Reading data back from HP4195A

I am writing a program to control a 4195 over the HP-IB bus,
and I can't seem to find the command to return the data from
a sweep. I have worked with many other HP test instruments,
and usually there is a command that sends back the entire data
set after a sweep is completed (e.g. on the 3562A that command
is "DDAS"). Anyone know would I get the sweep data back from
the 4195A?

TIA!
-larry

On Thu, 08 Dec 2005 18:38:05 -0800, Larry Martell wrote:

> I am writing a program to control a 4195 over the HP-IB bus, and I can't
> seem to find the command to return the data from a sweep. I have worked
> with many other HP test instruments, and usually there is a command that
> sends back the entire data set after a sweep is completed (e.g. on the
> 3562A that command is "DDAS"). Anyone know would I get the sweep data back
> from the 4195A?

I don't know about this particular model, but there is a standardized
data acquisition and control language called SPCI (Standard Commands for
Programmable Instrumentation) http://www.scpiconsortium.org/SCPI-99.pdf
which is used by many modern instruments (multimeters, scopes, generators,
etc). DDAS doesn't seem to be a SPCI command, by the way.

I know for my HP synthesizer there is a "gate" signal -- and I can control
the synthesizer and spectrum analyzer all in one.

Try posting your question on the newsgroup rec.radio.amateur.homebrew --
there are quite a few former HP (Agilent) engineers who visit there. A lot
of ham radio ops use HP network analyzers, synthesizers, VNA's etc.

"Larry Martell" <> wrote in message
news: oups.com...
> I am writing a program to control a 4195 over the HP-IB bus,
> and I can't seem to find the command to return the data from
> a sweep. I have worked with many other HP test instruments,
> and usually there is a command that sends back the entire data
> set after a sweep is completed (e.g. on the 3562A that command
> is "DDAS"). Anyone know would I get the sweep data back from
> the 4195A?
>
> TIA!
> -larry
>

przemek klosowski wrote:
> On Thu, 08 Dec 2005 18:38:05 -0800, Larry Martell wrote:
>
> > I am writing a program to control a 4195 over the HP-IB bus, and I can't
> > seem to find the command to return the data from a sweep. I have worked
> > with many other HP test instruments, and usually there is a command that
> > sends back the entire data set after a sweep is completed (e.g. on the
> > 3562A that command is "DDAS"). Anyone know would I get the sweep data back
> > from the 4195A?
>
> I don't know about this particular model, but there is a standardized
> data acquisition and control language called SPCI (Standard Commands for
> Programmable Instrumentation) http://www.scpiconsortium.org/SCPI-99.pdf
> which is used by many modern instruments (multimeters, scopes, generators,
> etc).

I don't know if I'd call a 4195 a "modern" instrument. My 4195A was
made in 1989, and
SPCI came out in 1999.

> DDAS doesn't seem to be a SPCI command, by the way.

It's an HP-IB command that the 3562A accetps.

-larry

Larry Martell wrote:
>>On Thu, 08 Dec 2005 18:38:05 -0800, Larry Martell wrote:
>>
>>
>>>I am writing a program to control a 4195 over the HP-IB bus, and I can't
>>>seem to find the command to return the data from a sweep. [...]

I have an HP3577A that accepts commands like "DRA" (Dump Register A).
Send it "FM1" first if you want ASCII data. If that works, I should
be able to suggest a few more commands to try out.

Jeroen Belleman

On 8 Dec 2005 18:38:05 -0800, "Larry Martell" <>
wrote:

>I am writing a program to control a 4195 over the HP-IB bus,
>and I can't seem to find the command to return the data from
>a sweep. I have worked with many other HP test instruments,
>and usually there is a command that sends back the entire data
>set after a sweep is completed (e.g. on the 3562A that command
>is "DDAS"). Anyone know would I get the sweep data back from
>the 4195A?
>
>TIA!
>-larry

A register: A?
B register: B?
X register: X?

