FlexDCA Programmer's Guide

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Use the SCPI commands documented in this help system to control the FlexDCA application. FlexDCA is the DCA-X, DCA-M, and N1010A's graphical user interface. N1010A FlexDCA is a PC application that can control a remote DCA-X, DCA-M, or be used offline. Programs can control any of these three FlexDCA applications with little or no modification.

  • N1010A FlexDCA on PC
  • N1000A (FlexDCA GUI)
  • 86100D (FlexDCA GUI)
  • FlexDCA GUI on DCA-X via N1010A FlexDCA on PC. In other words, your program directly controls N1010A FlexDCA and N1010A FlexDCA connects to and controls FlexDCA on the DCA-X.

Three Important Tools

FlexDCA's programming syntax conforms to the IEEE 488.2 Standard Digital Interface for Programmable Instrumentation and to the Standard Commands for Programmable Instruments (SCPI). For more detailed information regarding the GPIB, the IEEE 488.2 standard, or the SCPI standard, refer to the following books:

  • International Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. IEEE Standard 488.1-1987, IEEE Standard Digital Interface for Programmable Instrumentation. New York, NY, 1987.
  • International Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. IEEE Standard 488.2-1987, IEEE Standard Codes, Formats, Protocols and Common commands For Use with ANSI/IEEE Std 488.1-1987. New York, NY, 1987.

When FlexDCA is being remotely controlled, the application displays "Under Local Control" as shown in the following picture. To return the application from being remotely controlled to front-panel control, either click the displayed Local, shown in this picture, or send the :SYSTem:GTLocal command. After this is done, sending any SCPI command returns FlexDCA to remote mode.

Notes on 86100D Common Commands

Visa Interface. You will almost always be controlling an 86100D that is in Standard configuration which is its normal configuration. In this case, send the FlexDCA commands to the 86100D's FlexDCA application using the HiSLIP, Sockets, or VXI-11 Visa interface.

FlexDCA responds to an entirely different set of remote commands from those used to control the 86100D in Legacy configuration. To control the 86100D in Legacy configuration, download the 86100D Programmer's Guide from the 86100D product page on Keysight.com.