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4. Common command reference

UpdatedMay 27, 2023

This section summarizes the mandatory subset of IEEE 488.2 commands required for any SCPI compliant instrument.

Common command	Description
*CLS	Clears all status data structures
*ESE {<value>}	Programs the Standard Event Status Enable register bits
*ESR?	Reads the Standard Event Status Register
*IDN?	Returns the UNIQUE identification of the BB3
*OPC	Operation Complete Command used for program synchronization
*RCL {<profile>}	Recalls the BB3 state stored in the specified storage location
*RST	Reset BB3 to the initial state
*SAV {<profile>}	Stores the current BB3 state in the specified storage location
*SRE	Enables bits in the Status Byte enable register.
*STB?	Reads the Status Byte register
*TRG	Generates a software trigger
*TST?	Returns Self-Test results
*WAI	Waits until all pending commands are completed

4.1. *CLS

Syntax	*CLS
Description	Clear Status Command. This command clears all status data structures in the BB3: Standard Event Status Register OPERation Event Status Register QUEStionable Event Status Register Error/Event Queue The corresponding condition and enable registers are unaffected. If *CLS immediately follows a program message terminator (<NL>), then the output queue and the MAV bit are also cleared.
Return	None
Related Commands	*ESR? STATus:OPERation[:EVENt] STATus:OPERation:INSTrument[:EVENt] STATus:OPERation:INSTrument:ISUMmary[<n>][:EVENt] STATus:QUEStionable[:EVENt] STATus:QUEStionable:INSTrument[:EVENt] STATus:QUEStionable:INSTrument:ISUMmary[<n>][:EVENt] SYSTem:ERRor

4.2. *ESE

Syntax	ESE {<value>} ESE?
Description	Standard Event Status Enable Command. This command sets the Standard Event Status Enable register bits in the BB3. Those settings determine which events of the Standard Event Status Event register (see *ESR?) are allowed to set the ESB (Event Summary Bit) of the Status Byte register. A 1 in the bit position enables the corresponding event. All of the enabled events of the Standard Event Status Event Register are logically ORed sets the Event Summary Bit (ESB) of the Status Byte Register. A STATus:PRESet command does not clear the bits in the Status Byte register. See also Section 3.1 in this document.
Parameters	Name	Type	Range	Default
	<value>	NR1	0 – 255 (A decimal value which corresponds to the binary-weighted sum of the bits in the register. See also table in Section 3.1).	–
Return	The query reads the enable register and returns a decimal value which corresponds to the binary-weighted sum of all bits set in the register.
Usage example	To enable bit 2 (decimal value = 4), bit 3 (decimal value = 8), and bit 7 (decimal value = 128), the corresponding decimal value would be 140 (4 + 8 + 128): ESE 140 Read value of the Standard Event Status Enable register: ESE? 140
Errors	-200,"Execution error"
Related Commands	CLS ESR *RST STATus:PRESet

4.3. *ESR?

Syntax	*ESR?
Description	Standard Event Status Register (see Section 3.2) Query. Reading the Standard Event Status Event register clears it.
Return	The BB3 returns a decimal value which corresponds to the binary-weighted sum of all bits in the register.
Usage example	If ERRor (bit 2) is set: ESR? 4

4.4. *IDN?

Syntax	*IDN?
Description	Identification query for the UNIQUE identification of the BB3. (see also IEEE 488.2 10.14).
Return	The following system parameters will be displayed: <vendor>, <model>, <serial number>, <firmware>. The <model> include information about the CPU in use in brackets and could be STM32F7 or Simulator. More information about the simulator can be found in Section 9.
Usage example	*IDN? Envox,EEZ BB3 (STM32F7),00001,v0.1

