Proposal for NetCDF (re)implementation for use with Planar Velocimetry Data

Kurzfassung

In order to efficiently share PIV data between research groups in Europe it was decided at a very early stage (1994) to use a self-describing, platform-independent data format. The netCDF software library was chosen to implement this data format. This library was originally developed at the UNIDATA Program Center (UCAR, http://www.unidata.ucar.edu ) in Boulder, Colorado, to suit exactly these types of data exchange requirements. Its source code and associated utilities is freely available. Since the first PIV-specific netCDF implementation the PIV technique has undergone significant changes that make it necessary to revise the original format. The open structure of the netCDF format makes it possible to retain older variable names and data structures (for backward compatibility) while adding new ones. In principle it would be possible to generate data files that suit both the original as well as the proposed implementation. Feedback collected from up-coming PIV-related workshops as well as experiences gained by current users guarantees the success of this (re)implementation. Once the revised implementation is accepted, both a C/C++ interface and ASCII-to-netCDF conversion tools can be provided on a suited internet-based server (e.g. http://pivnet.dlr.de/ ).