Information on output-file organization

The MF4 decoders take a set of input-files (containing encoded records), a database (containing rules[1]), and produce a set of output-files (containing decoded signals).

This section describes the mapping between the input-files and the resulting output-files.

Records from the input-files are read one-by-one, matched with a rule, decoded and placed in an output-file. The selection of output-file is based on the following criteria:

  • DEVICE: The ID of the physical device that captured the record

  • RULE: The rule used to decode the record into a set of signals

  • DATE: The timestamp of the record

Given above criteria, below figure illustrates how a set of input-files generates a partitioned and nested structure of decoded output-files.

../../_images/canedge_mapping_figure.svg

Note

Files stored under the rule directory level share the same (data) schema[2] and can be parsed as if they were one file (supported by some tools).

Specifically, the output-file paths are constructed from the following parts:

../../_images/mapping_text.svg

  • DEVICE: Device (ID)[3] (e.g. AABBCCDD)

  • ITF: Bus interface (e.g. CAN or LIN)

  • CHN: Bus channel (e.g. 1)

  • MESSAGE: Name of message in rule (e.g. VehicleSpeed)

  • MULTIPLEXOR: Name of active signal multiplexor in rule (if any, e.g. Service)

  • SWITCH: From value of multiplexor switch (if multiplexor, e.g. 0B)

  • SA: Node source-address (if any, e.g. F1)

  • DA: Node destination-address (if any, e.g. F2)

  • YYYY: Year (e.g. 2020)

  • MM: Month (e.g. 01)

  • DD: Day of month (e.g. 01)

  • SESSION: Session counter value[4] (e.g. 00000001)

  • SPLIT: Split counter value[4] (e.g. 00000001)

  • EXT: Specific decoder extension (e.g. csv)

Note

The structure of the FILE-NAME ensures that output-files never collide

Note

The [_<MULTIPLEXOR>_M<SWITCH>] block can be repeated if the rule uses nested multiplexing

Output concatenation

When output concatenation is enabled, the decoders attempt to concatenate output-files[5] mapped to the same output-directory. Concatenation is only possible as long as input-files are consecutive[6].

Note

Output concatenation can in some cases reduce the number of output-files considerably.

Example

A set of input-files generate the following output-files without and with output concatenation:

Without output concatenation
AABBCCDD/CAN1_GnssTime/2020/01/01/00000001_00000001.ext
AABBCCDD/CAN1_GnssTime/2020/01/01/00000001_00000002.ext
AABBCCDD/CAN1_GnssTime/2020/01/01/00000001_00000003.ext
AABBCCDD/CAN1_GnssTime/2020/01/01/00000002_00000001.ext <- Not consecutive
AABBCCDD/CAN1_GnssTime/2020/01/01/00000002_00000002.ext
AABBCCDD/CAN1_GnssTime/2020/01/02/00000003_00000001.ext <- Not consecutive
AABBCCDD/CAN1_GnssTime/2020/01/02/00000003_00000002.ext
With output concatenation
AABBCCDD/CAN1_GnssTime/2020/01/01/00000001_00000001.ext
AABBCCDD/CAN1_GnssTime/2020/01/01/00000002_00000001.ext
AABBCCDD/CAN1_GnssTime/2020/01/02/00000003_00000001.ext