April 2021
This file contains installation instructions and compatibility information for ASAM e.V. DataPlugin for MDF4 .
You can find more release information on ni.com.
Product Security and Critical Updates
Automating the Installation of NI Products
Unsupported Windows Operating Systems
The ASAM e.V. DataPlugin for MDF4 provides support for MDF4 files created from Bosch products, ETAS INCA, Vector CANape, and other Vector products. This DataPlugin supports files in the .mf4 file extension.
The Measure Data Format (MDF) Version 4 is well-established in the automotive industry for recording and exchanging, and for post-measurement analysis. MDF4 files are used by eg. INCA from ETAS, and by CANape and other products from Vector.
Note There is a second DataPlugin which supports MDF files up to version 3.2.
Note MDF4 files can contain bus log information. For more information, please refer to DIAdem Bus Log Converter.
| TDM Property | MDF3 File | MDF4 File | DataType | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Root.description | HDBlock.Comment | HDBlock.hd_md_comment | String | |
| Root.author | HDBlock.Author | -- | String | only MDF3 |
| Root.datetime | HDBlock.Date + Time | HDBlock.hd_start_time | Time | |
| Root.hd_start_time | HDBlock.Date + Time | HDBlock.hd_start_time | Time | For writing, this will overwrite Root.datetime. |
| Root.Program | HDBlock.Program | -- | String | only MDF3 |
| Root.Subject | HDBlock.Subject | -- | String | only MDF3 |
| Root.Project | HDBlock.Project | -- | String | only MDF3 |
| Root.Division | HDBlock.Department | -- | String | only MDF3 |
| Root.Version | IDBlock.Version | -- | String | only MDF3 |
| Root.SortStatus | Whether all CGBlocks are sorted or not | Whether all CGBlocks are sorted or not | String | Value: "sorted" or "unsorted". |
| Group.Name | “Group_” + index | CGBlock.cg_tx_acq_name or “Group”+index+”_”+CGBlock.cg_tx_acq_name | String | CGBlock doesn’t have name.only MDF4 with switch UniqueGroupName=true |
| Group.Description | CGBlock.Comment | CGBlock.cg_md_comment | String | |
| Group.sortedgroup | CGBlock.sorted or not | CGBlock.sorted or not | String | Value: "sorted" or "unsorted". |
| Group.si_tx_name | -- | Group.si_tx_name | String | acquisition source name |
| Group.si_tx_path | -- | Group.si_tx_path | String | acquisition source path |
| Group.si_md_comment | -- | Group.si_md_comment | String | acquisition source comment |
| Channel.Name | CNBlock.LongName | CNBlock.cn_tx_name | String | MDF-DP: Depending on DP switch; CNBlock.ShortName as channel nameGet the substring before "\\" or "::". |
| Channel.Description | CNBlock.SignalDescription | CNBlock.cn_md_comment | String | |
| Channel.Unit | CCBlock.PhyUnit if exists | CNBlock.cn_md_unit orCCBlock.cc_md_unit if exists | String | |
| Channel.LongName | CNBlock.LongName | -- | String | only MDF3 |
| Channel.ShortName | CNBlock.ShortName | -- | String | only MDF3 |
| Channel.OriginalDescription | CNBlock.ShortName or LongName depending on uri switch. | -- | String | only MDF3 |
| Channel.Samples | CGBlock.NumRecords | -- | Int | only MDF3 |
| Channel.Frequency | 1.0/CNBlock.SampleRate + “ Hz” | -- | String | only MDF3 |
| Channel.cn_type | -- | CNBlock.cn_type | String | Value: "fixed length", "variable length", "master", "virtual master", "synchronization" |
| Channel.cn_sync_type | -- | CNBlock.cn_sync_type | String | Value: "None", "Time", "Angle", "Distance", "Index" |
| Channel.cn_flags_discrete | -- | CNBlock.cn_flags BIT6 | String | Discrete value flag, "true" or "false" |
| Channel.si_tx_name | -- | CNBlock.cn_si_source.si_tx_name | String | Channel source name |
| Channel.si_tx_path | -- | CNBlock.cn_si_source.si_tx_path | String | Channel source path |
| Channel.si_md_comment | -- | CNBlock.cn_si_source.si_md_comment | String | Channel source comment |
| Channel.NI_AssignmentDefinitions, Channel.NI_AssignmentDefaultValue | -- | Enum properties for enum channels only | String String | String with the assignment definition. |
Parameter to control DataPlugin functionality: <SwitchLabel>value</SwitchLabel>
Please have a look into the help system of your application to find the usage of "DataPlugin Parameter" for loading and saving bulk data.
