100 • Chapter 7 Application Programming DMC-2X00
Programmable Variables
The DMC-2x00 allows the user to create up to 254 variables. Each variable is defines by a name
which can be up to eight characters. The name must start with an alphabetic character; however,
numbers are permitted in the rest of the name. Spaces are not permitted. Variable can be upper or
lowercase, or any combination. Variables are case sensitive; SPEEDC ≠ speedC. Variable names
should not be the same as DMC-2x00 instructions. For example, PR is not a good choice for a variable
name.
Examples of valid and invalid variable names are:
Valid Variable Names
POSA
pos1
speedC
Invalid Variable Names
REALLONGNAME ; Cannot hav e more than 8 characters
123 ; Cannot begin variable name with a number
SPEED C ; Cannot have spaces in the name
Assigning Values to Variables
Assigned values can be numbers, internal variables and keywords, functions, controller parameters and
strings;
The range for numeric variable values is 4 bytes of integer (231) followed by two bytes of fraction
(+/-2,147,483,647.9999).
Numeric values can be assigned to programmable variables using the equal sign.
Any valid DMC-2x00 function can be used to assign a value to a variable. For example,
v1=@ABS[v2] or v2=@IN[1]. Arithmetic operations are also permitted.
To assign a string value, the string must be in quotations. String variables can contain up to six
characters which must be in quotation.
Instruction Interpretation
posA=_TPA Assigns returned value from TPA command to variable posA
SPEED=5.75 Assigns value 5.75 t o variable SPEED
input=@IN[2] Assigns logical value of input 2 to variable input
v2=v1+v3*v4 Assigns the value of v1 plus v3 times v4 to the variable v2.
Var="CAT" Assign the string, CAT, to Var
Assigning Variable Values to Controller Parameters
Variable values may be assigned to controller parameters such as GN or PR.
PR v1 A ssign v1 to PR command
SP _VSS*2000 Assign _VSS*2000 to SP command