As more and more test instruments using different buses and protocols entered engineering and test labs, a need for standard and universal sets of commands, as well as syntax and data formats to program and automate these devices, became a necessity. In 1990, IEEE 488.2 completed the standard that started with IEEE 488.1. This standard covers classes of instruments as well of product-specific commands. Although this standard was originally designed to accommodate a GPIB bus using ASCII text strings, it can also be used in USB, Serial and RS232 and Ethernet other lesser known architectures.
As an example, if we look down in the lower levels of NI drivers and examples to automate a Tektronix TD 2022, we will find standard SCPI commands:
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SCPI commands |
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