Time values in MDF4 files and TDM root properties for the parameters adjusttime on read or write access:
Note Keywords are case sensitive.
| SwitchLabel | Value | Description | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| enumproperty | false | Enable assignment channels. (Default = true) Note This is the same default setting like MDF3. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| chunksize | <int> | Specify memory for a chunk in KB. (Default is determined automaticly by channel leght) Note Only used for reading. Only needed for small memory setup. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| uselongnames | false | Read MDF LongName as channel name and additional root properties. (Default = true) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| xmlpropertyextraction | off | Controls whether or not the "description" property contains extracted XML information. (Default = on) Note In case of "off" the fh blocks will be read as root properties. "fh_md_comment_x" , "x"(starting from 1) indicating the order of the fh blocks. The writing is not supported. (Ver.:5859) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| nativedatatype | true | Enable reading and writing native datatypes. (Default = false) Note This is the same default setting like MDF3.
Note eTimeDa and eStringDa are not supported in writing. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ignorecnflags | true | Ignore cn_flags when reading channel values. (Default = false) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UniqueGroupName | true | If the switch is turned on (true), the group name will be "Group_"+ index +"_"+ CGBlock.cg_tx_acq_name, to make it more similar to the MDF3 plugin. In case of non unique group names the group name is: CGBlock.cg_tx_acq_name. In case of writing a mdf4 file the "Group_"+index part will be revomoved before writing to the mf4 file. (Default = false) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| WriteCompressedData | true | If the switch is turned on (true), the plugin creates MDF4.1 files because DZBlock is supported in 4.1 only. The default is MDF4.0 file without compressed data. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| adjusttime | yes | no | If this parameter is set to true the hd_start_time value is not adjusted but loaded as is into DIAdem. (Default = yes) On write the datetime or hd_start_time property will also not be changed. Note All datetime properties stored in XML are stored in local time. There is no ajustment done. |
Comparison of time values in MDF4 files and TDM root properties for the parameters adjusttime:
| Read Table | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SwitchLabel | MDF4 File | TDM Root Property | |||||||
| adjusttime | hd_start_time | hd_time_flags | hd_tz_offset_min | hd_dst_offset_min | datetime | hd_start_time | hd_time_flags | hd_tz_offset_min | hd_dst_offset_min |
| yes | 2013-01-01T13:00:00.123 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2013-01-01T13:00:00.123 | 2013-01-01T13:00:00.123 | 0 | <not existing> | <not existing> |
| yes | 2013-01-01T13:00:00.123 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2013-01-01T13:00:00.123 | 2013-01-01T13:00:00.123 | 1 | <not existing> | <not existing> |
| yes | 2013-01-01T13:00:00.123 | 2 | 60 | 0 | 2013-01-01T14:00:00.123 | 2013-01-01T14:00:00.123 | 2 | 60 | 0 |
| yes | 2013-06-01T13:00:00.123 | 2 | 60 | 60 | 2013-06-01T15:00:00.123 | 2013-06-01T15:00:00.123 | 2 | 60 | 60 |
| no | 2013-01-01T13:00:00.123 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2013-01-01T13:00:00.123 | 2013-01-01T13:00:00.123 | 0 | <not existing> | <not existing> |
| no | 2013-01-01T13:00:00.123 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2013-01-01T13:00:00.123 | 2013-01-01T13:00:00.123 | 1 | <not existing> | <not existing> |
| no | 2013-01-01T13:00:00.123 | 2 | 60 | 0 | 2013-01-01T13:00:00.123 | 2013-01-01T13:00:00.123 | 2 | 60 | 0 |
| no | 2013-06-01T13:00:00.123 | 2 | 60 | 60 | 2013-06-01T13:00:00.123 | 2013-06-01T13:00:00.123 | 2 | 60 | 60 |
| Write Table | |||||||||
| SwitchLabel | TDM Root Property | MDF4 File | |||||||
| adjusttime | datetime | hd_start_time | hd_time_flags | hd_tz_offset_min | hd_dst_offset_min | hd_start_time | hd_time_flags | hd_tz_offset_min | hd_dst_offset_min |
