Why Doesn't My System Power Supply Accept Commands Over The GPIB?

If you are getting either error 11 or error 113 when you try to send GPIB commands to your system supply, it may be that you are using the wrong command language. Many Agilent power supplies have 2 command languages: compatibility mode; and SCPI mode (formerly TMSL). The reason for this feature is to offer customers the choice of preserving compatibility with existing software programs written for these products some time ago, or allowing new software programs to be written using the industry standard SCPI codes and formats.

When shipped from the factory, the default language for all but a few products is the SCPI mode. However for the following products the default is compatibility mode: 6632B; 6633B; 6634B 100 watt supplies (but not the 6631B), and the 603xA series of autoranging power supplies.

The procedure for changing command language mode varies depending on the specific product involved. In general, to change to a different command language mode, enter the following command:

To change to the SCPI command language:

• If the customer has: 661xB, 663xxA, 663xB,
  Enter the command: SYST:LANG SCPI
• If the customer has: 664xA, 665xA, 667xA, 668xA, 603xA,
  Enter the command: SYST:LANG TMSL

To change to the compatibility language:

• For all products,
  Enter the command: SYST:LANG COMP

For more complete information on changing the command language mode, please refer to the operating manual for your product, which is available elsewhere on this website. For the 603xA Series products, see also the FAQ entitled: "603xA: Alternate Programming Languages".