IEEE commands are used to control instrument status registers, status reporting, synchronization, data storage, and other common functions. All IEEE 488.2 commands are identified by the leading asterisk in the command word and are fully defined in IEEE 488.2.

Each IEEE command is followed a complete descriptive listing of the command description, parameters, and output. If applicable, an example for each command, the default value, and the range information is written out at the end of the individual description.