SACVT
Sections
NAME
sacvt - Surface METAR/SAO data conversion program
SYNOPSIS
sacvt [parameters...] filename
PARAMETERS
| Command Line | Resource | Default | Description |
| -h | help | No | Lists basic help information. |
| -df=filename | default | .wxpdef | Sets the name of the resource file. |
| -na=name | name | sacvt | Specifies the name used in resource file parsing. |
| -ba | batch | No | Run program in batch mode |
| -me=level | message | out2 | Specifies level of messages to be displayed
|
| -fp=filepath | file_path | current directory | Specifies location of database files. |
| -dp=datapath | data_path | current directory | Specifies the location (path) of the input raw data files. This is the location where the ingest program has saved the data files. This may be modified in the name convention file. |
| -cp=conpath | con_path | current directory | Specifies the location (path) of the output converted data files. This may be modified in the name convention file. |
| -nc=name_conv | name_conv | name_conv | The name convention file specifies how files are named in WXP. This sets which name convention file to use. |
| -if=in_file | in_file | sfc_dat | Specifies the input file name tag. The default is sfc_dat, but it can be modified to any value in the filename convention file. A full name convention can be specified as well. |
| -ou=output | output | wxp | Specifies what type of output file is to be created:
|
| -of=out_file | out_file | sfc_cvt | The out_file resource specifies the output file name tag. The
default is sfc_cvt but it can be modified to any value in the filename convention
file. A full name convention can be specified as well. Also, can specify what type of output file is to be created:
|
| -pf=file_param | file_param | User prompt Batch: use |
This specifies how to treat files that exist:
|
| -cf=cityfile | city_file | None | Specifies the name of the city database file used in finding station locations. |
| -cu=[hour|la] | current | None | This specifies to use current data files. The current filename is based on the name convention. An optional hour can be specified for older data. If la is specified, the program will search back to find the most recent available file. |
| -ho=hour | hour | None | This resource specifies the exact hour that a data file is valid for. This locks in the start hour for a multi-file sequence. |
| -nh=num_hour | num_hour | 0 | This specifies the number of hours that will be searched for hourly data. |
| -dh=decode_hour | decode_hour | None | Specifies a specific decode time when using more than one file. |
| -id=identifier | identifier | None | Used to decode a specific observation.If not specified, all stations will be decoded. |
| -pa=param[,param...] | parameter | None | Extra parameters:
|
| filename[#seq] [filename[#seq]...] |
filename | None User Pompt Batch: current=la |
The name of the raw data file to be converted. An optional sequence number can be added to designate the time for non-WXP files. More than one file can be specified. |
DESCRIPTION
The intent of the surface data conversion process is to combine all the surface data (SAO, METAR, Synopt, Buoy, Dribu, CMAN) into one format so that a single program can plot all the data. The surface conversion process is split up into two programs sacvt (METAR/SAO) and smcvt (Synoptic, Buoy, CMAN). sacvt program handles hourly data in either METAR or SAO formats. All stations for a particular report time are decoded and put into an output converted data file.
The sacvt program will first prompt the user for the input raw data file. This file should contain the METAR and SAO reports for a given time. It is recommended that these files be split up on hourly boundaries since this type of data is reported once an hour. The user may specify the input file either via the command line of through the current resource. The input naming convention is specified by the sfc_dat tag but this can be changed with the in_file resource. If the data stretches over an hour, the num_hour resource can be specified to search over multiple files.
Once the input file is determined, the program determines the decode time from the filename specified or that of the current resource. If decode time is different from that of the specified file, the decode_hour resource must be specified. For example, if the decode time is 12Z and the range of files is from 10-14Z, the current hour would be 14Z, the number of hours would be -4 and the decode hour would be 12. This resource can also be used to set decode time range limits which is useful if decoding data from off times such as :20 after the hour. Once the decode time is set, the output converted file is opened for output. The name convention is determined from the syn_cvt file convention tag. If the converted file exists, the user will be prompted whether to overwrite, append or use the existing file. The append option leaves the current data in the converted file and adds the new station data onto the end of the file. If the use option is specified, the converted file is not modified and the surface data conversion program exits.
