High Rate ISFF data for FLOSSII

Introduction

The full FLOSSII dataset is archived in binary files, which contain the raw, uncalibrated sensor output. The FLOSSII high-rate archive files are available by FTP, on USB hard disk, or from the NCAR MassStore.

A Java application, which calibrates this sensor output into ASCII or NetCDF form, is available for download. Using this application you can write variables for time periods of interest into text or NetCDF files for further processing using any analysis software you choose.

Therefore, in order to generate high rate ISFF data, you must do the following. Further information on these steps is contained in the table of contents, to the left.

  1. Install Java on your system. It must be at least version 1.3. You can install either the JRE (Java Runtime Environment) or the Java Developers Kit, which is variously known as the JDK, the SDK or the J2SE.
  2. Download and install the ISFF java application.
  3. Get your hands on the appropriate binary archive files, by FTP, USB disk, or direct transfer from the NCAR mass store.
  4. Run the ISFF java application.

Archive DataSet Structure and Size

The binary data files were all archived in directory called "all". The java application expects to find the files in a directory with that name, so when copying or downloading the files to your system, put them in a directory called all.

Each file contains up to 8 hours of data, so there will usually be 3 files per day. The filename contains the start time (in GMT) of the data in the file.

FLOSSII Raw Data Files
locationfile name formatMbyteMbyte/day
Lower towercosYYMMDD.HHMMSS97290
Upper towerdaiYYMMDD.HHMMSS128385
Sagebrush sites2_YYMMDD.HHMMSS1133
Lake sites3_YYMMDD.HHMMSS1133
Total740
Project Total = 99 Gbyte

FTP Access

You may request via the web that binary archive files be placed on the ATD FTP server for you to download. Selecting Request Files (below) will provide a form for selecting one or more datasets and a time period. Files matching your request will be copied, if necessary, from the NCAR Mass Store System to the ATD FTP directory. When the files are available for FTP you are provided with links to the files and an email message listing the files.

USB Hard Disk

The high rate data is also available on an USB Hard Disk, which can be shipped to investigators.

Direct Mass Store Access

If you have direct access to the NCAR MassStore, the binary files are archived under /ATD/DATA/2002/FLOSSII/isff/raw_data/all. Use the msrcp command from a UNIX system to copy files from the mass store.

For example, to copy all files for December 26th to your hard disk:

cd /some_data_directory
mkdir all
cd all
msrcp 'mss:/ATD/DATA/2002/FLOSSII/isff/raw_data/all/*021226*' .
You must use quotes around the name of the mass store file mask, and note the trailing period (after a space). Also note the files were placed in an all directory. In this case you would set RAWDATADIR to /some_data_directory (see section on Running Java App). [an error occurred while processing this directive]
This page was prepared by Gordon Maclean, NCAR Research Technology Facility