FAQ: Using 3rd Party Apps With MicroBase Pro

MicroBase Pro Database Files

To determine the location of your MicroBase Pro Data Folder, click here. Once you have located your MicroBase Pro data folder, look for a subfolder called mbase. This folder contains your MicroBase Pro Database Files.

Your MicroBase Pro Database Folder contains three types of files. They are:

• DBF - dBase 3/4 style database files
• DBT - dBase 3/4 memo files.
• MDX - dBase 3/4 index Files

For the purpose of this FAQ, we are only interested in DBF files.

Header Data

Every data item contained in the MicroBase Pro Database contains a single entry in the header database files. The MicroBase Pro header database files are:

• header.dbf
• header.dbt

Header files contain information about the data item such as collection Date and Time, Aircraft ID (tail number), Aircraft Model, Component Name, Component Model, etc. The following fields are often used to identify which data record the user desires to analyze:

• DATE
• TIME
• AC_DESC1 (Aircraft ID/Tail Number)
• CP_DESC1 (Component Name)
• GROUP
• TASK
• ANLMODE (Analysis Mode)
• SAVEKEY (Unique Record Identifier)

Once the particular header record of interest has been located, extract the SAVEKEY value contained in the header record of interest. The SAVEKEY value is a unique number that associates all database records which relate to one another.

Balance History data is contained in the following database file:

• histrecs.dbf

The histrecs.dbf file contains one record for each run associated with a given balance history. Useful fields in this database file are:

• DATE
• TIME
• RPM
• NEWPK
• NEWPH
• TRIAL
• REMOVE
• SPLIT
• SENS
• TACH
• SAVEKEY

To read MicroBase Pro balance history data:

• Obtain the desired item's SAVEKEY value
• Read all active records in the histrecs.dbf file which contain the desired SAVEKEY value.

Waveform data is contained in the following database files:

• saverecs.dbf
• waverecs.dbf

MicroBase Pro Waveform array values are linearly packed into an array of one character per value. To unpack the waveform data array:

• Obtain the desired item's SAVEKEY value
• Locate the active record in the saverecs.dbf file which contains the desired SAVEKEY value. Read the following data items:
  • DATUNTS = Units Domain (1=Acc, 2=Vel, 3=Disp)
  • UTYPE = Units Type (0=RMS, 1=PEAK, 2=PTP, 3=AVG, 4=DB)
  • METRIC = SI Units
  • MINVAL = Minimum value in waveform array
  • MAXVAL = Maximum value in waveform array
  • COUNT = Number of items in waveform array
  • FMAX = Sample Rate
• Compute the following values:
  • linmin = MINVAL
  • lindif = MAXVAL-MINVAL
• Locate all active records in the waverecs.dbf file which contain the desired SAVEKEY value.
• For each character (ch) in the waveform data array, compute the waveform value:
  • Waveform (linear) value = (lindif * (ch / 254.0)) + linmin

Spectrum data is contained in the following database files:

• saverecs.dbf
• specrecs.dbf

MicroBase Pro spectrum array values are log packed into an array of one character per value. To unpack the spectrum data array:

• Obtain the desired item's SAVEKEY value
• Locate the active record in the saverecs.dbf file which contains the desired SAVEKEY value. Read the following data items:
  • DATUNTS = Units Domain (1=Acc, 2=Vel, 3=Disp)
  • UTYPE = Units Type (0=RMS, 1=PEAK, 2=PTP, 3=AVG, 4=DB)
  • METRIC = SI Units
  • MINVAL = Minimum value in spectrum array
  • MAXVAL = Maximum value in spectrum array
  • COUNT = Number of items in spectrum array
  • FMAX = Maximum analysis frequency (Hz)
• Compute the following values:
  • logmin = log10(MINVAL)
  • logdif = log10(MAXVAL) - logmin
• Locate all active records in the specrecs.dbf file which contain the desired SAVEKEY value.
• For each character (ch) in the spectrum data array, compute the spectrum value:
  • Spectrum value = pow(10,(logdif * (ch / 255.0)) + logmin)

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