Ionogram Data File Name Convention

1. Where to find an ionogram data file and software?

IPS FTP download server only provides clean and raw ionogram data files. Under ftp://ftp.ips.gov.au/wdc-data/ion_archive/, Each directory holds ionogram files for a particular station and type of ionosonde. For example, tvl5d holds ionograms for Townsville 5d ionosonde. Each directory has raw and/or cln sub-directories, under which are year list. The archived ionograms are zipped into day files, and stored in year directory.

Raw ionograms contain the full channel vs height information and can range in size from 250 to 750 kbytes per ionogram.

Cleaned ionograms have gone through a process of removing noise,with only the ionogram trace remaining.

A description of the IPS ionograms formats can be found in the Ionogram Data Format, or a file Ionogramformat.txt in the "doc" directory in FTP server.

Software for viewing and scaling ionograms can be found under Software Tools section of "FTP Download" page. These softwares are provided as they are. These softwares have been intensively tested on Windows XP/Vista. In addition, it has undergone routine testing on Windows 98 SE and Windows 2000. We can give no guarantee that the software will work properly on systems other than those listed above. IPS will not bear responsibility for any damages or loss of income incurred due to use (or misuse) of this software. Use it at your own risk.

IPS ionosonde station name, station name abbreviation and station ID list in the following table. Station name abbreviation is used as the first part of its directory name. Station ID is used as the first part of each data file name.

Station Name	Station Abbr.	Station ID
Auckland	auk	au
Biak	bik	bk
Brisbane	bri	br
Casey	cas	cy
Canberra	cbr	cb
Camden	cdn	cn
Christchurch	cch	cc
Darwin	dwn	dw
Davis	dav	dv
Hobart	hbt	hb
Kiruna	kir	ki
Kokubunji	kok	ko
Learmonth	lth	lm
Lycksele	lyc	ly
Macquarie Island	mac	mq
Manila	man	mn
Mawson	maw	mw
Mundaring	mun	md
Niue	nue	nu
Norfolk Island	nlk	nf
Okinawa	oki	ok
Port Moresby	pom	pm
Salisbury	sal	sl
Scott Base	sct	sc
Townsville	tvl	tv
Uppsala	upp	up
Vanimo	vno	vn
Wakkanai	wak	wa
Yamagawa	yam	ya

Following table lists ionosonde type and its code. Each ionosonde code is used as the second part of an ionogram data file name.

Sonde Type	Code:
4a	a
4b	b
4c	c
4d	d
5a	e
5b	f
5c	g
5d	h
cadi	i
Lowell digisonde	j (used at Davis, Casey, Learmonth)
Swedish sonde	k (used at Kiruna, Lycksele and Uppsala)
Kel 51 sonde	l (used at Biak)
Japanese sonde	m (used at Kokubunji, Okinawa, Wakkanai, Yamagawa)

Following table listed the ionogram data directories in IPS FTP server. From this table, you can find the right directory in FTP server for a specified station and ionosonde type.

