# 2.106 FAQ-1008 How to resolve possible loss of precision when importing date time data?

Last Update: 5/10/2019

Origin's default date-time setting, Adjusted Julian Date, supports precision of up to a millisecond (10^-3) for date-time data. If your data file has microseconds or even higher precision such as "2/5/2040 15:59:59.994983" or "2/5/2040 15:59:59.99498750", the last few digits may be lost when such data is imported into Origin with default settings, thus resulting in loss of precision.

Starting with Origin 2019, Origin offers a new "2018" setting. This new setting allows for a higher precision of up to 10^-8 seconds for date-time data. To switch to "2018" system in your Origin project, set system variable @DSP to 2018.

1. Select menu Window: Script Window.
2. In the Script Window, type the following script and press Enter.
@DSP=2018
3. Save the Origin project.

Note: The @DSP value only takes effect in the current project, and is saved with the project. You will therefore need to set this for every project where you want higher precision for your date-time data.

Note: You may observe a small variation in imported values at higher precision. This is due to the nature of how modern computer processors handle floating point data and is not a defect in Origin.

Keywords:loss precision, date and time, limited precision, contemporary date, custom date format