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• PGM Program File Specification

This page explains the formatting of program files used by IntriCon software. Even if you don’t use IntriCon Fitting Software, you most likely use Motif and Slider to design your instruments and first configure them. Motif and Slider save all the nanoDSP amplifier parameters to program files that follow this specification. It is simplest if your software can work with these files.

You will find a folder named “Example Program Files” in the drivers download package. In there is an example file for each of our amp types.

There are cases where parameters need to be added to PGM files, therefore we need to make sure that PGM files are forward compatible. The current format of the file supports this as long as the software that reads them in is designed to the specification contained here.

1. Already used parameter names will never change.
2. The very first line of the file must have a text string that indicates the amplifier and file type. For example: “Ethos Parameters”.
3. All other parameters use the format: “parameterName = ”,value
   1. parameterName is a string.
   2. value is an integer.
4. Config parameters are at top of file (in reality this doesn't matter at all to the software, but this makes it better for us humans to open the file and read).
5. Each Program has its parameter listing grouped in one section and each program section is in order from first to last program. This way, if you want the “BEQ3” value from program 4, you just search for the 4th BEQ3 in the file.
6. Each time a parameter is added to the file, a “FileFormatVersion” parameter is incremented. The lack of the “FileFormatVersion” parameter means the file is version 0, or the original version. Since the type of file is hard linked to the first line which indicates amp type, the FileFormatVersion is also linked to the amp type. The first program file version of new amps moving forward will have the a “FileFormatVersion” parameter, and it will be set to 0.
7. The order of the parameters will not change from the first version unless absolutely necessary, which is extremely unlikely. This also goes for any extra lines like “program #1” and blank lines.

We recommend your software be designed in a way that does not rely on precise line locations for each parameter – the parameter should be searched for in the file. This way any future versions of the PGM files are easily adapted to. Also, accidental changes of the text PGM file by users don't cause averse problems with your software. This example Visual Basic 6 code works this way. It is easy to modify it for any programming language. With the functions composed in this code, adding parameters, blank lines, or comments in a PGM file will not cause issues. The GetValue() and GetParamsValue() type functions at the top are the heart of ready PGM files in this example.

This is a list of the precise header (first line) in program files that indicates the amplifier type of the file. You can use this information to verify that the user has selected the correct file for the amplifier being used. Note that the quotes around the parameter name are included in the text in the header. For instance the first few lines of an Ethos program file looks exactly like this:

      "Ethos Parameters"
      "FileFormatVersion = ",1
      "VC_MAP = ",1
      "VC_pos = ",0			

Here is a list of header for each nanoDSPs:

• There are two parameter styles for Audion 6 PGM files indicated by the parameter “Audion6ParameterStyle”. If Audion6ParameterStyle is 1, then the parameter style is classic If Audion6ParameterStyle is 2 then the parameter style is high-low. See the Audion 6 driver manual for more details.

Ethos FileFormatVersion = 1

• Add “FileFormatVersion” parameter.
• Add “VC_StartupVol” parameter.

Ethos FileFormatVersion = 2

• Add “AutoSave” parameter.
• Add “EnableHPmode” parameter.