4.5. *OPC

Syntax	OPC OPC?
Description	Operation Complete Command. The command is mainly used for program synchronization. It causes the BB3 to set the OPC bit (bit 0) of the Standard Event Status register when the BB3 has completed all pending operations OPC. Pending operations are complete when: All commands sent before OPC is received, including paralleled commands, have been completed. Most commands are sequential and are completed before the next command is executed. Commands that affect output voltage, current, or state, relays, and trigger actions are executed in parallel with subsequent commands. *OPC provides notification that all parallel commands have completed. All triggered actions are completed. Query whether the current operation is completed and the query returns 1. See also IEEE 488.2 Section 12.5 – 12.8.
Return	Query causes the BB3 to place a 1 in the output buffer when all pending operations are completed. *OPC? does not suspend processing of commands.
Usage example	OPC? 1 if current operation is not completed: OPC? 0

4.6. *RCL

Syntax	*RCL {<profile>}
Description	This command recalls the BB3 state stored in the specified storage location. The BB3 has ten storage locations in non-volatile memory to store BB3 states. It is not possible to recall the BB3 state from a storage location that is empty or was deleted (Error 400 will be generated). When the firmware is started for the first time, storage locations 1 through 9 are empty (location 0 has the power-on state). The BB3 uses location 0 to automatically save the state of the BB3 at power down.
Parameters	Name	Type	Range	Default
	<profile>	NR1	0 – 9	–
Return	None
Usage example	*RCL 2
Errors	400,"Cannot load empty profile"
Related Commands	*SAV MEMory:STATe:DELete MEMory:STATe:RECall:AUTO MEMory:STATe:RECall:SELect SYSTem:POWer

4.7. *RST

Syntax	*RST
Description	Reset Command. Restores the BB3 to its initial state (as predefined in the BB3 firmware, see Section 8.2) and clears the error queue. The reset command does NOT affect calibration data, nor any of saved configuration profiles (0 to 9). When *RST is issued, all outputs are set to OFF, and voltage and current are programmed to 0. The power up sequence is started. All SPI peripherals are reinitialize except the controller if an active Ethernet connection exists.
Return	None
Usage example	*RST MEMory:RECall:AUTO SYSTem:POWer
Related Commands	RST SAV MEMory:STATe:CATalog?

4.8. *SAV

Syntax	*SAV {<profile>}
Description	This command stores the current instrument state in the specified storage location. Any state previously stored in the same location is overwritten without generating any errors. The BB3 has nine storage locations in non-volatile memory which are available to the user for storing BB3 states. The following channel and system parameters are stored in the non-volatile memory: Calibration status (CALibration:STATe) Output enable state (OUTPut[:STATe]) Output track state (OUTPut:TRACk[:STATe]) Channel coupling state (INSTrument:COUPle:TRACking) Remote sense state ([SOURce[<n>]]:VOLTage:SENSe[:SOURce]) Output voltage ([SOURce[<n>]]:VOLTage) Output voltage limit ([SOURce[<n>]]:VOLTage:LIMit) Output voltage step ([SOURce[<n>]]:VOLTage:STEP) OVP status ([SOURce[<n>]]:VOLTage:PROTection:STATe) OVP delay ([SOURce[<n>]]:VOLTage:PROTection:DELay) Output current ([SOURce[<n>]]:CURRent) Output current limit ([SOURce[<n>]]:CURRent:LIMit) Output current step ([SOURce[<n>]]:CURRent:STEP) OCP status ([SOURce[<n>]]:CURRent:PROTection:STATe) OCP delay ([SOURce[<n>]]:CURRent:PROTection:DELay) Output power limit ([SOURce[<n>]]:POWer:LIMit) OPP level ([SOURce[<n>]]:POWer:PROTection[:LEVel]) OPP status ([SOURce[<n>]]:POWer:PROTection:STATe) OPP delay ([SOURce[<n>]]:POWer:PROTection:DELay) OTP level (SYSTem:TEMPerature:PROTection[:HIGH][:LEVel]) OTP status (SYSTem:TEMPerature:PROTection[:HIGH]:STATe) OTP delay (SYSTem:TEMPerature:PROTection[:HIGH]:DELay) Power on state (SYSTem:POWer) Simulator load value (SIMUlator:LOAD) Simulator load connection (SIMUlator:LOAD:STATe) Module color (SYSTem:SLOT:COLor) Module label (SYSTem:SLOT:LABel) MicroPyton script to be executed at startup (SCRipt:RECall) Startup script confirmation mode (SCRipt:RECall:CONFirmation) Users can assign an arbitrary name to each of locations 1 through 9 using the MEMory:STATe:NAME command. A reset (*RST command) does not affect the configurations stored in memory. Once a state is stored, it remains constant until it is overwritten using this command or specifically deleted using the MEMory:STATe:DELete command. The BB3 uses location 0 to automatically hold the state of the BB3 at power down.
Parameters	Name	Type	Range	Default
	<profile>	NR1	1 – 9	–
Return	None
Usage example	*SAV 2
Related Commands	RCL RST MEMory:STATe:CATalog? MEMory:STATe:NAME MEMory:STATe:DELete

