Chapter 6. Metadata

No deployment is complete without an installation record. As well as the precise location and orientation of the instrument, together with the model and serial numbers of the equipment, this should include the metadata that describes the instrument’s sensitivity and frequency response together with the digitisers’ bit-weight and filter configuration. This gives analysts freedom to interpret and process the data at any time in the future.

6.1 Calibration and response parameters

The digital integration between the Certis and the Minimus family of digitisers makes obtaining the metadata simple. A more laborious process needs to be followed if a different digitiser is used.

6.1.1 Using a Minimus

When a Certis is connected digitally to a Minimus, it will upload its metadata to the Minimus each time it powers up. You can access these metadata in RESP format and in StationXML format.

To obtain metadata in RESP format, open the web interface of the Minimus and navigate to either the Data Stream tab or the Data Record tab as appropriate. Locate the channels of interest and to the right of each, click the RESP hyperlink to download a customised RESP file for that channel.

6.1.2 Using a different digitiser

Each Certis is shipped with a calibration document which shows the sensitivity, measured in Volts per metre per second (V/ms⁻¹) of each of the three orthogonal components, together with the poles and zeros which characterise the frequency response. These data can be used to assemble a file which describes the instrument’s meta-data in the desired format. Consult the documentation for the required format for further information.