Import Binary¶

The Import Binary option is a procedure that can be used to read many instrument-generated binary data files. This is an advanced feature that should be used only by individuals whose skills include a good familiarity with binary data formats. In general, you will will need a published specification for the binary file format you wish to configure.

Fixed Length Data Blocks and Fixed Position Offsets¶

The binary file must contain fixed length data blocks where the values to be read are a fixed offset from the beginning of the block.

Binary Configuration Files¶

TableCurve 2D uses binary configuration files to store the specific information needed to process a given type of binary data file. You must first create or read a binary configuration file prior to importing the binary data. These configuration files have BCF extensions.

Binary Configurations Supported¶

TableCurve 2D's binary read option supports two different formats:

Both the X and Y values are in the repeating data blocks.
The starting X-value and/or constant X-increment are stored in the file header. Only the Y values are in the repeating data blocks.

Both formats allow for an optional import of a main, X, and Y data title from the file header.

Title Offsets and Lengths¶

The offsets and lengths must be specified in decimal (base-10) values and are measured from the beginning of the file. The first byte in the file is at offset 0. Title import is optional. Simply leave a title offset blank if you do not wish to import that title. If the title string is null terminated, you need not specify the title length. In this case, the length field can be left blank or you may enter 0.

X in Header Offsets and Lengths¶

If the X information is in the file header, you must provide an offset and data type for the initial X value and/or an offset and type for the X increment. If the initial X type is None, an initial X of 0.0 is assumed. If the increment type is None, an increment of 1.0 is assumed.

Supported Data Types¶

The following data types are supported:

C Data Type

Bytes Data Range

Signed Char 1 -128 to 127

Unsigned Char 1 0 to 255

Signed Short Integer 2 -32768 to 32767

Unsigned Short Integer 2 0 to 65535

Float 4 ± 1.2E-38 to 3.4E+38

Signed Long Integer 4 -2147483648 to 2147483647

Unsigned Long Integer 4 0 to 4294967295

Double 8 ± 2.2E-308 to 1.8E+308

Long Double 10 ± 3.4E-4932 to 1.1E+4932

The binary read option does not support the Pascal 6-byte float, the non-IEEE BASICA floating point format, or the floating point binary decimal format.

Consistent Data Types¶

All X and Y values must be type-consistent throughout the data blocks. The X type may, however, be different from that of the Y.

Data Block¶

You must specify the offset for the first data block and the length of a data block. If you are specifying X as being in the data block, you must specify its position within the data block as well as its data type. The Y data position and type in the data block must always be specified. The X and Y positions are relative to the start of each data block.

Read¶

The Read option is used to read a previously saved [BCF] binary configuration file. Binary configurations saved under the DOS version of TableCurve 2D can also be read.

Save¶

Use the Save option to save a [BCF] binary configuration file.

Initiating the Import¶

Click on OK to initiate the binary import. The file you subsequently select will be processed using this binary configuration.

Appending Data¶

An append option is not available for binary reads. To append binary files, individually import the files and save them in a supported format. These files can then be sequentially appended.