String Data Byte Swap in PLC Collector

SpeeDBee Synapse:v4.11.4Last updated:2026-09-03

Version Requirement

The Byte swap feature for string data in PLC Collector is available in SpeeDBee Synapse 4.11.4 and later. This setting is not available in versions earlier than 4.11.4.

Purpose

Correct the byte order of string data collected from a PLC so that strings stored in the PLC can be handled in the expected order.

What you will learn

• Why strings collected from a PLC may appear with swapped characters or garbled text
• How to configure the Byte swap setting in PLC Collector
• The difference between collected strings when Byte swap is enabled and disabled

Requirements

Collect the following string data from the PLC and retrieve each value as the expected string.

Data name	Address	Expected value
lot_number	D0000	12345678
model_code	D0010	ABCD
station_name	D0020	LINE01TEST
unicode_text	D0030	😀

Byte order differences with the target PLC

Depending on the target PLC, the byte order within a word may differ from how PLC Collector interprets it. In that case, even if the correct string is stored in the PLC, the collected value may appear with swapped characters or garbled text. Use the Byte swap feature in PLC Collector to retrieve the string data as the expected values shown above.

Components used

• PLC Collector (data collection)

Workflow

1. Collect the following string data with PLC Collector:
   • lot_number (D0000)
   • model_code (D0010)
   • station_name (D0020)
   • unicode_text (D0030)

Setup

1. Enter the connection settings for PLC Collector.

   

2. Configure the string data to collect. Add lot_number (D0000), model_code (D0010), station_name (D0020), and unicode_text (D0030), and turn Byte swap ON for each data item.

   

3. Save the settings and start PLC Collector.

   

Checking the output

Check the string data collected by PLC Collector. When Byte swap was OFF, the strings were collected with swapped characters or garbled text.

By turning Byte swap ON, the byte order of the string data is corrected, and the expected strings can be collected correctly.