Each swath mapping sonar system outputs a data stream which includes some values or parameters unique to that system. In general, a number of different data formats have come into use for data from each of the sonar systems; many of these formats include only a subset of the original data stream. Internally, MBIO recognizes which sonar system each data format is associated with and uses a data structure including the complete data stream for that sonar. At present, formats associated with the following sonars are supported:

• Sea Beam "classic" multibeam sonar
• Hydrosweep DS multibeam sonar
• Hydrosweep DS2 multibeam sonar
• Hydrosweep MD multibeam sonar
• Sea Beam 2000 multibeam sonar
• Sea Beam 2112 and 2136 multibeam sonars
• Sea Beam 2120 multibeam sonars
• Simrad EM12, EM121, EM950, and EM1000 multibeam sonars
• Simrad EM120, EM300, and EM3000 multibeam sonars
• Simrad EM122, EM302, EM710, and EM3002 multibeam sonars
• Simrad Mesotech SM2000 multibeam sonar
• Hawaii MR-1 shallow tow interferometric sonar
• ELAC Bottomchart and Bottomchart MkII shallow water multibeam sonars
• Reson Seabat multibeam sonars (e.g. 9001, 8081, 7125)
• WHOI DSL AMS-120 deep tow interferometric sonar
• Sea Scan sidescan sonar
• Furuno HS-1 multibeam sonar
• Edgetech sidescan and subbottom profiler sonars
• Imagenex DeltaT multibeam sonars
• Odom ES3 multibeam sonar

The following swath mapping sonar data formats are currently supported by MB-System:

