2 file blocks – GBS Elektronik MCA-527 Binary Data Format User Manual
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MCA binary data format
2.2 File blocks
Basis file block
This file block already exists. It is 512 bytes long. See above.
User data
This file block already exists. It contains the user data of the MCA527. The block size
corresponds to the 'User data size' (basis file block, byte offset 168).
MCS spectrum
This file block exists if the 'MCA acquire mode' (basis file block, byte offset 28) is 'MCS' (=1).
The block size is 4 * 'MCS channels' (basis file block, byte offset 48). If the calculated size is
not a multiple of 512, the file block is filled with dummy bytes.
MCS spectrum (gated)
This file block exists if the 'MCA acquire mode' (basis file block, byte offset 28) is 'MCS' (=1)
and the 'Gating mode' (basis file block, byte offset 124) is 'Sort' (=2). The block size is 4 * MCS
channels (basis file block, byte offset 48). If the calculated size is not a multiple of 512, the file
block is filled with dummy bytes.
MCS spectrum (counter 1)
This file block exists if the 'MCA acquire mode' (basis file block, byte offset 28) is 'MCS' (=1)
and the 'Extension port part E configuration' (basis file block, byte offset 136) is 'Counter' (=1).
The block size is 4 * MCS channels (basis file block, byte offset 48). If the calculated size is
not a multiple of 512, the file block is filled with dummy bytes.
MCS spectrum (counter 2)
This file block exists if the 'MCA acquire mode' (basis file block, byte offset 28) is 'MCS' (=1)
and the 'Extension port part C configuration' (basis file block, byte offset 134) is 'Counter' (=1).
The block size is 4 * MCS channels (basis file block, byte offset 48). If the calculated size is
not a multiple of 512, the file block is filled with dummy bytes.
MCA spectrum or
MCA spectrum (time window 0)
This file block exists if either the 'MCA acquire mode' (basis file block, byte offset 28) is 'MCA'
(=0), or it is 'MCS' (=1) and 'MCS input' (basis file block, byte offset 50) is 'Input Rate' (=1) or
'LLD/ULD' (=2).
If the 'Gating mode' (basis file block, byte offset 124) is 'Sort by time' (=3), this MCA spectrum
refers to time window 0.
The block size is 4 * 'MCA channels' (basis file block, byte offset 30). If the calculated size is
not a multiple of 512, the file block is filled with dummy bytes.
MCA spectrum (rejected) or
MCA spectrum (time window 1)
This file block exists if the conditions for the existence of the MCA spectrum are met and the
'Gating mode' (basis file block, byte offset 124) is 'Sort by state' (=2).
If the 'Gating mode' (basis file block, byte offset 124) is 'Sort by time' (=3), this MCA spectrum
refers to time window 1. It exists only if the time window 0 (basis file block, byte offset 260) is
not set to infinity.
The block size is 4 * 'MCA channels' (basis file block, byte offset 30). If the calculated size is
not a multiple of 512, the file block is filled with dummy bytes.
MCA spectra
(time windows 2 … 7)
If the 'Gating mode' (basis file block, byte offset 124) is 'Sort by time' (=3), these MCA spectra
refer to time windows 2 … 7. They exist only if no previous time window is set to infinity.
The block size is always 4 * 'MCA channels' (basis file block, byte offset 30). If the calculated
size is not a multiple of 512, the file blocks are filled with dummy bytes.
RS232 received data
This file block exists if 'Extension port part A configuration' (basis file block, byte offset 132) is
'RS232 (TX/RX, with data buffering)' (=5) or 'Extension port part C configuration' (basis file
block, byte offset 134) is 'RS232 (RX, with data buffering)' (=5). The file block is already 1024
bytes long.
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