ANNOT(5)

NAME
annot - WFDB annotation file formats

SYNOPSIS
#include <wfdb/ecgcodes.h>

DESCRIPTION
Programs compiled with the WFDB library (-lwfdb) can read annotation files in two formats. The preferred format (MIT format) is compact (averaging slightly over two bytes per annotation) and extensible, and is normally used for on-line annotation files. The alternative format (AHA DB distribution format) uses 16 bytes per annotation, and is normally used only for exchange of files between institutions on 9-track tape. Both formats are binary, but readable on any machine without reformatting. WFDB library applications can distinguish between the formats automatically when opening a file for input.

  MIT format:

Each annotation occupies an even number of bytes. The first byte in each pair is the least significant byte. The six most significant bits (A) of each byte pair are the annotation type code, and the ten remaining bits (I) specify the time of the annotation, measured in sample intervals from the previous annotation (or from the beginning of the record for the first annotation). If 0 < A <= ACMAX, then A is defined in <wfdb/ecgcodes.h>. Several other possibilities exist:

A = SKIP [59.]
    I = 0; the next four bytes are the interval in PDP-11 long integer format (the high 16 bits first, then the low 16 bits, with the low byte first in each pair).

A = NUM [60.]
    I = annotation num field for current and subsequent annotations; otherwise, assume previous annotation num (initially 0).

A = SUB [61.]
    I = annotation subtyp field for current annotation only; otherwise, assume subtyp = 0.

A = CHN [62.]
    I = annotation chan field for current and subsequent annotations; otherwise, assume previous chan (initially 0).

A = AUX [63.]
    I = number of bytes of auxiliary information (which is contained in the next I bytes); an extra null, not included in the byte count, is appended if I is odd.

A = I = 0:  End of file.

  AHA format:

All annotations occupy exactly 16 bytes. Within each block, the first byte is unused, the second byte contains the AHA annotation code (an ASCII character; see <wfdb/ecgmap.h>), the third through sixth bytes contain the time (see below) in PDP-11 long integer format as above, and the seventh and eighth bytes contain an annotation serial number.

In annotation files taken directly from the AHA database distribution tapes, the last eight bytes in each annotation are unused, and the time is given in milliseconds measured from the beginning of the annotated segment of the record. In AHA-format annotation files generated by WFDB library applications, annotation times are given in sample intervals from the beginning of the record, and the last eight bytes of each annotation contain the MIT annotation subtype (in the ninth byte), the MIT annotation code (in the tenth byte), and up to six ASCII characters (in the remaining bytes) used to describe RHYTHM and NOTE annotations.

SEE ALSO
header(5), signal(5), wfdbcal(5)
WFDB Programmer's Guide

AUTHOR
George B. Moody (george@mit.edu). The original MIT annotation format was designed by Paul Schluter, and the AHA annotation format was designed by Russ Hermes.