Machine-Specific Variables

With the EDM Setup, the Profile designer may define new machine-specific parameters, which are transferred to GPP2 and can be used like any other GPP2 variable. The variable scope (global, electrode, etc.), name and type are defined in the EDM Setup Profile.

In order to use these variables inside the EX2 program, the PP must contain FORMAT statements that define these variables (using the same name used in the profile) and assigning a specific GPP2 format to each variable. Machine-specific variables cannot be used without being declared with a FORMAT statement (a compilation error will occur).

The format used in GPP2 (For example, CHARACTER or SEQUENCING) must be “compatible” with the format defined in the EDM Setup Profile, meaning numeric and string types cannot be confused. However, any Profile numeric type may be formatted in GPP2 using any of the numeric types (all except CHARACTER).

Special consideration is required for Profile variables defined for the electrode tool level, since each such variable actually represents four distinct values for each parameter (one for Rough, one for Pre-finish, one for Finish and one for Polish).

The user must define four GPP2 variables for each such tool-level variable, using the following name postscript convention. Suppose the profile includes a tool-level parameter called ToolColor; the EX2 program must define four variables, with the following names:

ToolColorRough

ToolColorPreFinish

ToolColorFinish

ToolColorPolish