Data Types

There are two types of variables.

• Basic Variables
  One variable that stores one value.
• User Data Type Variables
  One variable that can store multiple values (multiple variables handled as a single variable).

 

 

Basic Variables

The following is a list of the types of basic variables.

Data Type	Description
BOOL	This variable stores either 0 or 1.
SINT, USINT, INT, UINT, DINT, UDINT, LINT, ULINT, BYTE	These variables store integral values. Processing is faster compared to floating point type variables.
WORD, DWORD, LWORD	These variables store word type values.
STRING, WSTRING	These variables store text strings.
REAL, LREAL	These variables store floating point values. REAL variables can store larger values (such as calculations and constants) than integer type variables.
TIME, DATE, TIME_OF_DAY, DATE_AND_TIME	These variables store time and date values.

SINT, USINT, INT, UINT, DINT, UDINT, LINT, ULINT, BYTE

Data Type	Signed	Data Length	Data Range
SINT	2's complement	8 bit	-128...127
USINT	-	8 bit	0...255
INT	2's complement	16 bit	-32768...32767
UINT	-	16 bit	0...65535
DINT	2's complement	32 bit	-2147483648...2147483647
UDINT	-	32 bit	0...4,294,967,295
LINT	2's complement	64 bit	-9,223,372,036,854,775,808...9,223,372,036,854,775,807
ULINT	-	64 bit	0...18,446,744,073,709,551,615
BYTE	-	8 bit	0...255

WORD, DWORD, LWORD

Data Type	Data Length	Data Range
WORD	16 bit	0...65,535
DWORD	32 bit	0...4,294,967,295
LWORD	64 bit	0...18,446,744,073,709,551,615

STRING, WSTRING

Data Type	Description
STRING	Stores up to 512 bytes of text. When using an external variable, string encoding is defined by the variable's [String Encode] property. Available string encode values are: UTF8, UTF16, ShiftJIS, Code Page850, GB2312, BIG5, KSC5601, CodePage1251, CodePage874, and CodePage1252. Note: You can also configure string encoding in equipment properties. The variable property setting takes priority over the equipment property. In the variable's [String Encode] property, select [Equipment Setting Type] to apply the equipment's string encode setting. The [String Encode] property is displayed only when the driver supports string encoding.
WSTRING	Stores up to 512 words of double-byte text. You can use the WSTRING data type with external variables only. String encoding is fixed as UTF16. You cannot change the [String Encode] setting in the variable properties, and the encoding in equipment properties is ignored.

REAL, LREAL

Data Type	Data Length	Data Range
REAL	32 bit	+/-3.402823E38 ... +/-1.1754944E-38
LREAL	64 bit	+/-4.19E-307 ... +/-1.67E308

TIME, DATE, TIME_OF_DAY, DATE_AND_TIME

Data Type	Description	Data Range
TIME	Stores the elapsed time in days and time.	- 24 d 20 h 31 m 23 s 648 ms ... 24 d 20 h 31 m 23 s 647 ms Note: When a negative value is set for [Initial value] and [Input range] properties in a TIME variable, the negative sign will display for each time unit. (Example: -24d -20:-31:-23.-648)
DATE	Stores the date.	·        When Using SP5000 Series Open Box (Windows 10 IoT Enterprise Model), IPC Series, or PC/AT 1970/01/01 ... 2106/02/07 ·        Models other than those above 1970/01/01 ... 2038/01/19
TIME_OF_DAY	Stores the time.	00:00:00 ... 23:59:59
DATE_AND_TIME	Combines the DATE and TIME_OF_DAY.	·        When Using SP5000 Series Open Box (Windows 10 IoT Enterprise Model), IPC Series, or PC/AT 1970/01/01 00:00:00 UTC ... 2106/02/07 06:28:15 UTC ·        Models other than those above 1970/01/01 00:00:00 UTC ... 2038/01/19 03:14:07 UTC

User Data Type Variables

The following are the types of user data type variables.

• Array Variables
  Use a single variable to handle multiple variables of the same data type.
• Structure Variables
  Use a single variable to handle multiple variables of varying data types.

 

 

Array Variables

An array is a collection of variables with the same data type. Each variable in an array is called an element.

To understand how an array variable works, think of a variable as a box. As shown in the following diagram, the variable Number is a single box containing one value.

Think of an array as a row of boxes with a number associated with each box. In the following diagram, the array variable Number contains 5 elements 0-4. Variable values are stored in each of the 5 boxes.

To specify each variable in an array, specify the variable name followed by the element number enclosed in square brackets [ ].

(Example) Array with 5 elements

The element number usually starts with 0, but can also start with a positive or negative value.

(Example) Array starting with element number -1 with 5 elements

 

 

A multidimensional array is an array that contains other arrays. For example, an array that contains two DINT arrays is a two-dimensional array.

 

Number of Elements in Each Dimension and Dimension Settings

In the [Project Explorer] window, from [Variables] → [All User Data Types] → [Arrays], in the [Dimension] column, set both array dimension and number of elements.

For the steps in designing an array, refer to the following.

Steps to Design (Variables, Array, Structure)

For a 1-dimensional array, only specify the elements in the array.

