TDMS use case multiple tests

[jfazekas]

I am asking if people find the TDMS hierarchy one level shy of perfection, or if I am mis-using the technology.  Are TDMS files intended to hold data for a single test, or are people able to store multiple tests in a single file?  Here is my use case:

I generate about 35 tests per minute.

       Each test has 3 phases/segments (warmup, run, cooldown phase)

                 Each phase/segment has 4 to 6 channels.

                           Each channel is 1D array of data.

As I understand, TDMS is a 3-tier hierarchy so I have to create a new file for each test (yuck), or use a group for each test, a channel for each phase, and reshape 2D channel data into 1D entry for a single channel.

Any other ideas?

[StephenB · Accepted solution]

With your use case, yes, it seems it is one level shy of perfection.

What you can try to do is have it grouped like this:

• One TDMS File
  • Group for each test
    • A channel for each bit of information on that test

You would have to name your channels with information about what segment they were from.