DIRECTORIES OF IPS IONOGRAM DATA IN FTP SERVER

Station

Ionosonde Type

IPS 4a

IPS 4b

IPS 4c

IPS 4d

IPS 5a

IPS 5b

IPS 5c

IPS 5d

CADI

Lowell

Swedish

Kel 51

Japanese

Auckland

x

x

x

auk4d

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

Biak

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

bik42

x

Brisbane

x

x

x

x

x

x

bri5c

bri5d

x

x

x

x

x

Camden

x

x

cdn4c

cdn4d

cdn5a

x

x

cdn5d

cdncd

x

x

x

x

Canberra

x

x

x

cbr4d

cbr5a

x

x

cbr5d

cbrcd

x

x

x

x

Casey

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

cascd

casey

x

x

x

Christchurch

x

x

x

cch4d

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

Cocos Islands

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

cck5d

x

x

x

x

x

Darwin

x

x

x

dwn4d

x

x

dwn5c

dwn5d

dwncd

x

x

x

x

Davis

x

x

x

dav4d

x

x

x

dav5d

x

davis

x

x

x

Hobart

x

x

x

hbt4d

hbt5a

x

x

hbt5d

hbtcd

x

x

x

x

Kiruna

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

kirun

x

x

Kokubunji

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

kokub

Learmonth

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

learm

x

x

x

Lycksele

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

lyc

x

x

Macquarie Is

x

x

x

mac4d

x

x

x

x

maccd

x

x

x

x

Manila

x

x

x

man4d

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

Mawson

x

x

x

maw4d

x

x

x

maw5d

x

x

x

x

x

Mundaring

x

x

x

mun4d

x

x

x

x

muncd

x

x

x

x

Niue

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

nue5d

x

x

x

x

x

Norfolk Island

x

x

x

nlk4d

nlk5a

x

x

nlk5d

nlkcd

x

x

x

x

Okinawa

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

okina

Port Moresby

x

x

x

pom4d

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

Salisbury

x

x

x

x

sal5a

x

sal5c

x

x

x

x

x

x

Scott Base

x

x

x

sct4d

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

Townsville

x

x

x

tvl4d

tvl5a

x

x

tvl5d

tvlcd

x

x

x

x

Uppsala

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

uppsa

x

x

Vanimo

x

x

x

vno4d

vno5a

x

x

vno5d

vnocd

x

x

x

x

Wakkanai

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

wakka

Yamagawa

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

yamag

active ionosonde.

closed ionosonde.

2. Ionogram data file name convention

The files in the directories use the following name convention system

fields 1-2:	station ID
field 3:	sonde type code
field 4:	if the file is not a raw ionogram data file then this may be an 'n'. An 'n' indicates these are cleaned ionograms so no processing need be done on these files except to expand them. If the file is a raw ionogram data file then from this field will indicate the year, month, day and/or time fields.
fields 4-5:	year for raw data ( fields 5-6: year for clean file types)
fields 6-7:	month for raw data ( fields 7-8: month for clean file types)
fields 8-9:	day for raw data ( fields 9-10: day for clean file types)

e.g.
cbd970102.zip (2nd January 1997 Canberra 4d sonde raw data)
cbin970102.zip (2nd January 1997 Canberra cadi sonde cleaned ionograms)

The extension is 'zip'. The 'zip' indicates the files are archives that have been zipped. IPS FTP Download server only provides 'zip' files.

Just in case, if the files are tarred (.tgz) using the command:

tar cvbf 20 tarfile files

The tar blocking factor is 20. To expand these files, first gunzip them, then extract the data from the tar archive using:

tar xvbf 20 filename

For example to expand the file tvgn9709.tgz do:

gunzip tvgn9709.tgz

tar xvbf 20 tvgn9709.tar

To expand the file dwd980601.zip do:

unzip dwdv980601

In the case of the IPS sonde (4a to 5d) raw files, expansion of these files will provide the day files that will require 4d2ips executed on them to provide the cleaned ionograms. These files have names according to the convention below:

fields 1-2:	station ID
fields 3:	sonde type code
fields 4-5:	year
fields 6-7:	month
fields 8-9:	day
fields 10-13:	dot with extension. the extension maybe station ID plus sonde type code or others.

e.g. cbd970129.cbd (day file for 29 January 1997 Canberra 4d sonde).

Note that very occasionally there will be 2 raw data files for the same day for a station. This is because the 2 files contain different data. They might be named something like cbd960129a.cbd and cbd960129b.cbd.

In the case of the CADI sonde, the raw files may have been tarred into day files, or the raw files may have simply been zipped/tarred into the final file. Expansion of these files will result in raw data files that require cadi2ips to be executed on them. These files have the following name format:

fields 1-2:	station ID
fields 3:	sonde type code: i
fields 4-5:	year
fields 6-7:	month
fields 8-9:	day
fields 5-8:	HHMM where HH=hour and MM=minute

e.g. cbi9803120100.cbr (hour file for 0100 UT on 12 March 1998 Canberra CADI sonde

In the case of the Lowell digisonde, expansion of the files will result in files with the following naming format:

fields 1-2:	station ID
fields 3:	sonde type code: j
fields 4-5:	year
fields 6-7:	month
fields 8-9:	day
fields 10-17:	HMMS.XXX

where

• H = hour (A-X)
• MM = minutes
• S = seconds (5 s intervals A-L)
• extension XXX = file type