The data are parsed for individual station reports which are then passed through the METAR/SAO decode module. Once decoded, the output is saved to the output converted file in the order they were decoded. This is not true is the dup or update options are specified. The remove duplicate (dup) option removes duplicate reports from the output converted file. The update station (update) option not only removes duplicate stations but updates station data with corrections and amendments.
The conversion process is silent. By default, none of the output is displayed to the screen as an attempt to speed up the conversion process. Decoded output can be displayed is the out3a message level is set:
ID TIME T TD RH DIR SPD GST ALT SLP VIS CIL COV WX MAX MIN PR6 PR24 SC Processing file: /rainbow/data/ddplus/03060797.sao KLNP 0240 52 43 71 150 4 002 10 CLR K4BK 2347 69 52 54 310 10 114 30 CLR 72 59 CYZY 0243 50 43 76 230 7 21 976 9 38 FEW PABA 0235 36 32 86 100 11 975 10 CLR KBIV 0242 59 59 100 130 6 995 5 15 SCT R- KCAE 0242 61 55 82 20 8 995 10 23 OVC PACV 0241 50 50 100 160 6 965 041 5 8 OVC R- KPSX 0240 79 72 79 150 10 978 7 200 OVC KJAX 0243 64 61 88 350 6 986 10 12 OVC KCRP 0243 73 66 78 310 12 18 977 10 19 OVC TR- WRA 0243 37 36 93 40 22 182 M WEF 0242 39 39 100 14 212 M CYQX 0242 10 8 0.8 2 OVC WAF 0200 45 41 87 30 5 M WRA 0243 37 36 93 40 22 182 M
If the raw information is to be displayed, use the out3 message level:
ID TIME T TD RH DIR SPD GST ALT SLP VIS CIL COV WX MAX MIN PR6 PR24 SC Processing file: /rainbow/data/ddplus/03060797.sao 0:2:243:KLNP:KLNP 070240Z AUTO 15004KT 10SM CLR 11/06 A3002 RMK AO1 KLNP 0240 52 43 71 150 4 002 10 CLR 0:2:0:K4BK:K4BK 062347Z COR 31010KT 30SM SKC 21/11 RMK SLP114 NOSPECI T0207 0111 10223 20152 57010 K4BK 2347 69 52 54 310 10 114 30 CLR 72 59 1:5:243:CYZY:SPECI CYZY 070243Z AUTO 23007G21KT 9SM FEW038 FEW048 FEW057 10/06 A 2976 RMK PRESRR CYZY 0243 50 43 76 230 7 21 976 9 38 FEW 0:5:243:PABA:PABA 070235Z AUTO 10011KT 10SM CLR 02/00 A2975 RMK AO1 T002200 01 PABA 0235 36 32 86 100 11 975 10 CLR 0:5:243:KBIV:KBIV 070242Z AUTO 13006KT 5SM -RA BR SCT015 15/15 A2995 RMK AO2 P0002 TSNO KBIV 0242 59 59 100 130 6 995 5 15 SCT R- 0:5:243:KCAE:KCAE 070242Z 02008KT 10SM BKN023 OVC031 16/13 A2995 RMK AO2
The raw report is preceded by 3 numbers which denote the location (0=US, 1=Canada, 2=Mexico), data type (1=SA, 2=METAR, 3=Synop, 4=SP, 5=SPECI, 8=Corrrection, 16=Automated, 32=ASOS) and the time of observation. For more information on output formats, see the text output section of the users guide.
There are two types of output data file types available. The ASCII wxp Flat file data type saves all available information in a columnar format which may be edited with a standard text editor. The netCDF data format is a binary format which may be produced by specifying cdf for the output file type.
NOTE: sacvt must be run before any surface plotting and gridding programs may be run.
NOTE: sacvt produces the same converted file name as does smcvt. If the same hour is converted by smcvt, the program will prompt the user for overwrite or append.
EXAMPLES
sacvt -cu=la -pf=over -me=print -pa=update
This converts the latest hour data file and overwrites any existing file. The station data is updated prior to saving the data to file.
FILES
- sao.cty - the surface station location database file
SEE ALSO
- smcvt - the synoptic data decoding program
- sfcwx - the surface data plotting program
- sfccalc - the surface data contouring program
- statlog - the surface meteogram plotting program
Last updated Sept 28, 1997