decode-easyae-dta

Read hits and time-driven data directly from MISTRAS EasyAE / AEwin64 .DTA files using Python 3.10 or newer and the standard library.

The EMPIRE acceptance corpus passes: 180 files, 1,056,916 decoded hits. All 20 columns agree with all 32 manual AEwin64 exports, covering 170,345 hits and 3,406,900 values, at the exports' printed precision.

Time-data extraction also passes: 180 files, 1,705,249 decoded rows. All eight columns match all 32 manual time exports, covering 277,656 rows and 2,221,248 values.

Install

python -m pip install decode-easyae-dta

From a checkout, including before the first PyPI release, use python -m pip install .. The package has no runtime dependencies. It provides the decode-easyae-dta command and the decode_easyae_dta import. Earlier mistras_dta imports and python mistras_dta.py ... commands remain compatible.

Read hits

from decode_easyae_dta import read_hits, iter_hits

hits = read_hits(r"C:\path\to\experiment.DTA")
print(len(hits), hits[0])

# Stream larger recordings; exhaust the iterator to validate the whole file.
for hit in iter_hits(r"C:\path\to\experiment.DTA"):
    amplitude = hit["AMP"]

Both read_hits() and read_time_data() return lists of dictionaries keyed by the exact AEwin64 CSV headings. For example, use hits[0]["AMP"] to get amplitude in dB or hits[0]["SSSSSSSS.mmmuuun"] to get seconds relative to the recording clock. For optional pandas use, call pd.DataFrame(read_hits(path)).

Each hit contains ID (message type 1), CH, the configured features and any recorded parametrics (PARA1 through PARA8). Rise time and duration are in microseconds, frequencies in kHz, and threshold, amplitude and ASL in dB. RMS and parametrics are in volts, signal strength is in pVs, and absolute energy is in aJ. COUN, PCNTS, and ENER retain instrument counts. Hits retain file order.

iter_hits() and iter_time_data() yield dictionaries one at a time with the same AEwin64 headings.

Extract CSV

decode-easyae-dta 'C:\path\to\experiment.DTA' --output results/experiment_hits.csv

# Extract the time data instead:
decode-easyae-dta 'C:\path\to\experiment.DTA' --kind time --output results/experiment_time.csv

The command validates the input before creating the CSV, preserves numeric precision, and requires a new output filename. CSV headings and column order match the AEwin64 exports, including PARA1, SIG STRNGTH, and R-FRQ.

Each CSV starts with four metadata rows and a blank line:

Source File,C:\path\to\experiment.DTA
Product,EasyAE (r) Location Version
Version,V1.00
Test Start,Mon Oct 26 11:33:41 2026

ID,SSSSSSSS.mmmuuun,PARA1,CH,...

The product/version come from binary message ID 41; the test-start text comes from ID 99. The source path is the current input file's absolute path. The stored test time has no timezone, and missing metadata is shown as Not recorded. Use --no-metadata for a CSV beginning directly with the data column headings. For pandas, read the default CSV using pd.read_csv(path, skiprows=5).

Metadata is also available separately in Python:

from decode_easyae_dta import read_metadata

metadata = read_metadata(r"C:\path\to\experiment.DTA")
print(metadata.source_file, metadata.test_start)

Read time data

from decode_easyae_dta import read_time_data, iter_time_data, write_time_csv, read_metadata

path = r"C:\path\to\experiment.DTA"
rows = read_time_data(path)
print(len(rows), rows[0])

with open("experiment_time.csv", "x", encoding="utf-8", newline="") as stream:
    write_time_csv(rows, stream, metadata=read_metadata(path))

The time CSV uses ID,SSSSSSSS.mmmuuun,PARA1,CH,RMS,THR,ABS-ENERGY,ASL for this corpus. AEwin64's text exports place the channel values in a separate bracketed block below each timestamp. The CSV flattens that block into one row per timestamp and channel, repeating timestamp and parametric values across channels. The corpus uses one channel. Numeric values retain full decoded precision; timestamps use the recording clock, as in the hit CSV.

read_time_data() uses the same keys as the CSV. Parametric-only rows have no CH key. ID is 2 for time-driven records and 3 for forced samples. write_time_csv() and write_hits_csv() accept rows from either the list-based readers or the streaming iterators.

Validate

python -m unittest -v
$env:EMPIRE_AE_DATA = 'C:\path\to\EMPIRE_acoustic_tests'
python validate_mistras_dta.py "$env:EMPIRE_AE_DATA" --output results/empire_hit_validation.json
python validate_mistras_dta.py "$env:EMPIRE_AE_DATA" --kind time --output results/empire_time_validation.json

# Or compare a single pair:
python validate_mistras_dta.py 'C:\path\to\experiment.DTA' --export 'C:\path\to\experiment_hits.TXT'
python validate_mistras_dta.py 'C:\path\to\experiment.DTA' --kind time --export 'C:\path\to\experiment_time.TXT'

The corpus command visits numbered EMPIRE_acoustic_<number> folders, excluding misc. It reads every DTA, compares every column in every corresponding <DTA stem>_hits.txt export (or _time.txt with --kind time), and writes a report outside the raw-data directory. The acquisition corpus and generated reports are kept locally and are not included in the public repository or package. Counts and integer features must agree exactly; other values must agree within half the last printed decimal place. Failures produce a nonzero exit status. The comparator checks schema equality and treats SIG STRNGTH as one column.

The earlier framing-only survey remains available:

python survey_mistras_dta.py "$env:EMPIRE_AE_DATA" --output results/empire_dta_survey.json

Supported scope

This reader supports the EasyAE V1.00 profile and calibration/scaling metadata verified in the EMPIRE corpus. It reads the configured feature order and checks the product, hardware version, preamp/gain, channel calibration and parametric scaling records. Unsupported characteristics or calibration settings raise DtaFormatError, including byte offsets. General custom multiplier/offset decoding remains unimplemented; the verified unity-scaling record is recognized as a whole. Agreement at export precision does not establish extra digits of parametric calibration accuracy.

Start markers are optional; the extra control byte is safely framed. Unknown message IDs are skipped using declared boundaries. Waveforms, continued-file setup and other instrument profiles are outside this milestone. Time-data characteristics are restricted to the verified THR, RMS, ABS-ENERGY and ASL encodings. Custom parametric scaling and cycle counters are unsupported. Two-channel decoding also matches a separate real dual-sensor acquisition's hit and time exports. Multiple analog parametrics, schema updates, and ID 3 have synthetic coverage only. The real time exports exercise PARA1.

Raw binaries, TXT exports and the vendor manual stay external to this repository. The project uses the MIT license in LICENSE. For development, see CONTRIBUTING.md. The separate decode-wfs project decodes waveform streams.