Stefan Ritt wrote:

Please find attached a simple ROOT based program (http://root.cern.ch) to decode binary data from the DRSOsc program. It assumes that all four channels were recorded. If this is not the case, the program can be adjusted accordingly. To use it, simply type (assuming that you have written a data file "test.dat" with DRSOsc): root [0] .L decode.C+ Info in <TUnixSystem::ACLiC>: creating shared library /tmp/./decode_C.so root [1] decode("test"); Info in <TCanvas::MakeDefCanvas>:  created default TCanvas with name c1 1927 events processed "test.root" written root [2]  If you have turned on the clock on channel4 of the DRS4 evaluation board, it will produce a plot like this:       /Stefan

I updated this ROOT program for the new format used with the V5 boards. It's now called "read_binary.C". Usage stays the same. There is also a standalone C program "read_binary.cpp". Both are attached. 

/*
 
   Name:           read_binary.C
   Created by:     Stefan Ritt <stefan.ritt@psi.ch>
   Date:           July 30th, 2014
 
   Purpose:        Example program under ROOT to read a binary data file written 
                   by the DRSOsc program. Decode time and voltages from waveforms 
                   and display them as a graph. Put values into a ROOT Tree for 
                   further analysis.
 
                   To run it, do:
 
                   - Crate a file test.dat via the "Save" button in DRSOsc
                   - start ROOT
                   root [0] .L read_binary.C+
                   root [1] decode("test.dat");
 
*/
 

#include <string.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include "TFile.h"
#include "TTree.h"
#include "TString.h"
#include "TGraph.h"
#include "TCanvas.h"
#include "Getline.h"

typedef struct {
  char           time_header[4];
  char           bn[2];
  unsigned short board_serial_number;
} THEADER;

typedef struct {
  char           event_header[4];
  unsigned int   event_serial_number;
  unsigned short year;
  unsigned short month;
  unsigned short day;
  unsigned short hour;
  unsigned short minute;
  unsigned short second;
  unsigned short millisecond;
  unsigned short reserved1;
  char           bs[2];
  unsigned short board_serial_number;
  char           tc[2];
  unsigned short trigger_cell;
} EHEADER;

/*-----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/

void decode(char *filename) {
   THEADER th;
   EHEADER eh;
   char hdr[4];
   unsigned short voltage[1024];
   double waveform[4][1024], time[4][1024];
   float bin_width[4][1024];
   char rootfile[256];
   int i, j, ch, n, chn_index;
   double t1, t2, dt;

   // open the binary waveform file
   FILE *f = fopen(Form("%s", filename), "r");
   if (f == NULL) {
      printf("Cannot find file \'%s\'\n", filename);
      return;
   }

   //open the root file
   strcpy(rootfile, filename);
   if (strchr(rootfile, '.'))
      *strchr(rootfile, '.') = 0;
   strcat(rootfile, ".root");
   TFile *outfile = new TFile(rootfile, "RECREATE");
   
   // define the rec tree
   TTree *rec = new TTree("rec","rec");
   rec->Branch("t1", time[0]     ,"t1[1024]/D");  
   rec->Branch("t2", time[1]     ,"t2[1024]/D");  
   rec->Branch("t3", time[2]     ,"t3[1024]/D");  
   rec->Branch("t4", time[3]     ,"t4[1024]/D");  
   rec->Branch("w1", waveform[0] ,"w1[1024]/D");
   rec->Branch("w2", waveform[1] ,"w2[1024]/D");
   rec->Branch("w3", waveform[2] ,"w3[1024]/D");
   rec->Branch("w4", waveform[3] ,"w4[1024]/D");
   
   // create canvas
   TCanvas *c1 = new TCanvas();
   
   // create graph
   TGraph *g = new TGraph(1024, (double *)time[0], (double *)waveform[0]);

   // read time header
   fread(&th, sizeof(th), 1, f);
   printf("Found data for board #%d\n", th.board_serial_number);

