This specification covers an analytical data interchange protocol for chromatographic data representation and a software vehicle to affect the transfer of chromatographic data between instrument data systems. This protocol, which is designed to benefit users of analytical instruments and increase laboratory productivity and efficiency, provides a standardized format for the creation of raw data files or results files in the ".cdf" extension. The contents of the file include typical header in formation like instrument, column, detector, and operator description followed by raw or processed data, or both. Once data have been written or converted to this protocol, they can be read and processed by software packages that support the protocol. The end purpose of this protocol is intended to (1) transfer data between various vendors' instrument systems, (2) provide LIMS communications, (3) link data to document processing applications, (4) link data to spreadsheet applications, and ( 5) archive analytical data, or a combination thereof.

1.1 This specification covers a standardized format for chromatographic data representation and a software vehicle to effect the transfer of chromatographic data between instrument data systems. This specification provides protocol designed to benefit users of analytical instruments and increase laboratory productivity and efficiency.

1.2 The protocol in this specification provides a standardized format for the creation of raw data files or results files. This standard format has the extension “.cdf” (derived from NetCDF). The contents of the file include typical header information like instrument, column, detector, and operator description followed by raw or processed data, or both. Once data have been written or converted to this protocol, they can be read and processed by software packages that support the protocol.

1.3 The software transfer vehicle used for the protocol in this specification is NetCDF, which was developed by the Unidata Program and is funded by the Division of Atmospheric Sciences of the National Science Foundation.

1.4 The protocol in this specification is intended to (1) transfer data between various vendors' instrument systems, (2) provide LIMS communications, (3) link data to document processing applications, (4) link data to spreadsheet applications, and ( 5) archive analytical data, or a combination thereof. The protocol is a consistent, vendor independent data format that facilitates the analytical data interchange for these activities.

1.5 The protocol consists of:

1.5.1 This specification on chromatographic data, which gives the full definitions for each one of the generic chromatographic data elements used in implementation of the protocol. It defines the analytical information categories, which are a convenient way for sorting analytical data elements to make them easier to standardize.

1.5.2 Guide E1948 on chromatographic data, which gives the full details on how to implement the content of the protocol using the public-domain NetCDF data interchange system. It includes a brief introduction to using NetCDF. It is intended for software implementors, not those wanting to understand the definitions of data in a chromatographic dataset.

1.5.3 NetCDF User's Guide .