• MBIO Data Format ID: 11
• Format name: MBF_SBSIOMRG
• Informal Description: SIO merge Sea Beam
• Attributes: Sea Beam, bathymetry, 16 beams, binary, uncentered, SIO.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 12
• Format name: MBF_SBSIOCEN
• Informal Description: SIO centered Sea Beam
• Attributes: Sea Beam, bathymetry, 19 beams, binary, centered, SIO.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 13
• Format name: MBF_SBSIOLSI
• Informal Description: SIO LSI Sea Beam
• Attributes: Sea Beam, bathymetry, 19 beams, binary, centered, obsolete, SIO.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 14
• Format name: MBF_SBURICEN
• Informal Description: URI Sea Beam
• Attributes: Sea Beam, bathymetry, 19 beams, binary, centered, URI.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 15
• Format name: MBF_SBURIVAX
• Informal Description: URI Sea Beam from VAX
• Attributes: Sea Beam, bathymetry, 19 beams, binary, centered, VAX byte order, URI.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 16
• Format name: MBF_SBSIOSWB
• Informal Description: SIO Swath-bathy SeaBeam
• Attributes: Sea Beam, bathymetry, 19 beams, binary, centered, SIO.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 17
• Format name: MBF_SBIFREMR
• Informal Description: IFREMER Archive SeaBeam
• Attributes: Sea Beam, bathymetry, 19 beams, ascii, centered, IFREMER.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 21
• Format name: MBF_HSATLRAW
• Informal Description: Raw Hydrosweep
• Attributes: Hydrosweep DS, bathymetry and amplitude, 59 beams, ascii, Atlas Electronik.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 22
• Format name: MBF_HSLDEDMB
• Informal Description: EDMB Hydrosweep
• Attributes: Hydrosweep DS, bathymetry, 59 beams, binary, NRL.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 23
• Format name: MBF_HSURICEN
• Informal Description: URI Hydrosweep
• Attributes: Hydrosweep DS, 59 beams, bathymetry, binary, URI.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 24
• Format name: MBF_HSLDEOIH
• Informal Description: L-DEO in-house binary Hydrosweep
• Attributes: Hydrosweep DS, 59 beams, bathymetry and amplitude, binary, centered, L-DEO.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 25
• Format name: MBF_HSURIVAX
• Informal Description: URI Hydrosweep from VAX
• Attributes: Hydrosweep DS, 59 beams, bathymetry, binary, VAX byte order, URI.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 26
• Format name: MBF_HSUNKNWN
• Informal Description: Unknown Hydrosweep
• Attributes: Hydrosweep DS, bathymetry, 59 beams, ascii, unknown origin, SOPAC.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 32
• Format name: MBF_SB2000SB
• Informal Description: SIO Swath-bathy SeaBeam 2000 format
• Attributes: SeaBeam 2000, bathymetry, 121 beams, binary, SIO.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 33
• Format name: MBF_SB2000SS
• Informal Description: SIO Swath-bathy SeaBeam 2000 format
• Attributes: SeaBeam 2000, sidescan, 1000 pixels for 4-bit sidescan, 2000 pixels for 12+-bit sidescan, binary, SIO.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 41
• Format name: MBF_SB2100RW
• Informal Description: SeaBeam 2100 series vender format
• Attributes: SeaBeam 2100, bathymetry, amplitude and sidescan, 151 beams and 2000 pixels, ascii with binary sidescan, SeaBeam Instruments.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 42
• Format name: MBF_SB2100B1
• Informal Description: SeaBeam 2100 series vender format
• Attributes: SeaBeam 2100, bathymetry, amplitude and sidescan, 151 beams bathymetry, 2000 pixels sidescan, binary, SeaBeam Instruments and L-DEO.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 43
• Format name: MBF_SB2100B2
• Informal Description: SeaBeam 2100 series vender format
• Attributes: SeaBeam 2100, bathymetry and amplitude, 151 beams bathymetry, binary, SeaBeam Instruments and L-DEO.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 51
• Format name: MBF_EMOLDRAW
• Informal Description: Old Simrad vendor multibeam format
• Attributes: Simrad EM1000, EM12S, EM12D, and EM121 multibeam sonars, bathymetry, amplitude, and sidescan, 60 beams for EM1000, 81 beams for EM12S/D, 121 beams for EM121, variable pixels, ascii + binary, Simrad.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 53
• Format name: MBF_EM12IFRM
• Informal Description: IFREMER TRISMUS format for Simrad EM12
• Attributes: Simrad EM12S and EM12D, bathymetry, amplitude, and sidescan 81 beams, variable pixels, binary, read-only, IFREMER.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 54
• Format name: MBF_EM12DARW
• Informal Description: Simrad EM12S RRS Darwin processed format
• Attributes: Simrad EM12S, bathymetry and amplitude, 81 beams, binary, Oxford University.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 56
• Format name: MBF_EM300RAW
• Informal Description: Simrad current multibeam vendor format
• Attributes: Simrad EM120, EM300, EM1002, EM3000, bathymetry, amplitude, and sidescan, up to 254 beams, variable pixels, ascii + binary, Simrad.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 57
• Format name: MBF_EM300MBA
• Informal Description: Simrad multibeam processing format
• Attributes: Old and new Simrad multibeams, EM12S, EM12D, EM121, EM120, EM300, EM100, EM1000, EM950, EM1002, EM3000, bathymetry, amplitude, and sidescan, up to 254 beams, variable pixels, ascii + binary, MBARI.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 58
• Format name: MBF_EM710RAW
• Informal Description: Kongsberg current multibeam vendor format
• Attributes: Kongsberg EM122, EM302, EM710, bathymetry, amplitude, and sidescan, up to 400 beams, variable pixels, binary, Kongsberg.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 59
• Format name: MBF_EM710MBA
• Informal Description: Kongsberg current multibeam vendor format
• Attributes: Kongsberg EM122, EM302, EM710, bathymetry, amplitude, and sidescan, up to 400 beams, variable pixels, binary, Simrad.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 61
• Format name: MBF_MR1PRHIG
• Informal Description: Obsolete SOEST MR1 post processed format
• Attributes: SOEST MR1, bathymetry and sidescan, variable beams and pixels, xdr binary, SOEST, University of Hawaii.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 62
• Format name: MBF_MR1ALDEO
• Informal Description: L-DEO MR1 post processed format with travel times
• Attributes: L-DEO MR1, bathymetry and sidescan, variable beams and pixels, xdr binary, L-DEO.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 63
• Format name: MBF_MR1BLDEO
• Informal Description: L-DEO small MR1 post processed format with travel times
• Attributes: L-DEO MR1, bathymetry and sidescan, variable beams and pixels, xdr binary, L-DEO.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 64
• Format name: MBF_MR1PRVR2
• Informal Description: SOEST MR1 post processed format
• Attributes: SOEST MR1, bathymetry and sidescan, variable beams and pixels, xdr binary, SOEST, University of Hawaii.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 71
• Format name: MBF_MBLDEOIH
• Informal Description: L-DEO in-house generic multibeam
• Attributes: Data from all sonar systems, bathymetry, amplitude and sidescan, variable beams and pixels, binary, centered, L-DEO.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 75
• Format name: MBF_MBNETCDF
• Informal Description: CARAIBES CDF multibeam
• Attributes: Data from all sonar systems, bathymetry only, variable beams, netCDF, IFREMER.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 76
• Format name: MBF_MBNCDFXT
• Informal Description: CARAIBES CDF multibeam extended
• Attributes: Superset of MBF_MBNETCDF, includes (at least SIMRAD EM12) amplitude, variable beams, netCDF, IFREMER.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 81
• Format name: MBF_CBAT9001
• Informal Description: Reson SeaBat 9001 shallow water multibeam
• Attributes: 60 beam bathymetry and amplitude, binary, University of New Brunswick.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 82
• Format name: MBF_CBAT8101
• Informal Description: Reson SeaBat 8101 shallow water multibeam
• Attributes: 101 beam bathymetry and amplitude, binary, SeaBeam Instruments.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 83
• Format name: MBF_HYPC8101
• Informal Description: Reson SeaBat 8101 shallow water multibeam
• Attributes: 101 beam bathymetry, ASCII, read-only, Coastal Oceanographics.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 84
• Format name: MBF_XTFR8101
• Informal Description: XTF format Reson SeaBat 81XX
• Attributes: 240 beam bathymetry and amplitude, 1024 pixel sidescan binary, read-only, Triton-Elics.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 88
• Format name: MBF_RESON7KR
• Informal Description: Reson 7K multibeam vendor format
• Attributes: Reson 7K series multibeam sonars, bathymetry, amplitude, three channels sidescan, and subbottom up to 254 beams, variable pixels, binary, Reson.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 91
• Format name: MBF_BCHRTUNB
• Informal Description: Elac BottomChart shallow water multibeam
• Attributes: 56 beam bathymetry and amplitude, binary, University of New Brunswick.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 92
• Format name: MBF_ELMK2UNB
• Informal Description: Elac BottomChart MkII shallow water multibeam
• Attributes: 126 beam bathymetry and amplitude, binary, University of New Brunswick.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 93
• Format name: MBF_BCHRXUNB
• Informal Description: Elac BottomChart shallow water multibeam
• Attributes: 56 beam bathymetry and amplitude, binary, University of New Brunswick.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 94
• Format name: MBF_L3XSERAW
• Informal Description: ELAC/SeaBeam XSE vendor format
• Attributes: Bottomchart MkII 50 kHz and 180 kHz multibeam, SeaBeam 2120 20 KHz multibeam, bathymetry, amplitude and sidescan, variable beams and pixels, binary, L3 Communications (Elac Nautik and SeaBeam Instruments).

