HP 53150A Series Programming Manual page 110

Chapter 4 Command Reference
:MEASure Subsystem
:MEASure Subsystem
The :MEASure subsystem commands allow you to configure the Counter,
initiate measurements, and place the results in the Output Queue using a
minimum number of commands. These commands are described in detail
in this section.
Measurement Instructions
(:CONFigure, :FETCh, :MEASure, :READ)
The purpose of these commands is to acquire data using a set of high-level
instructions. These commands are structured to allow you to trade off
interchangeability between instruments. The :MEASure query provides
the ability to configure the instrument, take a measurement, and store the
results in the Output Queue in a single operation.
When more precise control of the measurement is required, the
:CONFigure and :READ? commands can be used. The :CONFigure
command is used to configure the instrument for the measurement to be
taken, and the :READ? command acquires the data, performs any
required post processing, and then places the results in the Output Queue.
This allows you to configure the instrument generically (using
:CONFigure) and then to customize the measurement with other
commands (for example, commands from the [:SENSe] subsystem). The
:READ? command completes the measurement process.
The :READ? command is composed of the :INITiate[:IMMediate] and
:FETCh? commands. :INITiate[:IMMediate] performs the data
acquisition. :FETCh? performs the post-processing function (if any) and
places the result in the Output Queue. This allows more than one FETCh?
on a single set of acquired data.
The functions of the measurement instruction commands are summarized
in Table 4-1.
4-10 Programming Guide