(Example) For a 1-dimensional array with number of elements = 3, enter "3".

 

 

For a multidimensional array, in the [Dimension] field, specify the number of elements in each dimension, separated by a comma (,).

(Example) For a two-dimensional array where the first dimension has 3 elements (start number = 0) and the second dimension has 4 elements (start number = 0), enter "3,4".

 

 

This array definition is used to create the array variable Var1, shown below.

 

 

 

Indirect Addressing of Array

Indirect addressing is the fastest way to access a variable value within a range of consecutive values in an array, to minimize memory consumption, and to update the value within milliseconds.

For indirect addressing of arrays, specify the array element number through a variable value or the property value of an object to specify the element of an array dynamically.

• To specify indirectly through a variable value:
  Enter "(Variable name).Value" in the brackets [] that specify the array element number.
  (Example) Var2[Var1.Value].Value: This is the value of array variable Var2 whose array element number is specified indirectly using the value of the variable Var1.
• To specify indirectly through the property value of an object:
  Enter "$GraphicalObject"  followed by "(Object name).(Property name)" in the brackets [] that specify the array element number.
  (Example) Var2[$GraphicalObject.NumericDisplay1.CurrentValue].Value: This is the value of array variable Var2 whose array element number value is specified indirectly using the Current Value of a Numeric Display object, Numeric Display1.

 

The indirect addressing of an array supports the following:

• You can use in [Expression] converter.
  (Example: Array11[DINT1.value+2], Array21[Int2[Int3[Int1+1]]], Array31[Int1*4-(Int2+Int4/4)])

• A maximum 5 levels of nesting is supported for all variable data types.
  (Example: Array11[Array22[DINT1.value],DINT02.value])

 

Structure Variables

A structure is a variable that holds a collection of other variables. Each variable in a structure is called an element. An element can be of any data type.

You can create a nested structure by adding another structure or an array as an element.

Think of a structure as a group of boxes with an element associated with each box.

In the following diagram, the structure variable DATA contains 3 elements. Variable values are stored in each of the 3 boxes.

Operation When Input Value is Outside the Input Range

When the value to store in the variable is outside the range (minimum/maximum value), the value is treated as follows.

• When the value is exceeded on the external device
• When the value is exceeded with a Value Change operation [Loop]
• When the value is exceeded with a Value Change operation [Stop]
• When the value is exceeded with a Value Change [Set] operation, indirectly specified value, or Expression converter operation
• When the value is exceeded with a recipe

 

 

When the value is exceeded on the external device

Data Type	Description
STRING, WSTRING	Stores the characters that can fit.
Other than the above	The value of the portion that exceeds the input range is re-counted from the bottom of the input range and stored. Example) Unsigned 8 bit variable (value range: 0...255) Example 1: If you try storing 256, 0 is stored in the variable. (As the top limit is exceeded by 1, the bottom limit value of 0 is stored.) Example 2: If you try storing 257, 1 is stored in the variable. (As the top limit is exceeded by 2, the second value from the bottom limit 1 is stored.)

 

When the value is exceeded with a Value Change operation [Loop]

The value of the portion that exceeds the input range is re-counted from the bottom of the input range and stored.

(Example): Unsigned 8 bit variable (value range: 0...255)

Example 1: If you try storing 256, 0 is stored in the variable. (As the top limit is exceeded by 1, the bottom limit value of 0 is stored.)

Example 2: If you try storing 257, 1 is stored in the variable. (As the top limit is exceeded by 2, the second value from the bottom limit 1 is stored.)

When the value is exceeded with a Value Change operation [Stop]

Data Type	Description
STRING, WSTRING	Stores the characters that can fit.
Other than the above	The following are rounded to the top or bottom value. BOOL 1/0 SINT 127/-128 USINT, BYTE 255/0 INT 32767/-32768 UINT, WORD 65535/0 DINT 2147483647/-2147483648 UDINT, DWORD 4294967295/0 LINT 9223372036854775807/-9223372036854775808 ULINT, LWORD 18446744073709551615/0 REAL, LREAL Differs depending on the property setting. TIME 2147483647/-2147483648 DATE/TIME_OF_DAY, DATE_AND_TIME 4294967295/0

 

When the value is exceeded with a Value Change [Set] operation, indirectly specified value, or Expression converter operation

Value is not stored.

When the value is exceeded with a recipe

Data Type	Description
BOOL, REAL, LREAL	Value is not stored.
LINT, ULINT, LWORD	The following are rounded to the top or bottom value. LINT 9223372036854775807/-9223372036854775808 ULINT, LWORD 18446744073709551615/0
STRING, WSTRING	Stores the characters that can fit.
Other than the above	The value of the portion that exceeds the input range is re-counted from the bottom of the input range and stored. (Example): Unsigned 8 bit variable (value range: 0...255) Example 1: If you try storing 256, 0 is stored in the variable. (As the top limit is exceeded by 1, the bottom limit value of 0 is stored.) Example 2: If you try storing 257, 1 is stored in the variable. (As the top limit is exceeded by 2, the second value from the bottom limit 1 is stored.)