• MBIO Data Format ID: 101
• Format name: MBF_HSMDARAW
• Informal Description: Atlas HSMD medium depth multibeam raw format
• Attributes: 40 beam bathymetry, 160 pixel sidescan, XDR (binary), STN Atlas Elektronik.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 102
• Format name: MBF_HSMDLDIH
• Informal Description: Atlas HSMD medium depth multibeam processed format
• Attributes: 40 beam bathymetry, 160 pixel sidescan, XDR (binary), L-DEO.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 111
• Format name: MBF_DSL120PF
• Informal Description: WHOI DSL AMS-120 processed format
• Attributes: 2048 beam bathymetry, 8192 pixel sidescan, binary, parallel bathymetry and amplitude files, WHOI DSL.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 112
• Format name: MBF_DSL120SF
• Informal Description: WHOI DSL AMS-120 processed format
• Attributes: 2048 beam bathymetry, 8192 pixel sidescan, binary, single files, WHOI DSL.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 121
• Format name: MBF_GSFGENMB
• Informal Description: SAIC Generic Sensor Format (GSF)
• Attributes: variable beams, bathymetry and amplitude, binary, single files, SAIC.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 131
• Format name: MBF_MSTIFFSS
• Informal Description: MSTIFF sidescan format
• Attributes: variable pixels, sidescan, binary TIFF variant, single files, Sea Scan.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 132
• Format name: MBF_EDGJSTAR
• Informal Description: Edgetech Jstar format
• Attributes: variable pixels, dual frequency sidescan and subbottom, binary SEGY variant, single files, low frequency sidescan returned as survey data, Edgetech.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 133
• Format name: MBF_EDGJSTR2
• Informal Description: Edgetech Jstar format
• Attributes: variable pixels, dual frequency sidescan and subbottom, binary SEGY variant, single files, high frequency sidescan returned as survey data, Edgetech.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 141
• Format name: MBF_OICGEODA
• Informal Description: OIC swath sonar format
• Attributes: variable beam bathymetry and amplitude, variable pixel sidescan, binary, Oceanic Imaging Consultants

