Remote Control and Instrument Drivers

The following ten chapters describe basics of the remote control for Rohde & Schwarz test and measurement instruments. They are focused on automation of measurement tasks with the use of a programming or a scripting language.

Included are:

"Hello World" examples with direct SCPI for

Complex examples with direct SCPI for

Complex examples with instrument drivers for

Growing list of examples on our Github repository

R&S Github repository

The last chapter covers remote operation, which does not strictly belong to the topic of automation. The remote operation chapter describes PC tools such as Remote Desktop, or dedicated apps on a mobile device.

To search and download instrument drivers, please follow the link Search for instrument drivers.

Getting Started

First steps to create a 'Hello World' remote control program. Here you also find a complete list of all examples used in this guide.

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Basics of Remote Control

The reason to automate a measurement task, the advantages automation brings and the basic components of an automated test setup.

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Introducing SCPI Commands

Standardized almost 30 years ago, the 'SKIPPY' commands are still used in the most modern Test and Measurement instruments.

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VISA and VISA Tools

Why the topic of VISA always comes up in reference to remote control. Connect to your instrument with VISA Tester Tool and monitor the communication using I/O Trace utility.

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VISA in Programming Languages

Using VISA in different programming languages including practical examples.

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Instruments Drivers vs. Direct SCPI

Should your application use direct SCPI commands, or take advantage of the Rohde & Schwarz instrument drivers?

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Measurement Synchronization

Introducing measurement synchronization - a critical part of any automation task. Here, you can also find links to complete examples using direct SCPI commands and instrument drivers.

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