MVEOSAT -- EOSAT Tape to Video Transfer

Transfers image data from EOSAT magnetic tape to the video display.

Warning: Do not use Cipher tape drives to read EOSAT tapes. See DETAILS section.

PARAMETERS

MVEOSAT is controlled by the following global parameters: 

Name     Prompt                                  Count     Type
MTIC     Mag Tape Input Channel List             1-7       Int
VDOC     Video Output Channel List               1-7       Int
MTIW     Mag Tape Input Window                   0-4       Int
VDOW     Video Output Window                     0-4       Int

MTIC

Specifies list of image channels on input magnetic tape to read. 

 EASI>MTIC=i,j,...,m             | integers, 1-7

VDOC

Specifies list of image channels to write to output video display. 

 EASI>VDOC=i,j,...,m             | integers, 1-7

MTIW

Specifies window on tape to be transferred to video display. 

 EASI>MTIW=Xoffset,Yoffset,Xsize,Ysize
 EASI>MTIW=                     | defaults to entire image

VDOW

Specifies window on video display where data are transferred from magnetic tape. 

 EASI>VDOW=Xoffset,Yoffset,Xsize,Ysize
 EASI>VDOW=                     | defaults to entire display

DETAILS

MVEOSAT reads 8-bit Band Sequential (BSQ) image data from EOSAT (Earth Observation SATellite Company) Fast format magnetic tapes and EOSAT New B-Version Fast format to a video display.

MVEOSAT transfers image data from the specified bands (MTIC) on the EOSAT tape set (of one or more tapes) to image channels on the output video display (VDOC). MVEOSAT reads all specified channels on the mounted tape. If not all of the channels are read from the tape, MVEOSAT prompts you to mount the next tape in the tape set. The tapes may be mounted and read in any order.

Panchromatic image files (this concerns the new B-version file format) can span one more tapes. In this case the spanning flag (running MSH) indicates whether the tape is part a of multi-volume set. This value will be '1/1' for tapes containing one or more complete image files and will be either '1/2' or '2/2' for full scene panchromatic image files spanning two volume. In this case MVEOSAT reads all required lines on the mounted tape('1/2). If not all of the lines are read from the tape, MVEOSAT prompts you to mount the next tape ('2/2') in the tape set.

Any arbitrary rectangular window on the tape (MTIW) can be transferred to any arbitrary rectangular window on the display (VDOW). Shrinking and/or zooming is performed if the input window size does not equal the output window size. If MTIW is not specified, by default the entire image is read from tape. If VDOW is not specified, the output window defaults to the output video display dimensions.

Note: There are severe problems reading EOSAT tapes on Cipher tape drives. On PC systems using TC-50 Overland tape controller, it may take up to 8 hours to read a full 7-band tape, because the Cipher drive constantly moves the tape backwards and forwards to find each tape record. On Sun systems, the Cipher drive can only read the first file (band) on tape; the remaining 6 bands are inaccessible. In either case, the integrity of the data read from tape cannot be trusted. There are no problems reading EOSAT tapes on VAX systems.

EXAMPLE

Transfers overview of bands 7, 5 and 4 from EOSAT tape to image planes 1, 2 and 3 on display. 

EASI>MTIC=7,5,4          | read in TM bands 4, 5, and 7
EASI>VDOC=1,2,3          | specify output image planes
EASI>MTIW=               | read entire tape image
EASI>VDOW=               | scale it to fit on the video display
EASI>RUN MVEOSAT         | MVEOSAT will prompt you to mount other
                         | tapes, after it has read any of the
                         | specified channels from the present
                         | tape, if all channels are not on the
                         | tape that is presently mounted
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