Data Formats

This document refers to L0 MBES survey data package which contains unprocessed, full resolution MBES data, and Navigation & Attitude and Ancillary data. These data are preferred in native formats of respective sensor systems or in agreed formats (e.g., the Generic Sensor Format (GSF) or the Extended Triton Format (XTF)).

Level	Definition	Examples
		MBES	Navigation & attitude	Ancillary files
				SVP	Tide
L0	Unprocessed instrument data Unprocessed/raw instrument data at full resolution as received from the sensor. Includes MBES and ancillary files as well as all artefacts.	Observed by sensor	Observed by sensor POSMV	Observed by sensor	Observed by sensor, proprietary formats

Specific formats

Level

Preferred formats

Specifications

Bathymetry

Backscatter

Navigation

Ancillary data

L0

Priority 1

.all, .s7k, .kmall, .xse, .mbXX equivalent mb-system formats

Priority 2

.gsf

Priority 3

.xtf

Priority 1

.all, .s7k, .kmall, .xse, .mbXX equivalent mb-system formats

Priority 2

.gsf

Priority 3

.xtf

Priority 1

Any proprietary formats that contain navigation and attitude (*.000) since no open formats exist yet.

Priority 1

ASCII (txt, csv)

Priority 2

Proprietary

Bathymetry and backscatter should contain all necessary datagrams required for processing, including raw backscatter per beam (and time series), and all required ancillary data. Water column data is recommended and if possible should be stored in a separate file.
Navigation and Ancillaries should contain date and time (calendar or UTC, specify otherwise) and geodetic reference system (geographic WGS84 or GDA2020 with an ellipsoidal height datum).

All preferred formats listed below require essential datagrams/data packets for a complete bathymetry and backscatter processing. Depending on the systems, these datagrams/data packets are called and stored differently. Details of required datagrams/data packets are provided below.

Formats	Required Datagrams/Data packets
.all, .kmall, *.mbxx (equivalent MB-System for Kongsberg system)	Installation datagram Runtime datagram Depth datagram Raw range and beam angle datagram Attitude datagram	Position datagram Network attitude velocity datagram Surface sound speed datagram Sound speed profile datagram Seabed Image datagram
.s7k, .mbxx (equivalent MB-System for Reson system)	Position Roll Pitch Heave Heading Navigation Attitude 7k Sonar Settings 7k Configuration 7k Match Filter 7k Beam Geometry	7k Bathymetric Data 7k Calibration Data 7k Side Scan Data 7k Image Data 7k Center Version 7k Snippet Data 7k File Header 7P Sensor Settings
*.xse and others	All essential datagrams/data packets required for a complete bathymetry and backscatter processing requirement
.gsf (2^nd priority) or .xtf (3^rd priority)	Even though they are called and stored differently in their respective format (i.e .gsf or .xtf), they must inherit complete datagrams/data packets of their respective parent formats
All supported Navigation & Attitude formats	Navigation Gyro Pitch Roll Ellipsoid Height Delayed Heave	RMS Navigation RMS Gyro RMS Pitch RMS Roll RMS Ellipsoid Height RMS Delayed Heave RMS Heave
Ancillary (SVP and Tide) in ASCII	SVP Depth, Sound Velocity as comma delimited text files	Tide Date Time, Height as comma delimited text files
SVP Position Data	It is a comma delimited text file containing filename of each SVP measurement, longitude, latitude, date and time
Tide Position Data	It is comma delimited text file containing filename of each tide time series, longitude, latitude

Raw MBES data formats in their proprietary format are strongly recommended unless this cannot be achieved for legitimate reasons. The preferred raw data formats include *.all, *.kmall, *.s7k, *.xse, *.mbxx (equivalent MB-System format). The second preferred raw data format for any systems which do not have their own proprietary format is *.gsf. The third preferred data format is *.xtf (only if other formats are not able to be provided).

Similarly raw Navigation & Attitude data formats in their proprietary formats that most processing software support are strongly recommended e.g. Applanix POSMV, Kongsberg PFreeHeave, Fugro Stratfix and TerraPos.

All ancillary data (SVP and Tide) should be submitted in either ASCII text format or a recognised readable format such as Excel (.xlsx) format or ASCII (.CSV) format converted from the proprietary sensor formats using the software of the corresponding sensor. Where raw data comes from an instrument in a proprietary binary format it must be converted to a readable ASCII format prior to submission.

Submission of all ancillary data is valid only if it is accompanied with separate text files detailing temporal and/or spatial info. For instance, collection of SVP data must be accompanied with a separate text file recording position (latitude and longitude), date and time of each SVP measurement; and collection of Tide data (either observed or predicted) must also be accompanied with a separate text file recording only position of each tide time series. Same principles apply to CTD and XBT-generated SVP.

All preferred formats listed below require essential datagrams/data packets for a complete bathymetry and backscatter processing. Depending on the systems, these datagrams/data packets are called and stored differently. Details of required datagrams/data packets are provided below.

Useful information on horizontal and vertical control, and establishment of tide generation can be found in AHO's Hydroscheme Industry Partnership Program Statement of Requirements (https://www.hydro.gov.au/NHP/HIPP_SOR_2021.1.pdf).