sub find_range
    {
        my $max=$_[0];
        my $min=$_[1];
        my $step=$_[2];
        my @step_part;
        my $range;
        $dec_lolmt=0;

        # for avoiding positive offset in compu method any min data greater than zero is made equal to zero.
        if ($min>0)
        {
            $dec_lolmt=$min;
            $min=0;

            print OUT_LOG "WARNING: minimum physical value found to be positive for $name and is reduced to zero \n";
        }
        my @step_part=split(/\//,$step);
        if($step_part[1]=~ /^[0-9]/)
        {
         $step_real=$step_part[0]/$step_part[1];
         }
         else
         {
         $step_real=$step_part[0];
         }
         # check for proper value of range could be returned or not

         if((!($step_real=~ /^[0-9]/))||($max==$min)||($step_real==0)||(!($step_real =~ /^-?\d/)))
        {
            print OUT_LOG "WARNING: No proper range could be determined for $name  : default range returned as 255  \n";
                $range = 255;
        }

        $range=($max-$min)/($step_real);


        # check if range is feasible or not(range cannot be less than 1)
         if($range<1)
        {
            print OUT_LOG "WARNING: No proper range could be determined for $name  : defalult range returned as 255  \n";
                $range = 255;
        }
        
        return($range);

    }