This document was created with operating system version: release-4.8.6.

1. SCPI Standard

The Standard Commands for Programmable Instruments (SCPI) defines syntax and commands to control test and measurement devices. While originally created for IEEE-488 (GPIB), it can also be used with RS232, USB, Ethernet etc.
SCPI is organized as a hierarchical tree of nodes. Root nodes are called instrument models.

Some specifications of SCPI standard are as below:

• The short form of the node name is usually the first four characters of the long form command header. The exception to this is when the long form consists of more than four characters and the fourth character is a vowel. In such cases, the vowel is dropped and the short form becomes the first three characters of the long form.
  Examples: SENSE -> SENS; DEVICE -> DEV;


• The colon (:) is a path hierarchy separator.


• A semicolon (;) indicates end of a command with parameter(s).


• Queries (?) will instruct the instrument to send a response message. Queries return either measured values or internal instrument settings.
  Caution: If you send two query commands without reading the response of the first query, the first response will get lost as the device recognizes an interrupted action. In this case the query error bit in the standard event status register will also be set.


• A comma (,) is used to separate parameters if a command requires more than one parameter.


• Whitespace (space) must be used to separate a parameter from a command keyword.


• Common Commands (*) follow the IEEE-488.2 interface standard. These commands are used to control reset, self-test, and status operations in a device.


• Input Message Terminators: Program messages sent to a SCPI instrument must terminate with a <linefeed> character. The IEEE-488 EOI signal is interpreted as a <linefeed> character.

2. Device connection

The device uses an Ethernet connection and/or an optional serial device for scpi communication.

• For Ethernet connection, the IP address can be found in device's GUI/settings/Network Settings/Info button. The associated port is 6320.
• For Serial connection, the configuration is 9600 baud, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit and no parity.

3. Device information

4. Device interface

This command queries all SCPI commands possible on this device. The output is all SCPI commands in an xml notation.

5. System commands

6. Standard SCPI commands

7. Measurement systems

There are three atomic measurement node-types available:

1. CONFigure: Intended to configure nodes. No functionality implemeneted on Zera devices - available just for compatibility.
2. INITiate: Initializes the measurement.
3. FETCh?: This query returns the requested result. When executed multiple times, it will return same result unless INITiate is called.

There are two composite measurement node-types available:

1. READ: It is a sequence of INITiate and FETCh.
2. MEASure?: It is a sequence of CONFigure, INITiate and FETCh.

In the tables below, MEASure commands are mentioned for illustration. To use other nodes, for example replace MEASure by READ .

Several measurement modules generate actual values.

• To read out dedicated single values, the node must be fully specified within the command. For example, to read out the voltage for channel UL1 the associated command is MEASure:RMS1:UL1? Output format is RMS1:UL1:[V]:value;
• To read out group of values, parent nodes can be specified within the command. For example, MEAS:RMS1? reads out all the RMS values.
• To read out all measurement values from the device, use MEASure? command.

Following sections explain the measuring systems supported by this device. Each measurement section has two tables:

• Configuration: Lists all possible configurations/settings available for that measurement system. These configurations can be read and modified.
• Values: These SCPI-queries provide measured values.

7.1 Phase amplitudes and angles

Each result is a vector, with a real part and an imaginary part. MEAS:DFT1? Reads out vectors for all available channels.

7.2 Power measurement

One power module is available. It provides four values. Values with numbered indices are phase values and value with index ending 'S' is a sum value.
This module is connected to frequency output fout1.

Power 1

8. Ranges

On this model, the user can:

• Select and read out voltage/current ranges
• Query Catalog: get all ranges for the measurement channel
• Reset overload
• Change configuration: range automatic and range grouping for phase 1 to 3
• Measure: fetch actual peak values and frequency

Note: Values in 'Valid string' may vary. To get the current, use channel's 'Catalog' queries.

9. Comparison Measurements

The following commands are available:

• Status:

  Querying the error calculators status will give the following result. For more details, refer to the status line in the table below.
  

• Progress:

  When a measurement is running, its progress can be read. The value is between 0[%] and 100[%] .

• Result:

  When the device is in READY state a valid result in [%] can be read.

• REF source:

  The source of the reference meter (the device itself) can be queried and selected. Valid parameters are P (active power), Q (reactive power) and S (apparent power).

• MRate:

  The number of scanning head impulses for meter error measurement can be queried and set. Values can be up to 2³² - 1.

• DUT source:

  The source of the device under test can be queried and selected. Valid parameters are SC1 and HK1.

• DUT constant:

  The meter constant of the device under test can be queried an set here. It's a floating point value. For active power measurement the device assumes the unit 1/kwh, for reactive power 1/kVarh and for apparent power 1/kVAh.

• Start:

  With this command the measurement can be started and stopped as well. Writing a 1 starts the measurement, writing a 0 stops the measurement.

Pulse comparison

Meter test