Overview
ISO 22029:2022 - Microbeam analysis - EMSA/MAS standard file format for spectral-data exchange - defines a simple, platform‑independent text file format for exchanging digital spectral data. The standard is designed to be both human- and machine-readable, suitable for transmission over networks or storage on removable media, and deliberately independent of any specific computer, operating system or programming language. ISO 22029:2022 modernizes the EMSA/MAS spectral-data exchange format (third edition) by adopting UTF‑8 encoding and by updating required and optional metadata fields for unambiguous archiving and interchange.
Key topics and technical requirements
- File structure: sequential text file with a header of keyword/value lines followed by spectral data and an end‑of‑data marker. Header lines begin with “#”.
- Keyword field layout: EMSA/MAS keywords occupy the first 15 character positions (keyword up to 12 characters, followed by “: ” separator). Keywords are case‑insensitive.
- Encoding and characters: file encoding is UTF‑8; only printable UTF‑8 characters (and space, CR, LF) are permitted; horizontal TABs are not allowed.
- Required metadata keywords include #FORMAT, #VERSION, #TITLE, #DATE, #TIME (local time), #TIMEZONE (offset from UTC), #OWNER, #NPOINTS, #NCOLUMNS, etc. These enable clear provenance and reproducibility.
- Data block: a specific start‑of‑data keyword signals the spectroscopic data array format and layout.
- Error checking and optional fields: the 2022 revision adds an optional #CRC32C checksum keyword for robust file integrity checking and several optional experimental/geometry keywords (for example #ROTATION, #WORKDIST).
- File naming and endings: recommended file extensions include .TXT, .EMSA, .MSA; end‑of‑line is CR+LF.
Applications and who uses it
ISO 22029:2022 is intended for the microscopy and microanalysis community, including:
- Microbeam analysis laboratories exchanging X‑ray, energy‑loss (EELS), and Auger (AES) spectra.
- Instrument manufacturers implementing export/import support to enable interoperability.
- Software developers creating data‑analysis, plotting, archiving, and QA tools that process spectral data.
- Researchers and data managers who need durable, well‑labelled archives of spectral measurements.
Benefits include standardized data interchange, reduced duplication in software drivers, clearer provenance for archived spectra, and improved collaboration between labs.
Related standards
- JCAMP‑DX (infrared spectroscopy) - format inspiration and comparison.
- VAMAS formats - longer, more detailed interchange formats referenced for context.
Keywords: ISO 22029:2022, EMSA/MAS, spectral-data exchange, microbeam analysis, UTF-8, spectral data format, XEDS, EELS, AES, CRC32C.
