Appendix A API Command Reference
NetScan User’s Manual A-23
F - Set Data Format
TYPE
System
EXECUTION
Deferred
SYNTAX
Fengr,
format
Configure the input and output formats.
engr converts the raw data to the engineering units with which you prefer
to work. Valid options are: 0 - °C, 1 - °F, 2 - °R, 3 - °K, and 4 -
Volts.
°C is the default engineering unit.
format places the readings in a format with which you prefer to work.
Valid options are: 0 - Engineering Units (default), 1 - Binary (Low
Byte/High Byte), 2 - Binary (High Byte/Low Byte), and 3 - Counts
(ASCII).
F?
Query the data format.
DESCRIPTION
The Set Data Format (F) command configures the input and output data format for data transmissions with the
unit, and requires two arguments. The first argument engr is the engineering units, the s ec ond argument
format is the reading format.
When the unit is inputting or outputting data, it first references the current reading format. If format is 0
(Engineering Units), it will then reference the current settings of the engineering units and then perform the
necessary conversion.
Data Input Formats (see Note 1)
Data Type
0
Engineering Units
3
Counts
Temperature
0
1
2
3
xxxx.xx °C
xxxx.xx °F
xxxx.xx °R
xxxx.xx °K
±xxxxx
Volts 4
+xx.xxxxxxxxx
±xxxxx
Time/Date
Absolute
hh:mm:ss.mil,MM/DD/YY
Interpreted as
Engineering Units
Relative
+hh:mm:ss.mil,DDDDDDDD
Timebase
hh:mm:ss.mil
Interpreted as
Engineering Units
Legend
x = ASCII digit
h = hour
m = minute
s = second
mil = see Note 2
MM = month
DD = day
YY = year
DDDDDDDD = day
Note 1: Binary Low Byte/High Byte (1) and
Binary High Byte/Low Byte (2) are interpreted as engineering units.
Note 2: mil is milliseconds for ASCII, but microseconds for binary (2-hexidecimal) format.
The Set Data Format (F) command determines the format of readings input from the controller. However, the
only readings input from the controller come in the form of comm and parameters and there are only two
commands which take readings as parameters: the Configure Channels (C) and the Set Tri gger Level (L)
commands. These are the only command parameters over which the F comm and has control.
With both the C and L command the F command may determ i ne t he format of the hysteresis parameter. The F
command may also determine the high and low setpoint format in the C com mand.
The reading parameters for the C and L commands cannot be issued in binary format. I f binary format is
specified by the F command, these parameters will be interpreted as Engineering Units. These paramet ers will
always be interpreted as Engineering Units (as currently defined by the Engineering Units argument of the F
command) except when the Counts format is specified. When the Counts format is specified, these parameters
are interpreted as Counts. For additional information on the different format types, see the Data Format section
in Appendix D.
If readings are interpreted as Counts or Binary format then the engineering unit parameter of t he F c ommand is
ignored.
(continued)