A control-unit program can be adapted both parameterized and quantitatively to the vehicle in question. The control-unit program is matched to the engine to be operated in its environment by appropriate values assigned to these parameters (e.g. body, exhaust-gas regulations). This adaptation process is termed application or calibration.
A differentiation shall be made between the structure of a parameter and its data contents. The parameter structures are described in the data dictionary in <sw-params> (compare Parameters ). The parameter contents are included in <sw-param-contents>.
Figure 12: Parameters
The use of parameters in functions is by means of referencing (<sw-param-ref>). It is thereby indicated by the attribute [owns] with the possible value "no-owns" of whether the parameter is to be allocated to this function, or it is defined in this function.
The following can be specified by means of an attribute [calibration]:

calibration
The contents are matched for the parameters to the target vehicle in question during the application phase (compare 1.2.8. Application (calibration)) (applied).
no-calibration
The contents for the parameters cannot be changed by application syteme etc. It is only possible to read these.
not-in-memory
This parameter is not saved in the EPROM of the control unit. Its contents are processed during software development (e.g. for configuration by header files). These can therefore neither be read nor changed.

There are different classes of parameters. These differ on the one hand by the assignment of <sw-param-class>, whereas on the other hand they are formed by appropriate characterization of the structures.
A differentiation is made between the following parameter classes:
Characteristic value  A characteristic value (<sw-param-single-value>) is a parameter consisting of one single value. An engine-speed limit can be displayed by this for example.

The structure of the characteristic values is shown in Characteristic value.
System constant  A system constant is a special characteristic value (<sw-param-single-value> characterized by [calibration]=not-in-memory) that is used for example, for adapting conversion formulae. This is not stored in the control unit.

Characteristic text  A characteristic text (<sw-param-text>) is a parameter that consists of a one single text. Messages can be displayed by this, for the dashboard for example.

Characteristic  In the case of a characteristic (<sw-param-array-x>), the output variable is computed by the control-unit program as a function of an input variable. Considered in mathematical terms, the characteristic is a function whereby it applies that: Output value = f(input value).

This function is thereby defined as a polyline in which the associated functional value (<sw-param-axis-value>) is given for a number (limited by <max-count>) of datapoints. Interpolation between two datapoints is usually linear in the control-unit program, extrapolation is constant outside of the program.
The structure of the characteristic is shown in Characteristic.
Fixed characteristic  The datapoints cannot be arbitrarily defined in the case of fixed characteristics, but rather are computed in the control-unit programn by shift (<shift>) and offset (<offset>) (<sw-axis-shift-offset>). The fixed characteristic is displayed as <sw-param-array-x> as well, whereby <sw-axis-shift-offset> is used.

Map  For a map (<sw-param-array-xy>), the output variable is computed by the control-unit program as a function of two input variables. The structure is otherwise that for a characteristic.

Fixed map  As in the case of a fixed characteristic, the datapoints cannot be chosen arbitrarily either. The fixed map is also displayed as <sw-param-array-xy>, whereby <sw-axis-shift-offset> is used for both axes.

Group characteristic  Group characteristics do not have datapoints of their own, but rather use the same datapoints (<sw-param-group-axis> referenced in <sw-axis-grouped>) together with other group characteristics or group maps. The group characteristic is displayed as <sw-param-array-x> as well, whereby <sw-axis-grouped> is used for the axis.

Group map  Group maps do not have datapoints of their own, but rather use the same datapoints (group datapoints) together with other group characteristics or groups maps. The group map is displayed as <sw-param-array-xy> as well, whereby <sw-axis-grouped> is used for both axes (compare Example for a group map).

Characteristic values block  A characteristic values block <sw-param-value-block> is a summary of a number (<count>) of identically structured characteristic values as a block. Hence for example, a characteristic value that is to be applied individually for each cylinder of the engine, could be displayed as a characteristic values block having 4 elements.

All characteristic values in the block possess the same properties. Each characteristic value receives however a separate identification (<label>), whereby a description for the use of the value can also be given. The characteristic values block is always handled as being closed. The components of the characteristic values block therefore cannot be individually referenced.
Characteristic values structure  A characteristic values structure (<sw-params> in <sw-param>) is a summary of a number of differently structured parameters. The parameters for the structure of e.g. a controller can be displayed by this (compare Example for a characteristic values structure:).

Group datapoints  Group datapoints (<sw-param-group-axis>) define the datapoints that are jointly used by several group characteristics or group maps (<sw-param-ref> in <sw-axis-grouped>).