• MBIO Data Format ID: 142
• Format name: MBF_OICMBARI
• Informal Description: OIC-style extended swath sonar format
• Attributes: variable beam bathymetry and amplitude, variable pixel sidescan, binary, MBARI

• MBIO Data Format ID: 151
• Format name: MBF_OMGHDCSJ
• Informal Description: UNB OMG HDCS format (the John Hughes Clarke format)
• Attributes: variable beam bathymetry and amplitude, variable pixel sidescan, binary, UNB

• MBIO Data Format ID: 160
• Format name: MBF_SEGYSEGY
• Informal Description: SEGY seismic data format
• Attributes: seismic or subbottom trace data, single beam bathymetry, nav, binary, SEG (SIOSEIS variant)

• MBIO Data Format ID: 161
• Format name: MBF_MGD77DAT
• Informal Description: NGDC MGD77 underway geophysics format
• Attributes: single beam bathymetry, nav, magnetics, gravity, ascii, NOAA NGDC

• MBIO Data Format ID: 162
• Format name: MBF_ASCIIXYZ
• Informal Description: Generic XYZ sounding format
• Attributes: XYZ (lon lat depth) ASCII soundings, generic

• MBIO Data Format ID: 163
• Format name: MBF_ASCIIYXZ
• Informal Description: Generic YXZ sounding format
• Attributes: YXZ (lat lon depth) ASCII soundings, generic

• MBIO Data Format ID: 164
• Format name: MBF_HYDROB93
• Informal Description: NGDC binary hydrographic sounding format
• Attributes: XYZ (lon lat depth) binary soundings

• MBIO Data Format ID: 165
• Format name: MBF_MBARIROV
• Informal Description: MBARI ROV navigation format
• Attributes: ROV navigation, MBARI

• MBIO Data Format ID: 166
• Format name: MBF_MBPRONAV
• Informal Description: MB-System simple navigation format
• Attributes: navigation, MBARI

• MBIO Data Format ID: 167
• Format name: MBF_NVNETCDF
• Informal Description: CARAIBES CDF navigation
• Attributes: netCDF, IFREMER.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 168
• Format name: MBF_ASCIIXYT
• Informal Description: Generic XYT sounding format
• Attributes: XYT (lon lat topography) ASCII soundings, generic

• MBIO Data Format ID: 169
• Format name: MBF_ASCIIYXT
• Informal Description: Generic YXT sounding format
• Attributes: YXT (lat lon topograpy) ASCII soundings, generic

