API Command Reference Appendix A
A-24 NetScan User’s Manual
Data Output Formats
Data Type
Engineering Units
Binary
Counts
High Byte /
Low Byte
Low Byte /
High Byte
Temperature
xxxx.xx °C
xxxx.xx °F
xxxx.xx °R
xxxx.xx °K
H/L
L/H
±xxxxx
Volts
+xx.xxxxxxxxx
H/L
L/H
±xxxxx
Time/Date
Absolute
hh:mm:ss.mil,
MM/DD/YY
hmstMDY
hh:mm:ss.mil,
MM/DD/YY
Relative
hh:mm:ss.mil,
DDDDDDDD
hmstMDY
hh:mm:ss.mil,
DDDDDDDD
Timebase
hh:mm:ss.t
Interpreted as engineering units
Interpreted as
engineering units
Legend
x = ASCII digit
h = hours
m = minutes
s = seconds
mil (see Note 1)
MM = months
DD = days
YY = years
DDDDDDDD= Days
H = high order byte
L = low order byte
h = hours
m = minutes
s = seconds
t = tenths
M = months
D = days
Y = years
x = ASCII digit
h = hours
m = minutes
s = seconds
mil (see Note 1)
MM = months
DD = days
YY = years
DDDDDDDD=
Days
Note 1: mil is milliseconds for ASCII, but microseconds for binary (2-hexidecimal) output format.
Data output formats differ slightly from data input formats in that binary formats may be used for Channel Data.
Channel Data is the only output data which may use the binary format (if it is spec i f ied). Channel Data is defined
as data originating from the High/Low/Last (HLL) Registers or the Acquisition Buff er. The c ommands that initiate
Channel Data output are the R, R#, U4, U5 and U13 commands. However, Channel Data may also be output
as Engineering Units and Counts.
Data output formats for command queries will follow the same rules as data input formatting. A s in the case of
data input formats, all readings output will be in Engineering Units unless Counts is specified. However, there
are only 3 command queries which need to follow the F command format in this fas hion. They are C?, L? and
U8 command queries.
Note: It also should be noted that readings are only converted to the specified engineering units i f t he associated
channel type is a channel that supports those engineering units. For example if the specifi ed c hannel is a
volts channel and the engineering units is 0 (°C), the reading will be interpreted as volts, not a
temperature in °C.
Note: When Binary formats are specified, the HLL, Scan and Bloc k terminator do not apply.
The following table shows the effect of the Set Data Format (F) command on readings input/ out put formats for
the commands and queries over which it has control. Refer to the Data Format section of Appendix D for more
examples.
Reading Formats
Command
Engineering Units
Binary
Counts
High Byte /
Low Byte
Low Byte /
High Byte
C
Engr. Units
Engr. Units
Engr. Units
Counts
C?
Engr. Units
Engr. Units
Engr. Units
Counts
L
Engr. Units
Engr. Units
Engr. Units
Counts
L?
Engr. Units
Engr. Units
Engr. Units
Counts
U8
Engr. Units
Engr. Units
Engr. Units
Counts
U4
Engr. Units
Binary (H/L)
Binary (L/H)
Counts
U5
Engr. Units
Binary (H/L)
Binary (L/H)
Counts
U13
Engr. Units
Binary (H/L)
Binary (L/H)
Counts
R
Engr. Units
Binary (H/L)
Binary (L/H)
Counts
R#
Engr. Units
Binary (H/L)
Binary (L/H)
Counts