The parameter type concerned (e.g. characteristic) is defined by <sw-param-class>. The standardized designations from ASAP shall be used for this. These are:

Belegung von <sw-param-class>
Value
Meaning
Remark
SYSTEM_CONSTANT
System constant
Equivalent in structure to a fixed value with [calibration]=not-in-memory
VALUE
Characteristic value
 
CURVE_INDIVIDUAL
Characteristic
 
MAP_INDIVIDUAL
Map
 
CURVE_FIXED
Fixed characteristic
 
MAP_FIXED
Fixed map
 
CURVE_GROUPED
Group characteristic
 
MAP_GROUPED
Group map
 
ASCII
Characteristic text
 
STRUCTURE
Parameter structure
 
VALUE_BLOCK
Characteristic values block
 
AXIS_VALUES
Group datapoints
 
The structure of a characteristic value is shown in Characteristic value.
Figure 13: Characteristic value
The following example illustrates the use:
<sw-param> <long-name></long-name> <short-name>KUP_FEN</short-name> <sw-param-class>value</sw-param-class> <desc></desc> <sw-param-single-value> <sw-param-axis-values> <sw-compu-method-ref>TEMPQ</sw-compu-method-ref> </sw-param-axis-values> </sw-param-single-value> <sw-addressing-method-ref>offset</sw-addressing-method-ref> <sw-param-record-layout-ref>DAMOS_KW0</sw-param-record-layout-ref> <sw-code-syntax-ref>cSyKwByte</sw-code-syntax-ref> </sw-param>
The structure of the characteristic is shown in Characteristic.
Figure 14: Characteristic
The following example illustrates the use:
<sw-param> <long-name></long-name> <short-name>etalam</short-name> <sw-param-class>curve_individual</sw-param-class> <desc></desc> <sw-param-array-x> <sw-param-axis-x> <sw-axis-individual> <sw-variable-ref>lambas</sw-variable-ref> <max-count>10</max-count> </sw-axis-individual> </sw-param-axis-x> <sw-param-axis-values> <sw-compu-method-ref>rel_ub-b127b5</sw-compu-method-ref> </sw-param-axis-values> <sw-addressing-method-ref>NearRomByte</sw-addressing-method-ref> <sw-param-record-layout-ref>KlAUbSstUbWUb</sw-param-record-layout-ref> <sw-code-syntax-ref>KlNearAUbSstUbUb</sw-code-syntax-ref> </sw-param>
<sw-param> <long-name></long-name> <short-name>KFAVG</short-name> <sw-param-class>map_grouped</sw-param-class> <desc></desc> <sw-param-array-xy> <sw-param-axis-x> <sw-axis-grouped> <sw-param-ref>STADGN</sw-param-ref> </sw-axis-grouped> </sw-param-axis-x> <sw-param-axis-y> <sw-axis-grouped> <sw-param-ref>STADGTL</sw-param-ref> </sw-axis-grouped> </sw-param-axis-y> <sw-param-axis-values> <sw-compu-method-ref>FKT256</sw-compu-method-ref> </sw-param-axis-values> </sw-param-array-xy> <sw-addressing-method-ref>Vek</sw-addressing-method-ref> <sw-param-record-layout-ref>DAMOS_GKF0</sw-param-record-layout-ref> <sw-code-syntax-ref>cSyGKf</sw-code-syntax-ref> </sw-param>
<sw-params> <sw-param> <long-name></long-name> <short-name>mrw</short-name> <sw-param-class>structure</sw-param-class> <sw-addressing-method-ref>dir</sw-addressing-method-ref> <sw-code-syntax-ref>cSyKggByte</sw-code-syntax-ref> <sw-params> <sw-param> <long-name></long-name> <short-name>KUP_FEN</short-name> <sw-param-class>value</sw-param-class> <desc></desc> <sw-param-single-value><sw-param-axis-values><sw-compu-method-ref>TEMPQ</sw-compu-method-ref> </sw-param-axis-values> </sw-param-single-value> <sw-addressing-method-ref>offset</sw-addressing-method-ref> <sw-param-record-layout-ref>DAMOS_KW0</sw-param-record-layout-ref> <sw-code-syntax-ref>cSyKwByte</sw-code-syntax-ref> </sw-param> </sw-params> </sw-param> </sw-params> . . . <sw-param-contents> <sw-param-content> <sw-param-ref>KUP_FEN</sw-param-ref> <sw-param-class>value</sw-param-class> <sw-param-content-v> <sw-param-values-phys> <v>1</v> </sw-param-values-phys> </sw-param-content-v> </sw-param-content> </sw-param-contents>