parseBIST

Description

parseBIST is a utility designed to parse output files from BIST (Built-In Self-Test) routines of multibeam sonars, specifically to extract noise spectrum data (either element-level or spectral noise). It processes these BIST reports, formats the extracted data, and outputs it to ASCII files for visualization or further analysis, often with asciiplot.

The tool supports parsing BIST reports for dual RX (receiver) systems like the EM2040 and can distinguish between port and starboard receivers.

Usage 

parseBIST <BIST_file(s)> (-rxspecnoise | -rxelemnoise) [-dualRx2040] [-v]

Arguments

Option Description  
<BIST_file(s)> Required. One or more paths to input BIST report ASCII files.  
-rxspecnoise Required (choose one). Extracts receiver spectral noise data.  
-rxelemnoise Required (choose one). Extracts receiver element noise data.  
-dualRx2040 Indicates that the BIST file is from a dual RX system (e.g., EM2040). This will generate separate output files for port and starboard RXs.  
-v Enable verbose output.  

How It Works

  1. Initialization: Parses command-line arguments to set input/output filenames, select the type of noise data to extract (tofind), and handle dual RX systems (dualRx2040).
  2. Output File Setup:
    • If dualRx2040 is enabled, it opens separate output files for port (.port) and starboard (.stbd) RX noise data.
    • Otherwise, it opens a single output file (parse.bist) for writing the extracted noise data.
  3. BIST File Processing: Loops through each input BIST report file:
    • Reads the BIST file line by line.
    • Noise Data Extraction:
      • If tofind == RXELEMNOISE and a line containing “Noise Test.” is found:
        • It skips a few lines to reach the data section.
        • It then reads subsequent lines, extracting element numbers and noise levels (e.g., lev55, lev85 for single RX, lev200, lev300, lev380 for dual RX).
        • It writes these values to the appropriate output file (synfile, porfile, or stbfile).
      • If tofind == RXSPECNOISE and a line containing “Spectral noise test:” is found:
        • It skips a few lines to reach the data section.
        • It then reads subsequent lines, extracting frequency and noise levels (e.g., lev1, lev2, aver for single RX, lev1, lev2, lev3, lev4, aver for dual RX).
        • It writes these values to the appropriate output file.
    • Dual RX Handling: If dualRx2040 is enabled, it detects “Port RX” and “Starboard RX” sections in the BIST report to direct data to the correct output file.
  4. Helper Function removebar(): This function replaces vertical bar characters (|) in a string with spaces, as these might be present in the BIST report formatting and interfere with sscanf.
  5. Cleanup: Closes all open files.

Output Files

The output files (.bist, .port, .stbd) are ASCII files. The format depends on the tofind option:

  • RXELEMNOISE: Typically element_number noise_level1 noise_level2 ...
  • RXSPECNOISE: Typically frequency noise_level1 noise_level2 ...

Dependencies

  • support.h: For general utility functions.

Notes

BIST reports provide crucial diagnostic information about the sonar’s internal electronics and noise characteristics. This tool helps to extract and organize this data into a usable format for quality control and system performance evaluation. The output ASCII format is compatible with external plotting tools for visual analysis.