Import of MDF Files

The Addin converts MDF data files to UniPlot-netCDF data files.

The calibration systems VS100/INCA (ETAS GmbH) or the Drive-Recorder from IAV GmbH and the CANalyzer (Vector Informatik GmbH) create MDF files.

Installation

• Choose Tools=>Add-In Manager.
• Check the “MDF-Import” addin.
• Choose OK. Restart UniPlot.

Usage

• Start UniPlot.
• Choose File=>Import Data.
• Choose Type "MDF File (*.dat; *.mdf)".
• Select one or more MDF files.

Configuration

Use the Tools=>Configuration MDF (INCA) to set the option for creating the channel names in the NC file.

Options:

Strip Group Name from Channel Name (Gxx_)

If this option is marked, the group name is not added to the channel name. If the MDF file contains multiple time groups the time channel names are enumerated as following: time, time_2, time_3, etc.

Strip Device Name from Channel Name

If this option is maked, the characters following the first backslash are removed from the channel name.

Use MDF Display Identifier as Channel Name

If this option is marked, the display names are used as channel names instead of the long names.

Attribute mdfComment

The mdfComment attribute can have multiple lines.

If a line of the mdfComment contains a colon (:) the line will be split into a attribute name and value. The line will be removed from the mdfComment attribute.

Example:

City Testdrive
Engine: x1234
Temperature: 22 °C

In the nc file the following attributes will be created: Engine=``x1234``, Temperature=``22 °C``, mdfComment=``City Testdrive``.

Format

In MDF format, data is saved in groups. Each group contains signals with the same time base. For each group one time channel is saved in the netCDF file. The group number with the letter G is added to each channel name, e.g. G1_ZWSTAT.

The data is saved as a float (4 bytes) in the specified units.

Trigger information is saved for each time channel (if triggers were used). In this case the following attributes are saved: tr_trig_time, tr_trig_pre, tr_trig_post, tr_condition and tr_wincount.

The attribute tr_wincount contains the number of trigger times saved in tr_trig_time, tr_trig_pre, tr_trig_post.

It is not necessary to select the correct time channel in the Import dialog box. Example: X: G2_Time, Y: G2_vfzg). You can simply choose G1_Time and then select any signal, e.g. X: G1_Time, Y: G2_vfzg. UniPlot will choose the correct time channel.

Signals from different groups can be correlated. The function will use linear interpolation to make sure both signals use the same time, e.g. X: G1_Lst, Y: G2_vfzg).

The following parameters are read from the Windows-Registry:

Key	Type	Default Value	Description
Settingsstandard-netcdf-files	Number	0	1:Standard-netCDF-files will be created, which can be opened with other programs supporting the netCDF file format. 0: Optimized netCDF files are created which can be opened only with UniPlot. Opening and creating is much faster than with standard netCDF files because the byte order of intel processors is used.
SettingsMDF_StripDeviceName	Number	0	Flag for MDF import. For example INCA/VS100. If the flag has the value 1, the channel name in MDF files is cut at the first backslash. Normally the channel and device name are separated by a backslash. Default Value is 0. Example: G3_InjCrv_phiMI1Des_ETKC_1 (Name with device name ETKC), G3_InjCrv_phiMI1Des (Name without the device name).
SettingsMDF_StripGroupName	Number	0	Flag for MDF import. For example INCA/VS100. If the flag has the value 1, the channel name in MDF files does not contain the groupname, e.g. G1_. Default Value is 0. Example: G3_InjCrv_phiMI1Des_ETKC_1 (Name with group number), InjCrv_phiMI1Des (Name without group number).

To specify UniPlot to write the NC file in the standard byte order, type in the following command into the command window:

WriteProfileInt("Settings", "standard-netcdf-files", 1)
WriteProfileInt("Settings", "MDF_StripDeviceName", 1)

See also UniPlot’s Use of the Windows Registry.

The channel attribute C_format can be used to format the channel data. For example, to display the data as hex values type in the format string 0x%08x. (Import MDF file, click on the >> button. Select the channel and click on th e C_format attribute. Type in the format string 0x%08x and click on the Set button.)

History

Version	Description
5.11.2	Empty channel attribute C_format added.
4.2.5	MDF Display Identifiers can be used as channel names.

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