A few words about data formats

0 The GRASP package was originally written for analysis of data in the ``old" format, which was used in the Caltech 40-meter IFO laboratory prior to 1996. Starting in 1997, the LIGO project, and a number of other gravity-wave detector groups, have adopted the VIRGO FRAME data format. Almost every example in the GRASP package has equivalent programs to read and analyze data in either format. For example animate and animateF are two versions of the same program. The first reads data in the old format, the second reads data in the FRAME format. We have also included with GRASP a translation program that translates data from the old format to the new format (see translate in Section ).

After careful thought, the LIGO management has decided to only distribute the November 1994 data in the FRAME format, except to a small number of groups (belonging to the Data Translation Group) who are responsible for ensuring that the translated data set contains the same information as the original! The initial distributions of GRASP will include both old-format and new-format code. However after a reasonable period of time, the old-format data and code will be removed from the package. So please be aware that the old-format material will be reaching the end of its useful lifetime fairly soon; we do not recommend investing much effort in these.

If you want to develop or work on data analysis algorithms, you will want to have access to this data archive. Because many people contributed to taking this data, and because the LIGO project wants to maintain control of its use and distribution, this data set is NOT in the public domain. However, you may request a copy for your use, or for use by your research group. Write to: Director of the LIGO Laboratory, Mail Stop 51-33, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125. The data set is available in tar format on two Exabyte 8500c format tapes.

In order to use the data in the FRAME format, you will need to have access to the FRAME libraries. These are available from the VIRGO project; they may be downloaded from the site
http://wwwlapp.in2p3.fr/virgo/FrameL/. http://wwwlapp.in2p3.fr/virgo/FrameL/ The current release of GRASP is compatible with versions of the FRAME library $\le 3.72$. Contact Benoit Mours mours@lapp.in2p3.fr for further information.