My normal sequence:
SWM2 single sweep mode
SWTRIG trigger (may need to insert a wait)
A? get A register
B? get B register
X? get C register

---
Mark

qrk wrote:
> On 8 Dec 2005 18:38:05 -0800, "Larry Martell" <>
> wrote:
>
> >I am writing a program to control a 4195 over the HP-IB bus,
> >and I can't seem to find the command to return the data from
> >a sweep. I have worked with many other HP test instruments,
> >and usually there is a command that sends back the entire data
> >set after a sweep is completed (e.g. on the 3562A that command
> >is "DDAS"). Anyone know would I get the sweep data back from
> >the 4195A?
> >
> >TIA!
> >-larry
>
> A register: A?
> B register: B?
> X register: X?
>
> My normal sequence:
> SWM2 single sweep mode
> SWTRIG trigger (may need to insert a wait)
> A? get A register
> B? get B register
> X? get C register

Thanks very much Mark. I've played around with this a bit, and I found
that the
A register has the Y data and the X register has the X data. But what
data is
contained in the B register?

-larry

In comp.sys.hp.hardware Larry Martell <> wrote:
> I am writing a program to control a 4195 over the HP-IB bus, and I
> can't seem to find the command to return the data from a sweep. I
> have worked with many other HP test instruments, and usually there
> is a command that sends back the entire data set after a sweep is
> completed (e.g. on the 3562A that command is "DDAS"). Anyone know
> would I get the sweep data back from the 4195A?

Have you tried poking around www.agilent.com yet? Of the two (HP or
Agilent) I would suspect that Agilent is more likely to have old stuff
for that. Of course, it may be old enough that the docs were never
done for online perusal...

rick jones
--
oxymoron n, Hummer H2 with California Save Our Coasts and Oceans plates
these opinions are mine, all mine; HP might not want them anyway...
feel free to post, OR email to rick.jones2 in hp.com but NOT BOTH...

Hi,

Please contact my friend Marc / F5MM he has many many HP TM equipment and do
some programming for these and he own a 4195A .
His email is:
Recommand you from myself, he's a very good friend. He is also starting a
European HP museum with around more than 500 instruments, vintage and more
recent.
I copy him with this email.

Good luck
Pierre-François / F5BQP


"Larry Martell" <> a écrit dans le message de news:
. com...
>I am writing a program to control a 4195 over the HP-IB bus,
> and I can't seem to find the command to return the data from
> a sweep. I have worked with many other HP test instruments,
> and usually there is a command that sends back the entire data
> set after a sweep is completed (e.g. on the 3562A that command
> is "DDAS"). Anyone know would I get the sweep data back from
> the 4195A?
>
> TIA!
> -larry
>

On 9 Dec 2005 15:02:32 -0800, "Larry Martell" <>
wrote:

>qrk wrote:
>> On 8 Dec 2005 18:38:05 -0800, "Larry Martell" <>
>> wrote:
>>
>> >I am writing a program to control a 4195 over the HP-IB bus,
>> >and I can't seem to find the command to return the data from
>> >a sweep. I have worked with many other HP test instruments,
>> >and usually there is a command that sends back the entire data
>> >set after a sweep is completed (e.g. on the 3562A that command
>> >is "DDAS"). Anyone know would I get the sweep data back from
>> >the 4195A?
>> >
>> >TIA!
>> >-larry
>>
>> A register: A?
>> B register: B?
>> X register: X?
>>
>> My normal sequence:
>> SWM2 single sweep mode
>> SWTRIG trigger (may need to insert a wait)
>> A? get A register
>> B? get B register
>> X? get C register
>
>Thanks very much Mark. I've played around with this a bit, and I found
>that the
>A register has the Y data and the X register has the X data. But what
>data is
>contained in the B register?
>
>-larry

The B register contents depends on what the instrument settings are.
Hit the format button for the A and B register definitions.

Network analysis: phase, group delay, and imaginary part of the
signal.

Impedance analysis: to numerous to list.

Spectral analysis: nothing that I know of.

---
Mark