CSV
Marple loves CSV files. They are simple, can be read RAM efficient and everyone uses them!
The disadvantage is that CSV files have a lot of freedom, so you need to adhere to a minimum structure in order to get your data in Marple.
CSV files need to have:
- Signal names in the first row
- Delimited by comma (,) period(.) or semicolon (;)
- One column that defines the 'time' axis, this can be selected in Marple
- Rows of data
- Numeric data (Marple will ignore non-numeric data points)
- Time can be a number or datetime format. (YYYY/MM/DD hh:mm:ss preferably)
Zipped CSV
Sometimes there are multiple time axes, or the data is sampled at different sample rates. In those cases a CSV file is not a handy format... you might think!
Typically you can solve this by creating a set of CSV files, one for each time base (eg. sampling rate) and wrapping those together in a ZIP file. Marple will recognize this and use the same algorithms to decode the individual CSV files, but organize all data so you can easily visualise signals of different sample rate all at once.
HDF5
HDF5 files are widely known for their excellent handling of large data sets.. and we agree! We love HDF5 data sets!
Unfortunately, HDF5 files come in different shapes and formats, so we need to agree to some structure.
Marple supports 2 types of HDF. We call it SIGNAL based and MATRIX based structures.
SIGNAL based
In a signal based structure the data consists of Groups (dictionary-like objects) where the signal names are used as keys. For every signal a Dataset (array) defines the data.
We also allow for signal grouping, as can be seen in the example below
MATRIX based
A matrix structure is a bit more complex to construct, but allows for easier row-by-row processing. It also allows for extra information such as units.
MAT
MAT files are used a lot when using MATLAB or certain loggers such as dSpace, Speedgoat, .. MAT files are treated similarly to HDF5 files (as described above), so the same rules apply.
If you have a MAT file of version 7.3 or higher, this will be treated as a HDF5 file. MAT files of a lower version are significantly less efficient and will require more effort to be parsed by Marple.
ULOG
The ULOG format is often used when dealing with systems that operate using the PX4 software or ecosystem. We think it's a great format because it is standardized!
As long as you adhere to the ULOG structure, .ulg formats are plug & play for Marple. No configuration needed!
MAVLink
Systems that operate on Ardupilot software or ecosystem often have a standard type of log file. These log files can be saved with either .log or .BIN extention.
Marple is able to understand these formats as long as they adhere to the standard MAVLink structure.
ROS / Rosbag
In Robotics the ROS - Robot Operating System is often used. These systems log files with extension .bag.
Marple is able to parse this data as long as the values are numeric. Image, text or binary data can not be visualised. Marple will convert the different topics into different signal groups and will show this in the UI.
MDF / MF4
In the automotive industry, MDF or MF4 files are often used. Measurement Data Format version 4 (MDF 4) is a standard file format by ASAM used by the automotive industry for storing measurement data in binary file format.
Marple is able to read non-binary MDF / MF4 files. Marple will recognize the different signal groups and show them in the UI. Note that a binary MDF file cannot be parsed but needs to converted using a .dbc file first.