System Operation Manual
SAT-DN-00434, Rev. B
LOBO
2017-05-16
Page 64 of 86
Copyright
2017 Sea-Bird Scientific. All rights reserved.
9
Data Formats and Data Extraction
It is beyond the scope of this document to describe the various data formats for individual sensors that may
be found in any given LOBO system; please refer to the appropriate user manual.
Although LOBOviz is expected to form the primary data extraction tool, Sea-Bird Scientific
’s SatCon data
processor software may be used as an interim solution, or perhaps as a front-end to a custom processor. It
is also very useful when analyzing detail in individual acquisition events. It may not work for all sensor
types, specifically those that cannot be described by Sea-Bird Scientific
’s
data format standards. Please
refer to the Sea-Bird Scientific Instrument File Standard (RD2) and the Log File Standard (RD3) for assistance
in the definition and interpretation of data formats used by Sea-Bird Scientific
’s instrumentation and data
logging and conversion software.
Sea-Bird Scientific uses calibration files (.cal) and telemetry definition files (.tdf) to describe instrument
telemetry. Cal and tdf files can also be packaged in zip format into Sea-Bird Scientific Instrument Package
(.sip) together with a properties file. SIP files are normally used when a single instrument outputs data with
more than one frame, such as the ISUS-X. In fact, the LOBO platform itself can be described with a SIP file;
this can be easier to work with than individual calibration files, and is necessary when using the LOBO
platform in a real time data streaming mode (via the STORXRT program) for use with SatView.
9.1
Using SatCon to Extract Data
SatCon is a Windows application for converting raw data log files into readable ASCII text files. The log files
generally contain data that is formatted into frames or records. Each frame in a log file will contain one
sample from each sensor within the instrument. The raw telemetry of most instruments made by Sea-Bird
Scientific falls into a fixed format that conforms to Sea-Bird Scientific
’s data format standard (
RD2). This
program allows data analysts to extract the samples in a form suitable for use with applications such as
spreadsheets or Matlab. The analyst can optionally retrieve calibrated or raw digital data in ASCII form.
The data format information required for the conversion is obtained from a Calibration file or Telemetry
Definition File, depending on whether a Sea-Bird Scientific instrument or other data source's telemetry is
to be converted. These files define the format of the data and contain the coefficients for converting raw
digital samples into calibrated physical units. SatCon will work for any instrument or data source that
conforms to Sea-Bird Scientific
’s data format standard.
SatCon can be operated in two different ways. The application window's easy to use interface provides a
convenient way of processing your Sea-Bird Scientific Log Files. However, SatCon can also perform
conversions directly from the command line. This gives you the ability to integrate SatCon conversions with
other applications.
To assist users of the LOBO in getting started, a simple walkthrough for SatCon is provided below using the
standard application window. For details on using the command line interface for SatCon, please refer to
the users manual or online help. This example presumes you have data file (.raw) from the STOR-X to work
with.
1.
Install SatCon version 1.4.1 (or later) by clicking on the self-installing executable provided on CD. The
installation wizard will step you through the installation process. Refer to the Readme file for release
information.
2.
Start the program if it is not already running. You should see the following screen:
