Short summary

Functionality

The blocks serves for explicitly converting the value connected to input IN into a value of data type DINT.

If the connected value is within the range of values overlapping for the data type of the input and for the result value DINT, the blocks returns this value.

Observe as well:

• If a REAL value with more than 6 digits before the decimal point is converted, the result might be inexact. Example: For REAL#4_294_967_290.0, the block returns the value 0. The reason is the number of significant digits of REAL (details: see "Supported data types (in ST) " the note 3 and the note 4 after the table).

• If converting data types to the TIME data type and vice versa, the conversion is always based on seconds.

• If a value of data type STRING is connected to the input, the value is converted to a decimal value (base: 10, allowed digits: 0 to 9) and then this decimal value is converted to a value according to the target data type . The following special cases might occur (see under "Example for usage within ST-editor" ) :

  • If the value starts with the character + , with blanks or tabs (= so-called whitespace) and the value is within the range of values for the target data type, the value is converted to a positive decimal value (without these characters). In this case, the output ENO is set to value TRUE .
    Details on this conversion: The character + as prefix for the value is ignored, blanks and tabs (= so-called whitespace) are ignored as well.

  • If the value starts with the character – and the value is within the range of values for the target data type, the value is converted to a negative decimal value. In this case, the output ENO is set to value TRUE as well.

  • If the value contains an invalid character, the block returns the value 0. In this case, the output ENO is set to value FALSE .
    

    Valid characters	invalid characters
    digits (base: 10, numbers: 0 to 9) Example for value with valid character: '7'	other characters such as letters Example for value with invalid character: '12a3', 'a123'
    one character + or – as a prefix of the value Example for value with valid character: +2 or –3	repetitions of + or – at the beginning of the value, the character + or – within the value Example for value with invalid character: '++1', '1–3'
    single underscore characters _ within the value Example for value with valid character: 1_2 or 1_2_3	underscore character _ at the beginning or the end of the value, several characters _ behind one another Example for value with invalid character: _12, 12_ or 1__2

  • If the STRING value to be converted exceeds the upper limit of the target data type, the block returns the upper limit of the target data type. In this case, the output ENO is set to value FALSE as well.

  • If the STRING value to be converted is below the lower limit of the target data type, the block returns the lower limit of the target data type. In this case, the output ENO is set to value FALSE as well.

• If a value of data type CHAR is connected to the input, the conversion is analogous to a STRING value. But different to the STRING conversion, the CHAR conversion supports single digits digits 0 to 9 only. For all other characters (letters, the characters +, - and _), the block returns the value 0 and the output ENO is set to value FALSE .

It is possible that the block does not behave as expected when there is a nested usage together with other blocks. This behavior is caused due to the typing using to the lowest common data type (see under "Typing of expressions" for details).

Inputs, return value

Input EN and output ENO are available when →calling the block. See "Execution control: EN, ENO" for information on input EN and output ENO.

See:

• "Blocks for safe logic" whether this block is supported for developing safety-relevant applications.

• "Highlighting safe logic in the FBD-editor" for the effects when using the block as a block for safe logic .

Internal error diagnostic for block

The block checks the value connected to the input. The output ENO of the block is set to value FALSE (or an equivalent) in the following cases:

• A STRING value contains an invalid character. (Moreover for this case, the block returns the value 0.)

• A STRING value exceeds the upper limit of the target data type. (Moreover for this case, the block returns the upper limit of the target data type.)

• A STRING value is below the lower limit of the target data type. (Moreover for this case, the block returns the lower limit of the target data type.)

• The CHAR value is an invalid character. (Moreover for this case, the block returns the value 0.)

Example for usage within ST-editor

See under "TO_INT block" for appropriate examples with STRING values. However, because of the different target data type of this block, a different upper/lower limit is valid for this block (see "Supported data types (in ST)" for the upper and lower limit per data type).

When creating your application within the ST-editor, enter a call of a block by typing the text as requested by the syntax or use Content Assist.