• MBIO Data Format ID: 170
• Format name: MBF_MBARROV2
• Informal Description: MBARI ROV navigation format
• Attributes: ROV navigation, MBARI

• MBIO Data Format ID: 171
• Format name: MBF_HS10JAMS
• Informal Description: Furuno HS-10 multibeam format,
• Attributes: 45 beams bathymetry and amplitude, ascii, JAMSTEC

• MBIO Data Format ID: 172
• Format name: MBF_HIR2RNAV
• Informal Description: SIO GDC R2R navigation format
• Attributes: R2R navigation, ascii, SIO

• MBIO Data Format ID: 173
• Format name: MBF_MGD77TXT
• Informal Description: NGDC MGD77 underway geophysics format
• Attributes: single beam bathymetry, nav, magnetics, gravity, 122 byte ascii records with CRLF line breaks, NOAA NGDC

• MBIO Data Format ID: 174
• Format name: MBF_MGD77TAB
• Informal Description: NGDC MGD77 underway geophysics format
• Attributes: single beam bathymetry, nav, magnetics, gravity, 122 byte ascii records with CRLF line breaks, NOAA NGDC

• MBIO Data Format ID: 181
• Format name: MBF_SAMESURF
• Informal Description: SAM Electronics SURF format.
• Attributes: variable beams, bathymetry, amplitude, and sidescan, binary, single files, SAM Electronics (formerly Krupp-Atlas Electronik).

• MBIO Data Format ID: 182
• Format name: MBF_HSDS2RAW
• Informal Description: STN Atlas raw multibeam format
• Attributes: STN Atlas multibeam sonars, Hydrosweep DS2, Hydrosweep MD, Fansweep 10, Fansweep 20, bathymetry, amplitude, and sidescan, up to 1440 beams and 4096 pixels, XDR binary, STN Atlas.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 183
• Format name: MBF_HSDS2LAM
• Informal Description: L-DEO HSDS2 processing format
• Attributes: STN Atlas multibeam sonars, Hydrosweep DS2, Hydrosweep MD, Fansweep 10, Fansweep 20, bathymetry, amplitude, and sidescan, up to 1440 beams and 4096 pixels, XDR binary, L-DEO.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 191
• Format name: MBF_IMAGE83P
• Informal Description: Imagenex DeltaT Multibeam
• Attributes: Multibeam, bathymetry, 480 beams, ascii + binary, Imagenex.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 192
• Format name: MBF_IMAGEMBA
• Informal Description: MBARI DeltaT Multibeam
• Attributes: Multibeam, bathymetry, 480 beams, ascii + binary, MBARI.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 201
• Format name: MBF_HYSWEEP1
• Informal Description: HYSWEEP multibeam data format
• Attributes: Many multibeam sonars, bathymetry, amplitude variable beams, ascii, HYPACK.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 211
• Format name: MBF_XTFB1624
• Informal Description: XTF format Benthos Sidescan SIS1624
• Attributes: variable pixels, dual frequency sidescan and subbottom, xtf variant, single files, low frequency sidescan returned as survey data, Benthos.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 221
• Format name: MBF_SWPLSSXI
• Informal Description: SEA interferometric sonar vendor intermediate format
• Attributes: SEA SWATHplus, bathymetry and amplitude, variable beams, binary, SEA.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 222
• Format name: MBF_SWPLSSXP
• Informal Description: SEA interferometric sonar vendor processed data format
• Attributes: SEA SWATHplus, bathymetry and amplitude, variable beams, binary, SEA.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 231
• Format name: MBF_3DDEPTHP
• Informal Description: 3DatDepth prototype binary swath mapping LIDAR format
• Attributes: 3DatDepth LIDAR, variable pulses, bathymetry and amplitude, binary, 3DatDepth.

• MBIO Data Format ID: 241
• Format name: MBF_WASSPENL
• Informal Description: WASSP Multibeam Vendor Format
• Attributes: WASSP multibeams, bathymetry and amplitude, 122 or 244 beams, binary, Electronic Navigation Ltd.

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