# switch to a read interface
    set ::doingRefresh 1        ;# set to 1 while refreshing variables
    serialevent readable {}

    dprintf "\nVariable values loading (could take a while if many vars/big arrays exist - standby)..." ;# tweak

    .symbols.text delete 1.0 end
    set count 0
    set textcolor ""

    foreach varEntry $variableList {
        if {[lsearch {CODE SFUNCT FFUNCT WFUNCT SUB} [lindex $varEntry 1]] >= 0} continue

        set varAddr [lindex $varEntry 0]
        #preformatting with spaces was a cute idea, but this is a little endian so have to reverse it anyway
        set varName [lindex $varEntry 2]
#       set varName [string range $varName 0 15]
        set varName [format "%-$nameWidth" $varName]
        set varSize [lindex $varEntry 3]
        set varType [lindex $varEntry 1]

        if {$varType == "WORD"} {
            set memData [refGetWord $varAddr]
            .symbols.text insert end [format "$varName &H%s %d\n" $memData [expr 0x$memData]] $textcolor
        } elseif {$varType == "SINGLE"} {
            set memData [refGetWord $varAddr]
            .symbols.text insert end [format "$varName %f\n" [calcSingle [expr 0x$memData]]] $textcolor
        } elseif {($varType == "INTPTR") || ($varType == "SNGLPTR")} {
            set memData [refGetWord $varAddr]
            .symbols.text insert end "$varName &H$memData\n" $textcolor
        } elseif {$varType == "PARRAY"} {
            set numElem [expr 0x[refGetWord [expr $varAddr + 60]]]
            .symbols.text insert end "$varName \[$numElem\] " $textcolor
            for {set i 0} {$i <= $numElem} {incr i} {
                set mmData [expr 0x[refGetWord [expr $varAddr + ($i * 4)]]]
#               puts "[expr $varAddr + ($i * 4)] $mmData"
                .symbols.text insert end "$mmData " $textcolor
            }
            .symbols.text insert end "\n" $textcolor
        } elseif {$varType == "STRING"} {
            .symbols.text insert end "$varName \"" $textcolor
            for {set i 0} {$i < $varSize} {incr i} {

                set word [refGetWord [expr $varAddr + ($i * 4)]]

                set byte0 0x[string range $word 6 7]
                set byte1 0x[string range $word 4 5]
                set byte2 0x[string range $word 2 3]
                set byte3 0x[string range $word 0 1]
                if {$byte0 == 0} {
                    break
                }
                if {$byte1 == 0} {
                    .symbols.text insert end [format "%c" $byte0] $textcolor
                    break
                }
                if {$byte2 == 0} {
                    .symbols.text insert end [format "%c%c" $byte0 $byte1] $textcolor
                    break
                }
                if {$byte3 == 0} {
                    .symbols.text insert end [format "%c%c%c" $byte0 $byte1 $byte2] $textcolor
                    break
                }
                .symbols.text insert end [format "%c%c%c%c" $byte0 $byte1 $byte2 $byte3] $textcolor
            }
#           set varSize $i
            .symbols.text insert end "\"  " $textcolor
            for {set i 0} {$i < $varSize} {incr i} {
                set word [refGetWord [expr $varAddr + ($i * 4)]]
                .symbols.text insert end [string range $word 6 7] $textcolor
                .symbols.text insert end [string range $word 4 5] $textcolor
                .symbols.text insert end [string range $word 2 3] $textcolor
                .symbols.text insert end "[string range $word 0 1] " $textcolor
                if {$i > 8} break
            }
            .symbols.text insert end "\n" $textcolor
        } elseif {$varType == "ARRAY"} {
            .symbols.text insert end "$varName " $textcolor
            for {set i 0} {$i < $varSize} {incr i} {
                set memData [refGetWord [expr $varAddr + ($i * 4)]]
                .symbols.text insert end [format "%10d" [expr 0x$memData]] $textcolor
                if {$i % 8 == 7} {  .symbols.text insert end "\n" $textcolor }
            }
            .symbols.text insert end "\n" $textcolor
        } elseif {$varType == "FARRAY"} {
            .symbols.text insert end "$varName " $textcolor
            for {set i 0} {$i < $varSize} {incr i} {
                set memData [refGetWord [expr $varAddr + ($i * 4)]]
                .symbols.text insert end [format "%f " [calcSingle [expr 0x$memData]]] $textcolor
                if {$i % 8 == 7} {  .symbols.text insert end "\n" $textcolor }
            }
            .symbols.text insert end "\n" $textcolor
# other values skipped -- like FUNCTION
        } else {
            continue
        }
        incr count
        if {$count >3} {
            if {$textcolor == "" } {set textcolor "colorGRAY"
            } else {set textcolor ""}
            set count 0
        }
    }
    serialevent readable getUSB_SER

    set ::doingRefresh 0        ;# set to 1 while refreshing variables

    dprintf "Variable values finished loading. :)\n"        ;# tweak