Contact
MDF (Measurement Data Format) is a binary file format for measurement data which was developed in 1991 by Vector together with Robert Bosch GmbH. In the meantime, the MDF format is the standard for measurement data in the automotive industry. Many Vector tools store the recorded data in MDF as standard. Many other providers support MDF or store their measurement data as an MDF file.
Availability
Vector supports this trend by making the format available (MDF specifications version 3.2). You will also receive an MDF Validator, a freeware tool which can be used to visualize the structure of an MDF file and check conformity with specifications.
The scope of delivery for CANape, CANgraph and CANdito contains MDFLib, a free library for accessing MDF files.
Your benefits
- High performance with writing and reading measurement data
- Compatibility with earlier MDF versions
- Ready for the future due to the specifications’ availability
- Highly distributed in many market-available tools
A significant factor which has contributed to the success of MDF is the opportunity of storing measurement data very efficiently, i.e. saving storage space and doing so quickly. Also, read access to file data has been optimized. To do this, the file must be converted (“sorted”) once, such as when first opening it, which indexes the file, making data access very fast.
Details
MDF contains both raw measurement data occurring during a measurement, as well as the metadata necessary to interpret raw data. Included here is information for converting raw data into physical values or an ASAM-conforming signal name. The data fields available in MDF are especially oriented to the demands of the automobile industry. Your own commentary and even binary data can also be stored thanks to open data fields in the MDF file. Details concerning this can be found in the specifications.
The expansion of the MDF specifications always focuses on compatibility. This allows older MDF files to continue to be evaluated using current tools. This and the durability of the format have contributed to the MDF format’s wide distribution.