Converter properties

Most conversion links have no properties under the link’s Converter component. This is true for all conversion links between “like” data types, that is, status type-to simple and vice versa. However, conversion links that transform values like string to boolean or numerical, or the reverse (to string) may have one or more Converter properties. Figure 7 shows one example.

Figure 7. Example Converter with properties (Status Boolean To Number)

The example above reflects default values for a link made from a statusBoolean slot (in this case, “out” of a BooleanWritable) to an Integer slot (in this case, “Duty Cycle” of a MultiVibrator). The converter type automatically used is “Status Boolean To Number”.

Expanding the Converter component in the Edit Link dialog reveals two properties:

True Value — default value of 1
False Value — default value of 0

The duty cycle range of a MultiVibrator is from 0 to 100, so defaults here are not typically appropriate.

Figure 8. Example Converter properties edited to non-default values

In this example, converter properties were edited to true at 75, and false at 25, as shown in Figure 8 above.

In cases where the link’s slot target (To) data type is string or statusString, the Converter property, if present, is typically “Format”. If a default “%.%” value, this means it is BFormat (Baja Format).

Figure 9. Example Format property of “Boolean To String” Converter edited from default “%.%”

Figure 9 above shows the static text “Enabled:” prepended on the default %.% Format property value of a “Boolean to String” link Converter.