Table of Contents
Info file
Idea: Info file (similar to the “Liesmich” [German for “readme”] files in use in Freiburg for other types of experiments) containing important additional information to a measurement.
Aim: Import in the TA toolbox. The informations get added to the current dataset.
Longterm goal: Import into a laboratory information system.
<note important>Currently (2012-10-22) the following specification of a file format is still very much in development. Therefore, all informations can change at any time without prior notice.
Note: The German version of this document might be more recent.</note>
Recent changes
- 2012-10-22: v0.2e
- New Field “Experiment” in block “GENERAL”
- New Field “Purpose” in block “GENERAL”
- New Field “Buffer” in block “SAMPLE”
- 2012-03-31: v0.2d
- New Field “Shot repetition rate” in block “GENERAL”
- Field contents can span over multiple lines1)
- 2012-01-23: v0.2c
- Field “Aperture” in block “SPECTROGRAPH” divided into “Aperture front” and “Aperture back”
- 2012-01-21: v0.2b
- New field “Aperture” in block “SPECTROGRAPH”
- 2012-01-18: v0.2a
- New field “Software” in block “GENERAL”
- New field “Runs” in block “TIME PROFILES”
Criteria for the file format
- Machine readable and human readable
- Pure text (ASCII)
- Uniquely identifiably
- Identifier string in the first or second line of the file
General description of the file format
For those who like to see something, rather than reading (dull and) lengthly description: an example can be found further below.
Following a general description of the file format.
- Format
- The file format is ASCII (7-bit)
- Restriction to 7 bit ASCII character table guarantees interoperability between different operating systems.
- Therefore: No umlauts or other special characters.
- File name and extension
- The file extension is “.info”.
- The filename is identical with the file basename of the corresponding data file.2)
- The first line of the file consists of an identifier string.
- Makes it possible to uniquely identify the file format during parsing.
- Separated by an empty line from the remaining file.
- Should contain a version number (of the format).
- Field names
- Values
- Values always follow a field name
- Within a block, all values get intended that way that they are left-aligned. Therefore, the longest field name defines the indentation.
- Values may contain special characters5) and colons.
- NEW Values may span several lines. In this case, each new line needs to start with a whitespace character (such as space or tab).
- Use of colons
- Colons are used to separate field names and values
- At all other places (e.g., after a block heading) no colon is allowed. Only exception are values.
- Colons are used internally during parsing to separate field names and values (in Matlab:
regexp
with optionsplit
).
- The info file is divided into several blocks.
- Blocks are introduced by block names in capital letters.
- All field names and descriptions within the file should be in English to guarantee international usability.
- Blocks and fields may be optional, as long as there are certain fields (acting as “switches”) that can be used while parsing to determine whether these blocks/fields exist in the file.
- Is no value available for a field, but removing the field seems not reasonable6), the value is “N/A”.
- About the blocks:
- Each block starts with a heading (block name) in capital letters.
- Each block gets separated from the previous part of the file by an empty line.
- Blocks contain key-value pairs consisting of a field name, followed by its respective value.
Description of each block
In the following, each block of the info file is described. An example of such an info file will follow below.
Besides the identifier string, currently there are the following blocks:
- GENERAL
- SAMPLE
- TRANSIENT
- SPECTROGRAPH
- DETECTION
- RECORDER
- PUMP
- PROBE
- TEMPERATURE
- MFE
- TIME PROFILES
- COMMENT
GENERAL
The block “GENERAL” contains a bit of general information regarding the measurement.
The fields in detail:
Fieldname | Description |
---|---|
Filename | Name of the data file |
Date | Date |
Time start | Time the measurement was started |
Time end | Time the measurement was finished |
Operator | Operator's Name |
Label | Short, comprehensive, unique (if possible) description/label of the measurement Used for listing in, e.g., MATLAB® |
Experiment | Type of experiment |
Purpose | Reason for performing the experiment |
Spectrometer | Short, unique (if possible) description/label of the spectrometer used |
Software | Name of the software/program used for the measurement including its version number (or date) |
Runs | Number of runs |
Shot repetition rate | Shot repetition rate of the experiment |
Comments
- Filename
- If there is one file per time trace (Ox), the file basename; the actual name for each file will be contained in a separate block in this case.
- Spectrometer
- For Freiburg: “LP920-K”; for Oxford: “lab-built” (or something more reasonable)
- This value is a “switch” that defines how the info file gets parsed and processed and which (optional) blocks and fields will be looked for.
