SPEDAS 3.00 now available!

The SPEDAS development team is pleased to announce the release of SPEDAS 3.00! The software is available as a zip file containing the IDL source code (which requires an IDL license to use), and also as pre-compiled executable files for Windows, Linux, and Mac. The executable version supports the subset of features available via the SPEDAS Graphical User Interface, but requires no additional downloads or IDL licenses.

Where to get it

SPEDAS 3.00 can be downloaded from the SPEDAS web site:

http://spedas.org/wiki/index.php?title=Downloads_and_Installation

Installation notes

There are a few platform-specific issues that may require additional steps after installation on the Mac and Windows 10 platforms:

http://spedas.org/wiki/index.php?title=Downloads_and_Installation#Troubleshooting_and_special_considerations

What’s new?

SPEDAS 3.00 includes numerous bug fixes, efficiency enhancements, and new features:

New SECS (Spherical Elementary Currents System) plugin

A new plugin is available for the Spherical Elementary Currents System (SECS). Two data types are available. The Equivalent Ionospheric Currents (EICS) are the horizontal currents and SEC Amplitudes (SECA) are the current amplitudes. Summary plots can be generated in the SPEDAS GUI by selecting Tools->Overview Plots->SECS Overview Plots.

Command line crib sheets secs_load_data_crib.pro and secs_mosaic_plot_crib.pro can be found in projects/secs/examples

New DSCOVR plugin

A new plugin is available for loading and plotting data from the DSCOVR mission. Summary plots can be generated in the SPEDAS GUI by selecting Tools->Overview Plots->DSCOVR Overview Plots. Command line crib sheets dsc_crib.pro and dsc_mission_compare_crib.pro can be found in projects/dscovr/examples

New GEOTAIL plugin

A new plugin is available for loading GEOTAIL data. A command line crib sheet geotail_load_data_crib.pro can be found in projects/geotail.

Updates to THEMIS, ERG and IUGONET plugins

Updates to SPDF library to support HTTPS access to CDAWeb

New features in MMS plugin

– Added mms_flipbookify for creating “flipbook” style series of images with 2D FPI/HPCA distribution slices. See mms_flipbook_crib.pro in projects/mms/examples/advanced
– Added crib sheet that shows how to send MMS FGM and FEEPS data to Autoplot – mms_tplot2autoplot_crib (in projects/mms/examples/advanced)
– Updated FEEPS sun sector masks and active telescopes
– Updated mms_part_getspec to allow adding B-field/spacecraft ram directions to angular spectra
– Added initial overview plots to the SPEDAS GUI
– Added ability to subtract FPI distribution errors from prior to distribution calculations
– Added routine for creating MMS orbits plots (mms_orbit_plot)
– Added load routine for L3 merged FGM/SCM data products

Experimental new features (work in progress):

Download via HAPI (Heliophysics Application Program Interface)

A command line crib sheet crib_hapi.pro can be found in general/examples

Import/export data to Autoplot

A command line crib sheet crib_tplot2ap can be found in general/spedas_tools/tplot2ap . See also: mms_tplot2autoplot_crib in projects/mms/examples/advanced

Write CDFs from TPLOT variables with tplot2cdf

The tplot2cdf tool can be used to create CDF files (including most ISTP required variable attributes) from tplot variables.
A command line crib sheet crib_tplot2cdf_basic.pro can be found in general/examples. See also: mms_tplot2cdf_crib in projects/mms/examples

Where to find more documentation

See the SPEDAS wiki at http://spedas.org/wiki

Where to get help

Please email questions, bug reports, help requests, and enhancement suggestions to SPEDAS_Science_Support@ssl.berkeley.edu

Acknowledgements

The SPEDAS software development has been supported by NASA contracts NAS5-02099 (THEMIS mission), NNG17PZ01C (SPEDAS general development), and NNG04EB99C (MMS sub-contract). We would also like to thank the many software developers and SPEDAS users who have supported the development effort by contributing code, reporting problems, and suggesting enhancements.