Common Data Format

CDF files

CDF was created by the National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC) to provide a self-describing data storage and manipulation format that matches the structure of scientific data and applications. MATLAB^® high-level functions make it easy to read CDF files. Low-level functions provide direct access to routines in the CDF C API library. Use the low-level functions if you require more control over the import operation, such as data subsetting for large data sets, or to export data to a CDF file. To use the MATLAB CDF low-level functions effectively, you must be familiar with the CDF C interface.

MATLAB supports CDF version 3.8.1.

Functions

`cdfepoch`	Convert date text or serial date number to CDF formatted dates
`cdfinfo`	Information about Common Data Format (CDF) file
`cdfread`	Read data from Common Data Format (CDF) file
`todatenum`	Convert CDF epoch object to MATLAB serial date number

Packages

cdflib Interact directly with CDF library

Topics

Import CDF Files Using High-Level Functions
This example shows how to use high-level MATLAB® functions to import the sample CDF file, example.cdf.
Import CDF Files Using Low-Level Functions
This example shows how to use low-level functions to read data from a CDF file.
Represent CDF Time Values
This example shows how to extract date information from a CDF epoch object.
Export to CDF Files
This example shows how to export data to a CDF file using MATLAB® CDF low-level functions.

Related Information

CDF website