SAMPLE
The block “SAMPLE” contains the most important informations regarding the sample.
The fields in detail:
Fieldname | Description |
---|---|
Name | unique (if possible) and short name of the sample |
Description | Details of the sample |
Buffer | Details of the buffer used |
Preparation | Details of the preparation |
Cuvette | Cuvette used Possibly the exact type and manufacturer |
TRANSIENT
The fields in detail:
Fieldname | Description |
---|---|
Points | Number of points of a time trace |
Trigger position | Position of the Trigger pulse (index) |
Length | Length of the time trace |
SPECTROGRAPH
The fields in detail:
Fieldname | Description |
---|---|
Type | Type of spectrograph used |
Model | Model name of spectrograph used |
Aperture front | Aperture at the front of the spectrograph |
Aperture back | Aperture at the back of the spectrograph |
DETECTION
The fields in detail:
Fieldname | Description |
---|---|
Type | Type of detector (PMT, CCD) |
Model | Model name of detector |
Power supply | Power supply of detector |
RECORDER
The block “RECORDER” contains all parameters of the transient recorder (ideally directly retrieved from the device).
The fields in detail:
Fieldname | Description |
---|---|
Averages | Number of averages per time trace (“shots per point”) |
Sensitivity | Sensitivity of input |
Bandwidth | Bandwidth |
Time base | Time base |
Coupling | Coupling mode |
Impedance | Impedance |
Model | Model name of transient recorder used |
PUMP
The fields in detail:
Fieldname | Description |
---|---|
Type | Type of light source used for pumping (laser, …) |
Model | Model name of pump light source |
Wavelength | Wavelength of pump light source |
Power | Power of pump light beam |
Repetition rate | Repetition rate of pump light beam |
Tunable type | Type of tunable light source used (OPO or dye laser) |
Tunable model | Model name of tunable light source used |
Tunable dye | In case of dye laser: Name of the laser dye |
PROBE
The fields in detail:
Fieldname | Description |
---|---|
Type | Type of proble light source |
Model | Model name of proble light source |
Wavelength start | Start value of wavelength axis |
Wavelength stop | End value of wavelength axis |
Wavelength step | Step width of wavelength axis |
Wavelength sequence | Direction of measurement (up/down/stochastic) or comma-separated list of wavelength regions measured |
Power | Power of probe light beam |
Filter | Filter(s) used (comma separated list) |
Background | Background correction used (none/lamp/fluorescence) |
Comments
- Wavelength start/stop
- These are the respective start and stop values of the wavelength axie.
- In case of “down” measurement the start value is the larger value.
- MATLAB® should account for the direction and convert the data if necessary.
TEMPERATURE
The fields in detail:
Fieldname | Description |
---|---|
Temperature | Temperature with unit |
Controller | Temperature controller used |
Cryostat | Cryostat used |
Cryogen | Cryogen used (H2O, LN2, LHe) |
MFE
The fields in detail:
Fieldname | Description |
---|---|
Field | Magnetic field with unit |
Coil type | Type of coils used |
Coil model | Model name of coils used |
Power supply | Power supply used |
Gaussmeter | verwendetes Gaussmeter |
TIME PROFILES
This block is only of interest if - as in Oxford - all time traces are separately (and manually) recorded and saved in separate files. As during a measurement details - such as filters in the probe beam - may change, there are a number of fields with information specific for each time trace.
The fields in detail, each for a single time trace:
Fieldname | Description |
---|---|
Filename | Filename |
Wavelength | Wavelength measured at |
Averages | Number of averages per time profile |
Runs | Number of independent measurements per time profile |
Filter | Filter(s) used comma separated list |
Comments
- Wavelength
- This is the actual wavelength measured at, even if the filename seems to suggest something different.7)
- Filter
- More than one filter may be used at the same time.
- In case of more than one filter, a comma separated list of filter descriptions.
- Filters get described by a common scheme::
XX###
XX
stands for the filter type: LP - long pass; SP - short pass; BP - band pass###
stands for the filter's characteristic/nominal wavelength- In case of BP, the scheme is:
BP###-###
(with start and end wavelength of the band)
COMMENT
As long as the comment block is the last block of a file, everything can be added here that seems useful and sensible.
Example
Following an example of an info file for a TA measurement with the full set of (possible) fields and blocks. Depending on where the file gets used, some of these fields/blocks may not be present.
