrument. After the instrument receives LLO, all
its front-panel controls except POWER are inoperative. In this state, pressing LOCAL does not
restore control to the front panel. You must use the GTL command to restore control to the
front panel.

REN

The remote enable (REN) command is sent to the 6517B by the controller to set up the instrument for
remote operation. Generally, place the instrument in the remote mode before you attempt to program
it over the bus. Setting REN to true does not place the instrument in the remote state. You must
address the instrument to listen after setting REN to true before it goes into remote operation.

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SDC

The selective device clear (SDC) command is an addressed command that performs essentially the
same function as the device clear (DCL) command. However, because each device must be
individually addressed, the SDC command provides a method to clear only selected instruments,
instead of clearing all instruments simultaneously with the DCL command.

When the 6517B receives an SDC command, it:

• Clears the input buffer, output queue, and command queue

• Cancels deferred commands

• Clears any command that prevents the processing of any other device command

An SDC call does not affect instrument settings and stored data.

SPE, SPD

Use the serial polling sequence to obtain the 6517B serial poll byte. The serial poll byte contains
important information about internal functions (see Status model (on page 13-1)). Generally, the serial
polling sequence is used by the controller to determine which of several instruments has requested
service with the SRQ line. The serial polling sequence may be performed at any time to obtain the
status byte from the 6517B.

RS-232 serial interface

The 6517B has a built-in RS-232 serial interface. Over this interface, you can send program
messages to the instrument and receive response messages from the instrument. You can also place
the instrument in the talk-only mode, which allows you to send readings to an external listening
device, such as a serial printer.

The serial port of the 6517B can be connected to the serial port of a computer for send/receive
operation or to a listener (such as a serial printer) for talk-only operation.

You can use the SCPI programming language over the RS-232 serial interface to communicate with
the 6517B.

RS-232 interface connections

You can connect the serial port of the 6517B to the serial port of a computer or listening device (for
example, a serial printer) using an RS-232 cable terminated with DB-9 connectors. The serial port
uses the transmit (Tx), receive (Rx), and signal ground (Gnd) lines of the RS-232 standard.

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If your computer uses a DB-25 connector for the RS-232 interface, you need a cable or adapter with
a DB-25 connector on one end and a DB-9 connector on the other, wired straight through. Do not use
a null modem cable. The following figure shows the pins and the following tables provide pinout
identification for the 9-pin (DB-9) connector.

Figure 4: RS-232 interface connector

Pin number

Designation

2

Transmitted data (Tx)

3

Received data (Rx)

5

Signal ground (Gnd)

RS-232 6517B configuration

The RS-232 Serial Interface is selected and configured from the COMMUNICATION menu of the
MAIN MENU.

To configure the RS-232 interface on the 6517B:

1. Press the MENU key.

2. Select COMMUNICATION. Press the ENTER key.

3. Select RS-232. Press the ENTER key.

4. If you are switching from the GPIB interface to the RS-232 interface, the instrument is reset to the

power-on defaults. When reset is complete, repeat the steps above to display the RS-232
SETUP menu.

5. Select BAUD. Press the ENTER key.

6. Select 115.2K, 57.6K, 38.4K, 19.2K, 9600, 4800, 2400, 1200, 600, or 300. Press the ENTER

key.

7. Select Terminator. Press the ENTER key.

8. Select <CR>, <CR+LF>, <LF>, or <LF+CR>. Press the ENTER key.

9. Select FLOW-CTRL. Press the ENTER key.

10. Select NONE or XON-XOFF. Press the ENTER key.

11. Press the EXIT key to return to the reading display.

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RS-232 computer configuration

From your communications software, configure the RS-232 interface for your computer as follows:

• RTS-CTS: OFF

• XON-XON: ON

• Local echo: ON

Make sure the RS-232 parameters (baud rate, terminator, and flow control) of your computer match
the RS-232 parameters of the 6517B.

Select the RS-232 data elements

You can select the following data elements to be sent with each reading:

• RDG: The numeric value of the reading.

• RDG#: The buffer location of the reading. The reading number can be reset to zero from the

GENERAL MENU in the TIMESTAMP option.

• UNIT: The units of the reading.

• CH#: The channel number the reading was made on.

• HUM: Relative humidity reading if the Model 6517-RH is used. The humidity sensor is enabled

from the A/D CONTROLS option in the GENERAL MENU.

• ETEMP: The external temperature reading if the Model 6517-TP is used. The humidity sensor is

enabled from the A/D CONTROLS item of the GENERAL MENU.

• TIME: The real-time or relative timestamp for each reading. Timestamp type is selected from the

TIMESTAMP option in the GENERAL MENU.

• STATUS: The reading status information, such as normal reading, measurement overflow or

underflow, and relative reading.

• VSRC: The actual output level of the voltage source.

You can also select the data elements using remote communications using the :FORMat:ELEMents
(on page 11-58) command.

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To set up the data elements:

1. Press the MENU key.

2. Select COMMUNICATION. Press the ENTER key.

3. Select RS-232. Press the ENTER key.

4. Select ADDRESS. Press the ENTER key.

5. Select ELEMENTS. Press the ENTER key.

6. Use the ◄ and ► keys to move between the elements. Use the RANGE ▲ and ▼ keys to set

each option to y or n.

7. When the elements are set, press the ENTER key.

RS-232 operating considerations

The following topics describe considerations that apply to RS-232 operations.

Response messages (queries)

After a query command is sent and parsed, the response message is immediately sent to the
computer. The computer should be ready to receive the response message at that time.

Data format

The RS-232 interface only supports the ASCII data format. If the RS-232 interface is selected, the
data format defaults to ASCII and cannot be changed. Attempts to change the data format using
the :FORMat[:DATA] command result in an error message.

Flow control

The 6517B does not support any form of hardware flow control. Software flow control is in the form of
X_ON (Control+Q) and X_OFF (Control+S) characters. If the input queue of the 6517B becomes
more than 3/4 full (2048 characters maximum), the instrument issues an X_OFF command. The
control program should respond to this and stop sending characters until the 6517B issues the X_ON,
which it does once its input buffer has dropped below half-full. The 6517B also recognizes X_OFF and
X_ON sent from the controller. An X_OFF causes the 6517B to stop outputting characters until it sees
an X_ON. Incoming commands are processed after the <LF> character is received.

Device clear action

A Control C (^C) sent over the interface interrupts the 6517B microprocessor and forces a
device-clear action to take place. This clears any pending operation and discards any pending output.
You can also use ^X as a device-clear character.

Reception of a break condition also causes a device-clear action and displays the appropriate
error message.