SPE SPE file format

Extensions: .spe

Some CCD camera software produces images in the Princeton Instruments SPE file format. This plugin supports reading such files.

Parameters for reading

char_encoding : str
Character encoding used to decode strings in the metadata. Defaults to “latin1”.
check_filesize : bool
The number of frames in the file is stored in the file header. However, this number may be wrong for certain software. If this is True (default), derive the number of frames also from the file size and raise a warning if the two values do not match.

Metadata for reading

ROIs : list of dict
Regions of interest used for recording images. Each dict has the “top_left” key containing x and y coordinates of the top left corner, the “bottom_right” key with x and y coordinates of the bottom right corner, and the “bin” key with number of binned pixels in x and y directions.
comments : list of str
The SPE format allows for 5 comment strings of 80 characters each.
controller_version : int
Hardware version
logic_output : int
Definition of output BNC
amp_hi_cap_low_noise : int
Amp switching mode
mode : int
Timing mode
exp_sec : float
Alternative exposure in seconds
date : str
Date string
detector_temp : float
Detector temperature
detector_type : int
CCD / diode array type
st_diode : int
Trigger diode
delay_time : float
Used with async mode
shutter_control : int
Normal, disabled open, or disabled closed
absorb_live : bool
on / off
absorb_mode : int
Reference strip or file
can_do_virtual_chip : bool
True or False whether chip can do virtual chip
threshold_min_live : bool
on / off
threshold_min_val : float
Threshold minimum value
threshold_max_live : bool
on / off
threshold_max_val : float
Threshold maximum value
time_local : str
Experiment local time
time_utc : str
Experiment UTC time
adc_offset : int
ADC offset
adc_rate : int
ADC rate
adc_type : int
ADC type
adc_resolution : int
ADC resolution
adc_bit_adjust : int
ADC bit adjust
gain : int
gain
sw_version : str
Version of software which created this file
spare_4 : bytes
Reserved space
readout_time : float
Experiment readout time
type : str
Controller type
clockspeed_us : float
Vertical clock speed in microseconds
readout_mode : {“full frame”, “frame transfer”, “kinetics”, “”}
Readout mode. Empty string means that this was not set by the Software.
window_size : int
Window size for Kinetics mode
file_header_ver : float
File header version
chip_size : [int, int]
x and y dimensions of the camera chip
virt_chip_size : [int, int]
Virtual chip x and y dimensions
pre_pixels : [int, int]
Pre pixels in x and y dimensions
post_pixels : [int, int],
Post pixels in x and y dimensions
geometric : list of {“rotate”, “reverse”, “flip”}
Geometric operations