What is format used in data files produced by Radio Sky Pipe II Software?

Radio-SkyPipe II (R-SP) uses a binary proprietary file format for its data files. Here’s a breakdown of the format, based on the Radio-Sky documentation:

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File Format (Radio-SkyPipe II)

1. Header
   • There’s a fixed-length section, defined as a VB6 SkyPipeHeader type. (radiosky.com)
   • Fields include: version (string), start time (double), end time (double), latitude, longitude, max/min Y values, timezone, source, author, location name, number of channels, and NoteLength. (radiosky.com)
   • After the fixed header, there’s a variable-length “Note” string, whose length is given by NoteLength. This part can contain metadata like channel labels, offsets, and other parameters. These are embedded/encrypted in the Note. (radiosky.com)
2. Data Section
   • For “default” (i.e., non-integer) save format:
     • Each sample consists of a timestamp (VB date, stored as an 8-byte Double) followed by one Double per channel. (radiosky.com)
     • If you have, say, 2 channels, the pattern is: [Date][Channel1][Channel2], then next record, etc. (radiosky.com)
   • For “Integer Save” format (Pro version):
     • Date is still 8 bytes (Double), but each channel’s data is stored as 2-byte integers. (radiosky.com)
   • There’s also a “No Timestamps” option:
     • In that case, only the sample values are recorded, without a date for each sample. For non-integer mode, that’s 8-byte double per channel; for integer mode, it’s 2 bytes per channel. (radiosky.com)
3. File Extension
   • By default, R-SP saves files with a .spd extension. (radiosky.com)
   • AutoSave naming convention: YYMMDDHHNNSS.spd for when files are saved automatically. (radiosky.com)
4. Export Options
   • R-SP provides a “Delimited File” export (text) for spreadsheet or database import. The exported format is:
     Date (delimiter) Time (delimiter) Raw data value (CR) per line. (radiosky.com)
   • It also supports XML export (using the Iocomp strip chart control format) for further interoperability. (radiosky.com)

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Interpretation / Practical Notes

• Because the native .spd file format is binary and built around VB6 data types, reading it directly in arbitrary software requires either
  1. Writing a parser that understands that structure, or
  2. Exporting from R-SP to a more interoperable format (e.g., delimited text) via its “File Process” functions, then processing that. (radiosky.com)
• If you are planning to do more advanced scientific analysis (e.g. in Python), your best route is likely to export to the delimited text format and then load that into your analysis environment.

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