Access MDF Files

This example shows you how to open MDF files and access information about the file and its contents.

Open an MDF File

Open an MDF file by specifying the name of the target file. Many basic details about the file are provided. This sample file was created using Vector CANape.

m = mdf("CANapeBasic.MF4")

m = 

  MDF with properties:

   File Details
                 Name: 'CANapeBasic.MF4'
                 Path: '\\central-mi\home\michellw\Documents\MATLAB\Examples\vnt-ex51113426\CANapeBasic.MF4'
               Author: 'Otmar Schneider'
           Department: 'PMC @ Vector Informatik GmbH'
              Project: 'Demo'
              Subject: 'XCPSim'
              Comment: 'Example file created with Vector CANape'
              Version: '4.10'
             DataSize: 176545
     InitialTimestamp: 2016-04-21 14:27:17.000010630

   Creator Details
    ProgramIdentifier: 'MCD14.02'
              Creator: [1×1 struct]

   File Contents
           Attachment: [0×1 struct]
         ChannelNames: {2×1 cell}
         ChannelGroup: [1×2 struct]

View File Creation Details

Information about the originating tool of the MDF file is found in the Creator property.

m.Creator

ans = 

  struct with fields:

     VendorName: 'Vector Informatik GmbH'
       ToolName: 'CANape'
    ToolVersion: '14.0.20.2386'
       UserName: 'visosr'
        Comment: 'created'

View Channel Group Details

Data in an MDF file is stored in channels contained within channel groups. This sample file contains two channel groups.

m.ChannelGroup(1)
m.ChannelGroup(2)

ans = 

  struct with fields:

    AcquisitionName: '10 ms'
            Comment: '10 ms'
         NumSamples: 1993
           DataSize: 153461
             Sorted: 1
            Channel: [74×1 struct]


ans = 

  struct with fields:

    AcquisitionName: '100ms'
            Comment: '100ms'
         NumSamples: 199
           DataSize: 23084
             Sorted: 1
            Channel: [46×1 struct]

View Channel Details

Within a channel group, details about each channel are stored.

m.ChannelGroup(1).Channel(1)

ans = 

  struct with fields:

                  Name: 'Counter_B4'
           DisplayName: ''
    ExtendedNamePrefix: 'XCPsim'
           Description: 'Single bit demo signal (bit from a byte shifting)'
               Comment: 'Single bit demo signal (bit from a byte shifting)'
                  Unit: ''
                  Type: FixedLength
              DataType: IntegerUnsignedLittleEndian
               NumBits: 1
         ComponentType: None
       CompositionType: None

Quickly Access Channels Names

The ChannelNames property allows quick access to find specific channels within the various channel groups.

m.ChannelNames
m.ChannelNames{1}

ans =

  2×1 cell array

    {74×1 cell}
    {46×1 cell}


ans =

  74×1 cell array

    {'Counter_B4'               }
    {'Counter_B5'               }
    {'Counter_B6'               }
    {'Counter_B7'               }
    {'PWM'                      }
    {'PWM_Level'                }
    {'PWMFiltered'              }
    {'Triangle'                 }
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[0][0]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[0][1]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[0][2]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[0][3]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[0][4]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[0][5]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[0][6]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[0][7]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[1][0]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[1][1]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[1][2]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[1][3]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[1][4]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[1][5]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[1][6]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[1][7]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[2][0]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[2][1]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[2][2]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[2][3]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[2][4]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[2][5]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[2][6]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[2][7]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[3][0]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[3][1]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[3][2]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[3][3]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[3][4]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[3][5]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[3][6]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[3][7]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[4][0]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[4][1]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[4][2]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[4][3]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[4][4]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[4][5]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[4][6]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[4][7]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[5][0]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[5][1]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[5][2]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[5][3]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[5][4]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[5][5]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[5][6]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[5][7]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[6][0]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[6][1]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[6][2]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[6][3]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[6][4]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[6][5]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[6][6]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[6][7]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[7][0]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[7][1]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[7][2]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[7][3]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[7][4]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[7][5]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[7][6]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure[7][7]'}
    {'map1_8_8_uc_measure'      }
    {'t'                        }

Find Channels in an MDF File

The channelList function is available to quickly and easily query for channel details within an MDF file. It returns a case-insensitive, partial match to the provided input by default, but an exact match can also be used.

channelList(m, "PWM")
channelList(m, "PWM", "ExactMatch", true)

ans =

  3×9 table

     ChannelName     ChannelGroupNumber    ChannelGroupNumSamples    ChannelGroupAcquisitionName    ChannelGroupComment    ChannelDisplayName    ChannelUnit                    ChannelComment                                   ChannelDescription               
    _____________    __________________    ______________________    ___________________________    ___________________    __________________    ___________    ______________________________________________    ________________________________________________

    "PWM"                    1                      1993                        10 ms                      10 ms                   ""            <undefined>    Pulse width signal from PWM_level and Triangle    "Pulse width signal from PWM_level and Triangle"
    "PWM_Level"              1                      1993                        10 ms                      10 ms                   ""            <undefined>    <undefined>                                       ""                                              
    "PWMFiltered"            1                      1993                        10 ms                      10 ms                   ""            <undefined>    Low pass filtered PWM signal                      "Low pass filtered PWM signal"                  


ans =

  1×9 table

    ChannelName    ChannelGroupNumber    ChannelGroupNumSamples    ChannelGroupAcquisitionName    ChannelGroupComment    ChannelDisplayName    ChannelUnit                    ChannelComment                                   ChannelDescription               
    ___________    __________________    ______________________    ___________________________    ___________________    __________________    ___________    ______________________________________________    ________________________________________________

       "PWM"               1                      1993                        10 ms                      10 ms                   ""            <undefined>    Pulse width signal from PWM_level and Triangle    "Pulse width signal from PWM_level and Triangle"

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