| yes | 2012-01-01T13:00:00.123 | <not existing> | <not existing> | <not existing> | <not existing> | 2012-01-01T12:00:00.123 | 2 | 60 | 0 |
| yes | 2012-06-01T13:00:00.123 | <not existing> | <not existing> | <not existing> | <not existing> | 2012-06-01T11:00:00.123 | 2 | 60 | 60 |
| yes | 2013-01-01T13:00:00.123 | <not existing> | <not existing> | <not existing> | 2013-01-01T13:00:00.123 | 0 | -1 | -1 | |
| yes | 2013-01-01T13:00:00.123 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2013-01-01T13:00:00.123 | 0 | -1 | -1 | |
| yes | 2013-01-01T13:00:00.123 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2013-01-01T13:00:00.123 | 1 | -1 | -1 | |
| yes | 2013-01-01T13:00:00.123 | 2 | 60 | 0 | 2013-01-01T12:00:00.123 | 2 | 60 | 0 | |
| yes | 2013-06-01T13:00:00.123 | 2 | 60 | 60 | 2013-06-01T11:00:00.123 | 2 | 60 | 60 | |
| no | 2012-01-01T13:00:00.123 | <not existing> | <not existing> | <not existing> | <not existing> | 2012-01-01T13:00:00.123 | 0 | -1 | -1 |
| no | 2012-06-01T13:00:00.123 | <not existing> | <not existing> | <not existing> | <not existing> | 2012-06-01T13:00:00.123 | 0 | -1 | -1 |
| no | 2013-01-01T13:00:00.123 | <not existing> | <not existing> | <not existing> | 2013-01-01T13:00:00.123 | 0 | -1 | -1 | |
| no | 2013-01-01T13:00:00.123 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2013-01-01T13:00:00.123 | 0 | -1 | -1 | |
| no | 2013-01-01T13:00:00.123 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2013-01-01T13:00:00.123 | 1 | -1 | -1 | |
| no | 2013-01-01T13:00:00.123 | 2 | 60 | 0 | 2013-01-01T13:00:00.123 | 2 | 60 | 0 | |
| no | 2013-06-01T13:00:00.123 | 2 | 60 | 60 | 2013-06-01T13:00:00.123 | 2 | 60 | 60 | |
ASAM e.V. DataPlugin for MDF4 supports the application software that support DataPlugins, for example DIAdem, SystemLink and LabVIEW.
Download the ASAM e.V. DataPlugin for MDF4 installer from ni.com/dataplugins. NI software includes NI Package Manager to handle the installation. Refer to the NI Package Manager Manual for more information about installing, removing, and upgrading NI software using NI Package Manager.
Visit ni.com/security to view and subscribe to receive security notifications about NI products. Visit ni.com/critical-updates for information about critical updates from NI.
You can automate the installation of most NI products using command-line arguments to suppress some or all of the installer user interface and dialog boxes.
If the NI product you are installing uses Microsoft .NET 4.6.2, the .NET installer may run before any NI software installs and may require a reboot before the installation of NI software begins. To avoid a .NET reboot, install .NET 4.6.2 separately before you install NI software.
For more information about automating the installation of NI products, refer to Automating an Installer in the NI Package Manager manual.
ASAM e.V. DataPlugin for MDF4 no longer supports Windows Vista/XP/7/8.x, Windows Server 2003/2008/2012, or any 32-bit Windows operating system. Versions of this product that ship after May 1, 2021, may not install or execute correctly on these operating systems. For detailed information about NI operating system support, visit http://www.ni.com/r/win32bitsupport.
Copyright
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End-User License Agreements and Third-Party Legal Notices
You can find end-user license agreements (EULAs) and third-party legal notices in the following locations after installation:
U.S. Government Restricted Rights
If you are an agency, department, or other entity of the United States Government ("Government"), the use, duplication, reproduction, release, modification, disclosure or transfer of the technical data included in this manual is governed by the Restricted Rights provisions under Federal Acquisition Regulation 52.227-14 for civilian agencies and Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement Section 252.227-7014 and 252.227-7015 for military agencies.
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Patents
For patents covering the NI products/technology, refer to the appropriate location: Help»Patents in your software, the patents.txt file on your media, or the NI Patent Notice at ni.com/patents.
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