Julian Day Calendar (Perpetual)

Day	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
1	001	032	060	091	121	152	182	213	244	274	305	335
2	002	033	061	092	122	153	183	214	245	275	306	336
3	003	034	062	093	123	154	184	215	246	276	307	337
4	004	035	063	094	124	155	185	216	247	277	308	338
5	005	036	064	095	125	156	186	217	248	278	309	339
6	006	037	065	096	126	157	187	218	249	279	310	340
7	007	038	066	097	127	158	188	219	250	280	311	341
8	008	039	067	098	128	159	189	220	251	281	312	342
9	009	040	068	099	129	160	190	221	252	282	313	343
10	010	041	069	100	130	161	191	222	253	283	314	344
11	011	042	070	101	131	162	192	223	254	284	315	345
12	012	043	071	102	132	163	193	224	255	285	316	346
13	013	044	072	103	133	164	194	225	256	286	317	347
14	014	045	073	104	134	165	195	226	257	287	318	348
15	015	046	074	105	135	166	196	227	258	288	319	349
16	016	047	075	106	136	167	197	228	259	289	320	350
17	017	048	076	107	137	168	198	229	260	290	321	351
18	018	049	077	108	138	169	199	230	261	291	322	352
19	019	050	078	109	139	170	200	231	262	292	323	353
20	020	051	079	110	140	171	201	232	263	293	324	354
21	021	052	080	111	141	172	202	233	264	294	325	355
22	022	053	081	112	142	173	203	234	265	295	326	356
23	023	054	082	113	143	174	204	235	266	296	327	357
24	024	055	083	114	144	175	205	236	267	297	328	358
25	025	056	084	115	145	176	206	237	268	298	329	359
26	026	057	085	116	146	177	207	238	269	299	330	360
27	027	058	086	117	147	178	208	239	270	300	331	361
28	028	059	087	118	148	179	209	240	271	301	332	362
29	029		088	119	149	180	210	241	272	302	333	363
30	030		089	120	150	181	211	242	273	303	334	364
31	031		090		151		212	243		304		365

Julian Day Calendar (Leap Years):

Day	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
1	001	032	061	092	122	153	183	214	245	275	306	336
2	002	033	062	093	123	154	184	215	246	276	307	337
3	003	034	063	094	124	155	185	216	247	277	308	338
4	004	035	064	095	125	156	186	217	248	278	309	339
5	005	036	065	096	126	157	187	218	249	279	310	340
6	006	037	066	097	127	158	188	219	250	280	311	341
7	007	038	067	098	128	159	189	220	251	281	312	342
8	008	039	068	099	129	160	190	221	252	282	313	343
9	009	040	069	100	130	161	191	222	253	283	314	344
10	010	041	070	101	131	162	192	223	254	284	315	345
11	011	042	071	102	132	163	193	224	255	285	316	346
12	012	043	072	103	133	164	194	225	256	286	317	347
13	013	044	073	104	134	165	195	226	257	287	318	348
14	014	045	074	105	135	166	196	227	258	288	319	349
15	015	046	075	106	136	167	197	228	259	289	320	350
16	016	047	076	107	137	168	198	229	260	290	321	351
17	017	048	077	108	138	169	199	230	261	291	322	352
18	018	049	078	109	139	170	200	231	262	292	323	353
19	019	050	079	110	140	171	201	232	263	293	324	354
20	020	051	080	111	141	172	202	233	264	294	325	355
21	021	052	081	112	142	173	203	234	265	295	326	356
22	022	053	082	113	143	174	204	235	266	296	327	357
23	023	054	083	114	144	175	205	236	267	297	328	358
24	024	055	084	115	145	176	206	237	268	298	329	359
25	025	056	085	116	146	177	207	238	269	299	330	360
26	026	057	086	117	147	178	208	239	270	300	331	361
27	027	058	087	118	148	179	209	240	271	301	332	362
28	028	059	088	119	149	180	210	241	272	302	333	363
29	029	060	089	120	150	181	211	242	273	303	334	364
30	030		090	121	151	182	212	243	274	304	335	365
31	031		091		152		213	244		305		366