Re: [Gnuplot-info] CDF format

[Norwid B. <nb...@ya...>]

Sorry, I thought the question was answered because NASA does document
CDF and offers tools around this format.


Subsequent communication with the OP indeed pointed to NASA, e.g. to
map magnetic data.  For example, at the MMS Science Data Center

https://lasp.colorado.edu/mms/sdc/public/about/how-to/

the second of the three examples "Download a single science file"
mentions this format with

https://lasp.colorado.edu/mms/sdc/public/files/api/v1/download/science?file=mms2_scm_fast_l1a_scf_20150410_v3.2.0.cdf

A random walk along the tree-like structure of the database conveys
the perception these data are the result of an established protocol
to process recorded data; e.g.

https://lasp.colorado.edu/mms/sdc/public/data/mms1/epd-eis/srvy/l2/electronenergy/2020/12/

Since then, I did not follow up this thread because I assumed the OP
was able to established a contact with NASA to either a) obtain the
data in a format suitable for him (maybe as low level as .csv),
possibly just by the addition of a few lines of code in the
processing protocol by NASA.  Or b), potentially for the benefit of
Gnuplot .or. Gnuplot users, identify programmatic access to the
content of the files (e.g., modern Fortran, Julia; Python).

vim reveals some of the file's content is clear text (space mission,
instruments), including this piece of information

---- 8>< ---- begin snippet
Common Data Format (CDF)                                              
(C) Copyright 1990-2016 NASA/GSFC
Space Physics Data Facility
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland 20771 USA
(Internet -- GSF...@LI...)
--- 8>< ---- end snippet

which indeed (eventually) leads to the file's documentation and APIs
offered by NASA at

https://cdf.gsfc.nasa.gov/html/cdf_docs.html