   // read time bin widths
   memset(bin_width, sizeof(bin_width), 0);
   for (ch=0 ; ch<5 ; ch++) {
      fread(hdr, sizeof(hdr), 1, f);
      if (hdr[0] != 'C') {
         // event header found
         fseek(f, -4, SEEK_CUR);
         break;      
      }
      i = hdr[3] - '0' - 1;
      printf("Found timing calibration for channel #%d\n", i+1);
      fread(&bin_width[i][0], sizeof(float), 1024, f);
   }

   // loop over all events in data file
   for (n=0 ; n<5 ; n++) {
      // read event header
      i = fread(&eh, sizeof(eh), 1, f);
      if (i < 1)
         break;
         
      printf("Found event #%d\n", eh.event_serial_number);

      // reach channel data
      for (ch=0 ; ch<5 ; ch++) {
         i = fread(hdr, sizeof(hdr), 1, f);
         if (i < 1)
            break;
         if (hdr[0] != 'C') {
            // event header found
            fseek(f, -4, SEEK_CUR);
            break;      
         }
         chn_index = hdr[3] - '0' - 1;
         fread(voltage, sizeof(short), 1024, f);
         
         for (i=0 ; i<1024 ; i++) {
            // convert data to volts
            waveform[chn_index][i] = (voltage[i] / 65536. - 0.5);
            
            // calculate time for this cell
            for (j=0,time[chn_index][i]=0 ; j<i ; j++)
              time[chn_index][i] += bin_width[chn_index][(j+eh.trigger_cell) % 1024];            
         }
      }
    
      // align cell #0 of all channels
      t1 = time[0][(1024-eh.trigger_cell) % 1024];
      for (ch=1 ; ch<4 ; ch++) {
         t2 = time[ch][(1024-eh.trigger_cell) % 1024];
         dt = t1 - t2;
         for (i=0 ; i<1024 ; i++)
            time[ch][i] += dt;
      }

      // fill root tree
      rec->Fill();
      
      // fill graph
      for (i=0 ; i<1024 ; i++)
         g->SetPoint(i, time[0][i], waveform[0][i]);
      
      // draw graph and wait for user click
      g->Draw("ACP");
      c1->Update();
      gPad->WaitPrimitive();
   }

   // print number of events
   printf("%d events processed, \"%s\" written.\n", n, rootfile);
   
   // save and close root file
   rec->Write();
   outfile->Close();
}

/*
   Name:           read_binary.cpp
   Created by:     Stefan Ritt <stefan.ritt@psi.ch>
   Date:           July 30th, 2014

   Purpose:        Example file to read binary data saved by DRSOsc.
 
   Compile and run it with:
 
      gcc -o read_binary read_binary.cpp
 
      ./read_binary <filename>

   This program assumes that a pulse from a signal generator is split
   and fed into channels #1 and #2. It then calculates the time difference
   between these two pulses to show the performance of the DRS board
   for time measurements.

   $Id: read_binary.cpp 21438 2014-07-30 15:00:17Z ritt $
*/

#include <stdio.h>
#include <fcntl.h>
#include <unistd.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <math.h>

typedef struct {
   char           time_header[4];
   char           bn[2];
   unsigned short board_serial_number;
} THEADER;

typedef struct {
   char           event_header[4];
   unsigned int   event_serial_number;
   unsigned short year;
   unsigned short month;
   unsigned short day;
   unsigned short hour;
   unsigned short minute;
   unsigned short second;
   unsigned short millisecond;
   unsigned short reserved1;
   char           bs[2];
   unsigned short board_serial_number;
   char           tc[2];
   unsigned short trigger_cell;
} EHEADER;

