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Run-Length Radar (WSR-88D) Product Decoders

The package of MDL WSR-88D graphic product Fortran decoders returns color-level data and navigation information for digital and graphical products as output by the Radar Products Generator (RPG). Images and grids are decoded into data levels (generally 0-15, but 0-7 for some products and 0-255 for others). The decoders will not accept text or vector-graphic products as input.

A brief explanation of the format of the radial and raster graphic products is available at: http://weather.gov/mdl/iwt/88dicd.htm

Please note that we can provide programming support only to users of HP (HPUX) and IBM (IBM AIX) operating systems.

Four decoders exist:

  • For all raster products   -  This package, GET_RASTER_DATA, decodes all raster graphical products (e.g. VIL, echo tops, composite reflectivity), except the Digital Precipitation Array product.

  • For all radial products  -   This package decodes all radial graphic products (e.g. base reflectivity, storm-total precipitation, storm-relative velocity) except the Digital Hybrid Scan (DHS) product.

  • For the DPA product  -   This package decodes the Digital Precipitation Array (DPA) product (WSR-88D message code 81)

  • For the DHS product  -   This package decodes the 256-level Digital Hybrid Scan radial product (WSR-88D message code 32).

The main driver program DRIVE_DECODE ingests a series of radar files (names provided by the user through the logical unit 5 runstream), determines the type of radar image each file contains, and calls the appropriate decoder. A null line or character string starting with "XXX" terminates the program on input to logical unit 5.

Users desiring to employ DRIVE_DECODE should compile and link edit all of the following Fortran code files:

drive_decode.f i2byte.f i4byte.f w3fs26.f
get_dpa_data.f get_dhr_data.f get_radial_data.f get_raster_data.f

If you would like to download these FORTRAN modules click the appropriate format

MS-Windows Versions UNIX Versions

The executable will prompt for names of input files, read names of files containing radar data from the console, and write certain characteristics of the radar products to the console.

Of the utility subroutines above, the following are required by each decoder:

i2byte.f i4byte.f w3fs26.f


National Weather Service
Office of Science and Technology
Meteorological Development Laboratory
Last Modified : January 16, 2004
Page Author: Harry.Lebowitz
EMAIL ADDRESS: mdl_webmaster@thunder.nws.noaa.gov
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/mdl

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