File Format

Experiments are stored in up to three files. Description of experiment is stored in text *.exp file. The recorded data are stored in binary *.d01 file. When an experiment contains large parameter arrays (more than 1000 elements), those arrays are stored in an optional binary sidecar *.bip file instead of inline in the *.exp file.

Structure of *.d01 file

Name	Type	Description
Data amount	unsigned 32	Number of recorded variables stored.
Data format	unsigned 32	0 - data stored in double format, 1 - data stored in float format.

The following two sections are repeated a number of times equal to the Data amount value.

Name	Type	Description
Data dimension	int 32	The number of dimensions of stored data.
Array of dimensions	(int 32)*4	The sizes of dimensions.
Overall data size	int 32	The size of data stored. Equal to the product of all dimension sizes.
Data	(Overall data size) * sizeof(double or float)	Data stored in c-style 1D array: [(0,0,0,0), (1,0,0,0), …, (n,0,0,0), (0,1,0,0), …, (n,m,k,l)]. Fastest index corresponds to transient axes, slowest to Z-axes.

Structure of *.exp file

The exp file is written in Windows ini-file style. Section names are enclosed in square brackets []. Fields have field_name = field_value format. The order in which fields appear within one section is insignificant. Some sections contain plain text. Required sections are marked in red. Section and field names with_underline stand for arbitrary names. Field names in bold are reserved words.

Section	Field	Value	Description
[general]	name	string	The name of the experiment.
[text]	-	plain multiline text	Any text (sample description).
[sweep]	-	-	Experimental axis definition.
transient	string	Transient axis. Format: `T/I, trace_length, rep_number, first_stream_name[, second_stream_name[, …]]`. T = transient trace stored; I = trace integrated, only integral stored. Example: `transient = I,200,30,a,b` — 200-point transient, integrated, 30 shots per loop, streams a and b. For single-point devices trace length is 1. Streams must be defined in the [aquisition] section.
sweep0/1/…	string	Scan axes. Format: `X/Y/Z/S/P, trace_length, rep_number, par_name[, …]`. Example: `sweep0 = X,128,1,T1`. The definition order sets the axis presentation order. Data are stored as a 1D c-style array, fastest to slowest: I/T, X, Y, Z. S(um) and P(arameters) axes do not increase stored data amount. Parameters must be described in the [params] section.
[presetup]	var_name	string	Actions before the experiment. Format: `value; property@device`. Example: `Delay = 10 ms;Delay@ADC`.
[aftersetup]	var_name	string	Actions after the experiment. Format: `value; property@device`. Example: `Delay = 10 ms;Delay@ADC`.
[eachpoint]	var_name	string	Actions executed at each point. Format: `value; property@device`. Example: `Delay = 10 ms;Delay@ADC`.
[params]	-	-	Parameters of the experiment.
par_name	string	Format: `value; property@device`. Value forms: (i) comma-separated list; (ii) `first_value step increment`; (iii) `first_value to last_value`; (iv) @bip — large array stored in the *.bip sidecar file (see below). Examples: `T1 = 40 ns step 20 ns;PPL variable` or `RF = 40 MHz to 60 MHz;Freq@Gen1`.
[aquisition]	-	-	Acquisition streams.
stream_name	string	Format: `property@device`. Example: `a = In_Ch0@PulseGen`.
[program]	-	plain multiline text	Pulse program.
[streams]	-	-	Supporting information about data streams.
names	comma-separated list	Names of data streams (may differ from acquisition stream names). Example: `names = Re, Im`.
units	comma-separated list	Units of data streams. Example: `units = V, V`.
dwelltime	comma-separated list	Dwell time of transient data streams. Example: `dwelltime = 10 ns, 10 ns`.
[device_name]	any_field	device dependent	Any information a device chooses to store in the exp file.

Structure of *.bip file

The *.bip file is a binary sidecar that stores experiment parameter arrays too large to be written compactly in the *.exp file (threshold: 1000 elements). Its name matches the *.exp file with the extension replaced by .bip. In the *.exp file the corresponding parameter value is stored as the literal string @bip to signal that the actual data must be read from the sidecar.

File header:

Field	Type	Description
Magic	char[4]	Always BIP1 (ASCII, no null terminator). Any other value indicates a corrupt or incompatible file.
Count	uint32	Number of parameter entries stored in this file.

The following record is repeated Count times, once per parameter:

Field	Type	Description
name_len	uint32	Byte length of the parameter name string.
name	char[name_len]	Parameter name (no null terminator). Matches the name used in the *.exp [params] section.
unit_len	uint32	Byte length of the unit string.
unit	char[unit_len]	Unit string (no null terminator), e.g. ns, MHz.
sig_digit	uint32	Number of significant digits used when displaying this parameter.
data_type	uint32	Element format: 0 = double (8 bytes), 1 = float (4 bytes). Current writer always produces 1 (float).
elem_count	uint32	Number of elements in the array.
data	float[elem_count] or double[elem_count]	Raw array values in native binary format, elem_count × sizeof(float or double) bytes. All values are in the parameter's native unit.