/*-----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/

int main(int argc, const char * argv[])
{
   THEADER th;
   EHEADER eh;
   char hdr[4];
   unsigned short voltage[1024];
   double waveform[4][1024], time[4][1024];
   float bin_width[4][1024];
   char rootfile[256];
   int i, j, ch, n, chn_index;
   double t1, t2, dt;
   char filename[256];

   int ndt;
   double threshold, sumdt, sumdt2;
   
   if (argc > 1)
      strcpy(filename, argv[1]);
   else {
      printf("Usage: read_binary <filename>\n");
      return 0;
   }
   
   // open the binary waveform file
   FILE *f = fopen(filename, "r");
   if (f == NULL) {
      printf("Cannot find file \'%s\'\n", filename);
      return 0;
   }

   // read time header
   fread(&th, sizeof(th), 1, f);
   printf("Found data for board #%d\n", th.board_serial_number);

   // read time bin widths
   memset(bin_width, sizeof(bin_width), 0);
   for (ch=0 ; ch<5 ; ch++) {
      fread(hdr, sizeof(hdr), 1, f);
      if (hdr[0] != 'C') {
         // event header found
         fseek(f, -4, SEEK_CUR);
         break;
      }
      i = hdr[3] - '0' - 1;
      printf("Found timing calibration for channel #%d\n", i+1);
      fread(&bin_width[i][0], sizeof(float), 1024, f);
   }
   
   // initialize statistics
   ndt = 0;
   sumdt = sumdt2 = 0;
   
   // loop over all events in the data file
   for (n= 0 ; ; n++) {
      // read event header
      i = fread(&eh, sizeof(eh), 1, f);
      if (i < 1)
         break;
      
      printf("Found event #%d\n", eh.event_serial_number);
      
      // reach channel data
      for (ch=0 ; ch<5 ; ch++) {
         i = fread(hdr, sizeof(hdr), 1, f);
         if (i < 1)
            break;
         if (hdr[0] != 'C') {
            // event header found
            fseek(f, -4, SEEK_CUR);
            break;
         }
         chn_index = hdr[3] - '0' - 1;
         fread(voltage, sizeof(short), 1024, f);
         
         for (i=0 ; i<1024 ; i++) {
            // convert data to volts
            waveform[chn_index][i] = (voltage[i] / 65536. - 0.5);
            
            // calculate time for this cell
            for (j=0,time[chn_index][i]=0 ; j<i ; j++)
               time[chn_index][i] += bin_width[chn_index][(j+eh.trigger_cell) % 1024];
         }
      }
      
      
      // align cell #0 of all channels
      t1 = time[0][(1024-eh.trigger_cell) % 1024];
      for (ch=1 ; ch<4 ; ch++) {
         t2 = time[ch][(1024-eh.trigger_cell) % 1024];
         dt = t1 - t2;
         for (i=0 ; i<1024 ; i++)
            time[ch][i] += dt;
      }
      
      t1 = t2 = 0;
      threshold = 0.3;
      
      // find peak in channel 1 above threshold
      for (i=0 ; i<1022 ; i++)
         if (waveform[0][i] < threshold && waveform[0][i+1] >= threshold) {
            t1 = (threshold-waveform[0][i])/(waveform[0][i+1]-waveform[0][i])*(time[0][i+1]-time[0][i])+time[0][i];
            break;
         }
      
      // find peak in channel 2 above threshold
      for (i=0 ; i<1022 ; i++)
         if (waveform[1][i] < threshold && waveform[1][i+1] >= threshold) {
            t2 = (threshold-waveform[1][i])/(waveform[1][i+1]-waveform[1][i])*(time[1][i+1]-time[1][i])+time[1][i];
            break;
         }
      
      // calculate distance of peaks with statistics
      if (t1 > 0 && t2 > 0) {
         ndt++;
         dt = t2 - t1;
         sumdt += dt;
         sumdt2 += dt*dt;
      }
   }
   
   // print statistics
   printf("dT = %1.3lfns +- %1.1lfps\n", sumdt/ndt, 1000*sqrt(1.0/(ndt-1)*(sumdt2-1.0/ndt*sumdt*sumdt)));
   
   return 1;
}