Short python script to read ngspice raw binary files

rawread.py

# MIT license: https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT
# See https://github.com/Isotel/mixedsim/blob/master/python/ngspice_read.py
# for a more complete library. Isotel's version is GPL licensed
from __future__ import division
import numpy as np
BSIZE_SP = 512 # Max size of a line of data; we don't want to read the
               # whole file to find a line, in case file does not have
               # expected structure.
MDATA_LIST = [b'title', b'date', b'plotname', b'flags', b'no. variables',
              b'no. points', b'dimensions', b'command', b'option']

def rawread(fname: str):
    """Read ngspice binary raw files. Return tuple of the data, and the
    plot metadata. The dtype of the data contains field names. This is
    not very robust yet, and only supports ngspice.
    >>> darr, mdata = rawread('test.py')
    >>> darr.dtype.names
    >>> plot(np.real(darr['frequency']), np.abs(darr['v(out)']))
    """
    # Example header of raw file
    # Title: rc band pass example circuit
    # Date: Sun Feb 21 11:29:14  2016
    # Plotname: AC Analysis
    # Flags: complex
    # No. Variables: 3
    # No. Points: 41
    # Variables:
    #         0       frequency       frequency       grid=3
    #         1       v(out)  voltage
    #         2       v(in)   voltage
    # Binary:
    fp = open(fname, 'rb')
    count = 0
    arrs = []
    plots = []
    plot = {}
    while (True):
        try:
            mdata = fp.readline(BSIZE_SP).split(b':', maxsplit=1)
        except:
            raise
        if len(mdata) == 2:
            if mdata[0].lower() in MDATA_LIST:
                plot[mdata[0].lower()] = mdata[1].strip()
            if mdata[0].lower() == b'variables':
                nvars = int(plot[b'no. variables'])
                npoints = int(plot[b'no. points'])
                plot['varnames'] = []
                plot['varunits'] = []
                for varn in range(nvars):
                    varspec = (fp.readline(BSIZE_SP).strip()
                               .decode('ascii').split())
                    assert(varn == int(varspec[0]))
                    plot['varnames'].append(varspec[1])
                    plot['varunits'].append(varspec[2])
            if mdata[0].lower() == b'binary':
                rowdtype = np.dtype({'names': plot['varnames'],
                                     'formats': [np.complex_ if b'complex'
                                                 in plot[b'flags']
                                                 else np.float_]*nvars})
                # We should have all the metadata by now
                arrs.append(np.fromfile(fp, dtype=rowdtype, count=npoints))
                plots.append(plot)
                plot = {} # reset the plot dict
                fp.readline() # Read to the end of line
        else:
            break
    return (arrs, plots)

if __name__ == '__main__':
    arrs, plots = rawread('test.raw')
    print(arrs)

# Local Variables:
# mode: python
# End:

@Wallflower123 your file is an ascii file. This function reads binary files.

@snmishra, Oh I'm sorry I did not pay attention to that. This is the command I use to run my netlist with ngspice in batch mode with python subprocess library:
subprocess.run([path_to_ngspice_executable,'-r','rawfile.raw','-b','-i',my_netlist]), what am I supposed to add to the command so as to specify that my output rawfile ought be in binary format ?

@snmishra Quick update:
I used command: set filetype=binary, right before write command n my .control ... .endc environemment and it generated the rawfile in Binary format!! Tried your code and it worked. Thank you so much for your time!!

@Wallflower123 glad it worked for you

@snmishra I tried to read a raw fine with your script, its saying 'darr' is not defined. Can you please check what i am missing. Thank you in advance.

My raw file is here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DcJxw6DgDOpg9klCZNHNzeG3kVLIFDTS/view?usp=sharing

@Varat7v2 Looks there was a typo. I changed print(darr) to print(arrs)

@snmishra Thank you I changed it. However, it is showing empty array. Is there any mistake in the raw file that I have generated? It is automatically exported from the LTSpice software.

Works really well out of the box. Thank you very much!

Thanks @cardosorapha

For plotting, I needed a small change --

"""Read ngspice binary raw files. Return tuple of the data, and the
plot metadata. The dtype of the data contains field names. This is
not very robust yet, and only supports ngspice.
>>> darr, mdata = rawread('test.py')
>>> darr.dtype.names
>>> plot(np.real(darr[0]['frequency']), np.abs(darr[0]['v(out)']))
"""

Very useful, thanks!

There's a small bug occuring when the rawfile contains more than one plot.
The plot dictionary is shared between all plots. A new dict should be allocated (plot = {}) after line 63.

Very useful, thanks!

There's a small bug occuring when the rawfile contains more than one plot. The plot dictionary is shared between all plots. A new dict should be allocated (plot = {}) after line 63.

@jmspiewak Thanks. Fixed.

That's not quite right, unfortunately.
Now the plot dict is reset between each line, instead of between separate plots.

@jmspiewak How about now?

That's exactly it, thanks.