TA Info file - v. 0.2d (2012-03-31) GENERAL Filename: Date: Time start: Time end: Operator: Label: Spectrometer: Software: Runs: Shot repetition rate: SAMPLE Name: Description: Preparation: Cuvette: TRANSIENT Points: Trigger position: Length: SPECTROGRAPH Type: Model: Aperture front: Aperture back: DETECTION Type: Model: Power supply: Impedance: Time constant: RECORDER Model: Averages: Sensitivity: Bandwidth: Time base: Coupling: PUMP Type: Model: Wavelength: Power: Repetition rate: Tunable type: Tunable model: Tunable dye: PROBE Type: Model: Wavelength start: Wavelength stop: Wavelength step: Wavelength sequence: Power: Filter: Background: TEMPERATURE Temperature: Controller: Cryostat: Cryogen: MFE Field: Coil type: Coil model: Power supply: Gaussmeter: TIME PROFILES Scan 1 Filename: Wavelength: Averages: Runs: Filter: Scan 2 Filename: Wavelength: Averages: Runs: Filter: COMMENT
Example file for Freiburg
- ta-freiburg.info
TA Info file - v. 0.2d (2012-03-31) GENERAL Filename: test Date: 20xx-xx-xx Time start: 00:00:00 Time end: 00:00:00 Operator: A. Kabelschacht Label: Testprobe Spectrometer: LP920-K Software: L900, Version 6.9.1 Runs: 1 Shot repetition rate: 0.0625 Hz SAMPLE Name: FAD Description: FAD in Puffer Preparation: Cuvette: TRANSIENT Points: 2000 Trigger position: 341 Length: 10 us SPECTROGRAPH Type: Czerny-Turner with Triple Grating Turret Model: standard Aperture front: Aperture back: DETECTION Type: PMT Model: standard Power supply: standard Impedance: 50 Ohm Time constant: RECORDER Model: Averages: 10 Sensitivity: Bandwidth: 1.0 Time base: 5 ns Coupling: PUMP Type: Laser Model: Wavelength: 460 nm Power: Repetition rate: 10 Hz Tunable type: OPO Tunable model: PROBE Type: Lamp Model: standard Wavelength start: 385 nm Wavelength stop: 655 nm Wavelength step: 10 nm Wavelength sequence: up Power: Filter: Background: lamp TEMPERATURE Temperature: 285 K Controller: Cryostat: none Cryogen: H2O COMMENT Und hier gibt's ein bisschen Freitextkommentar - aber bitte OHNE Umlaute und andere Sonderzeichen!
Example file for Oxford
- ta-oxford.info
TA Info file - v. 0.2d (2012-03-31) GENERAL Filename: test Date: 20xx-xx-xx Time start: 00:00:00 Time end: 00:00:00 Operator: A. Kabelschacht Label: Test sample Spectrometer: Oxford CRY Lab Software: Slow20111104 Runs: 1 Shot repetition rate: 1/20 Hz SAMPLE Name: FAD Description: FAD in buffer Preparation: Cuvette: Hellma QS 10.00 TRANSIENT Points: 25000 Trigger position: 2500 Length: 50 us SPECTROGRAPH Type: Ebert-Fastie Model: Oriel 77250 Aperture front: Aperture back: DETECTION Type: PMT Model: Hamamatsu R928 Power supply: Brandenburg 476R Impedance: 500 Ohm Time constant: 50 ns RECORDER Model: Iwatsu-LeCroy LT342L 500 MHz Averages: 1 Sensitivity: 5.0 mV Bandwidth: 500 MHz Time base: 5.0 us Coupling: DC PUMP Type: Laser Model: Continuum Surelite-1 Wavelength: 450 nm Power: 3 mJ Repetition rate: 1 Hz Tunable type: Dye Tunable model: Sirah Cobra Tunable dye: Coumarin-450 PROBE Type: Lamp Model: Oriel 66021 Wavelength start: 370 nm Wavelength stop: 650 nm Wavelength step: 10 nm Wavelength sequence: 530-650,530-370 Power: Filter: LP390,LP500 Background: TEMPERATURE Temperature: Controller: Oxford ITC-503S Cryostat: Oxford Instruments Cryogen: LN2 MFE Field: 22 mT Coil type: Helmholtz Coil model: Power supply: Gaussmeter: TIME PROFILES Scan 1 Filename: Wavelength: Averages: Runs: Filter: Scan 2 Filename: Wavelength: Averages: Runs: Filter: COMMENT