4.9. *SRE

Syntax	SRE {<value>} SRE?
Description	Enable bits in the Status Byte enable register (see Section 3.2).
Parameters	Name	Type	Range	Default
	<value>	NR1	0 – 255 (A decimal value which corresponds to the binary-weighted sum of the bits in the register. See also table in Section 3.1).	–
Return	Query the Status Byte enable register. The BB3 returns a decimal value which corresponds to the binary-weighted sum of all bits set in the enable register.
Usage example	*SRE 32
Related Commands	*STB

4.10. *STB?

Syntax	*STB?
Description	Read Status Byte Query. This query reads the Status Byte register (see Section 3.2), which contains the status summary bits and the Output Queue MAV bit. The Status Byte is a read-only register and its bits are not cleared when it is read. A serial poll also returns the value of the Status Byte register, except that bit 6 returns Request for Service (RQS) instead of Master Status Summary (MSS). A serial poll clears RQS, but not MSS. When the MSS bit is set, the BB3 has one or more reasons for requesting service.
Return	The BB3 returns a decimal value which corresponds to the binary-weighted sum of all bits in the register.
Usage example	If OPER (bit 7) is set: *STB? 128
Related Commands	*SRE

4.11. *TRG

Syntax	*TRG
Description	This command generates a trigger to the trigger subsystem which has selected a bus (software) trigger as its source (TRIGger[:SEQuence]:SOURce BUS).
Return	None
Usage example	Generate a trigger operation after 5 seconds: TRIG:SOUR BUS TRIG:DEL 5 INIT *TRG
Errors	-211, "Trigger ignored" 304,"Incompatible transient modes" 307,"List lengths are not equivalent"
Related Commands	*WAI ABORt INITiate TRIGger[:SEQuence]:DELay TRIGger[:SEQuence]:SOURce

4.12. *TST?

Syntax	*TST?
Description	Self-Test Query. The self-test query causes an internal self-test, and places a response into the Output Queue indicating whether or not the BB3 completed the self-test without detected errors. Note: All all terminal connections must be removed while the internal self-test is being performed. If an active Ethernet connection exists, testing of the Ethernet controller will be skipped. You can use DIAGnostic[:INFOrmation]:TEST? for to produce a detailed report of the latest self-test. If a fan is installed, and not running, this command will start it for the short time to obtain speed information.
Return	0 or 1 depends of the self-test results. See also DIAGnostic[:INFOrmation]:TEST?.
Usage example	If all tests passed: TST? 0 If one or more tests failed: TST? 1
Related Commands	DIAGnostic[:INFOrmation]:TEST? SYSTem:BEEP:STATe

4.13. *WAI

Syntax	*WAI
Description	Not implemented yet The Wait-to-Continue Command causes the BB3 to wait until all pending commands are completed before executing any other commands. Pending operations are as defined under the *OPC command.
Return	None
Usage example	For example, the WAI command can be used to make a voltage measurement after an OUTPut ON command has completed: OUTPut ON;WAI;:MEASure:VOLTage?
Related Commands	*OPC

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