5. Remote Interface Operation
This chapter provides operational instructions for the remote interface for the Model 346 temperature controller. The Model 346 supports the following remote interfaces for direct user control:
USB
Ethernet
GPIB (optional)
Once connected via any of these interfaces, the Model 346 can be remotely operated in any of the following ways:
ColdSync: A highly functional Windows-based software tool provided by Lake Shore for directly controlling the instrument.
Python: Using the Lake Shore Python driver
LabVIEW: LabVIEW driver
Other: Directly sending commands from your application
The Model 346 is the successor to the Lake Shore Model 336 temperature controller. As such, a similar IEEE 488.2 message string-based command set (non-SCPI subystem) implementation is employed in the Model 346. However, there are a few SCPI compliant commands added, specifically in the SYSTem subsystem, as it relates to error queues and OPERation and QUEStionable stats.
A message string is a group of characters assembled to perform an interface function. There are three types of message strings: commands, queries, and responses. The computer issues command and query strings through user programs, and the instrument issues responses. Two or more command strings or queries can be chained together in one communication, but they must be separated by a semicolon (;). The total communication string, including termination characters, must not exceed 1024 characters in length.
All data in each command message is encoded in the American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) format. A special ASCII character, the line feed (hex 0A, decimal 10), is required by the instrument to know where the message ends. The instrument also allows an optional carriage return (hex 0D, decimal 13) to precede the line feed, if the client software desires to send it. For return strings back to the client software, the instrument always appends both a carriage return followed by a line feed for termination.