# String special character showing ? in a string when using Rockwell PLC

**URL:** <https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/string-special-character-showing-in-a-string-when-using-rockwell-plc/89740>\
**Category:** Ignition\
**Tags:** ignition81\
**Created:** [April 30, 2024, 9:06pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/string-special-character-showing-in-a-string-when-using-rockwell-plc/89740 "2024-04-30T21:06:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![nicolas\_desjardins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8491ac/32.png) [@nicolas\_desjardins](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/nicolas_desjardins)\
**Post date:** [April 30, 2024, 9:06pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/string-special-character-showing-in-a-string-when-using-rockwell-plc/89740/1 "2024-04-30T21:06:10Z")

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I'm using a rockwell PLC and was using special caracter as $E9 to show a 'é' at the HMI. However, the string show ? and not é. I tried to insert the é caracter via ignition to see what caracter is written on my string tag and it was written $C3$82. So I presume I as using UTF-8 and ignition is CP437, but I don't know where to change the ascii type back to UTF-8.

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**Author:** ![pturmel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/pturmel/32/3295_2.png) [@pturmel](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/pturmel)\
**Post date:** [April 30, 2024, 10:11pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/string-special-character-showing-in-a-string-when-using-rockwell-plc/89740/2 "2024-04-30T22:11:48Z")

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Ignition uses UTF-8 to interpret strings from byte arrays in all of its drivers.

The EtherNet/IP spec says to use 8859-1, not utf-8, but that is not commonly followed. Your non-Ignition interface is probably using 8859-1.