Status Structure   8-7
Status byte register 
The summary messages from the status registers and queues are used to set or clear the 
appropriate bits (B0, B2, B3, B4, B5, and B7) of the status byte register. These summary bits do 
not latch, and their states (0 or 1) are solely dependent on the summary messages (0 or 1). For 
example, if the standard event register is read, its register will clear. As a result, its summary 
message will reset to 0, which in turn will reset the ESB bit in the status byte register. 
The bits of the status byte register are described as follows: 
• Bit B0, 
measurement status (MSB) — Set summary bit indicates that an enabled 
measurement event has occurred. 
• Bit B1 
— Not used. 
• Bit B2,
 error available (EAV) — Set summary bit indicates that an error or status 
message is present in the error queue. 
• Bit B3, 
questionable summary bit (QSB) — Set summary bit indicates that an enabled 
questionable event has occurred. 
• Bit B4, message
 available (MAV) — Set summary bit indicates that a response message 
is present in the output queue. 
• Bit 
B5, event summary bit (ESB) — Set summary bit indicates that an enabled standard 
event has occurred. 
• Bit B6,
 request service (RQS)/master summary status (MSS) — Set bit indicates that 
an enabled summary bit of the status byte register is set.
• Bit 
B7, operation summary (OSB) — Set summary bit indicates that an enabled 
operation event has occurred. 
Depending on how it is used, bit B6 of the status byte register is either the request for service 
(RQS) b
it or the master summary status (MSS) bit: 
• When using the serial poll sequence of the power supply to obtain the status byte (a.k.a. 
serial poll b
yte), B6 is the RQS bit. See “Serial Polling and SRQ” for details on using the 
serial poll sequence. 
• When using the *STB? command (see “Status byte and service request commands” on 
page 8-9) to read the status byte, B6 is the MSS bit. 
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