slink: Manual Page

SLINK

NAME

slink - link primary speech data into secondary SFS file

SYNOPSIS

slink sfs_source newfile
slink -i item (-s|-S start) (-e|-E end) (-r) sfs_source (destfile)

slink -i item -f freq (-c chan/#chan) (-s|-S start) (-e|-E end) (-b) (-d DC) (-m mult) (-h headerlen) (-r) binary_source destfile

slink -i item -t filetype (-c chan/#chan|-C chantype) (-s|-S start) (-e|-E end) (-r) formatted_source destfile

DESCRIPTION

slink is a program to create one or more "virtual items" in a SFS file that link back to some primary data in another file. The data can be accessed through the SFS file as normal, but the primary data cannot be affected by any operation. The program operates in three modes:

1. Link whole contents of existing SFS file to new SFS file.

2. Link single item in existing SFS file to existing SFS file.

3. Link part of a foreign format (including binary) file to an item in an existing SFS file.

The program takes two files, the second of which ("destfile") must be a SFS file. In the first mode, "destfile" must not already exist. The primary file ("xxx_source") can one of the following:

	SFS file
	binary file, single channel/multiple channels
	RIFF format file (.WAV), single/multiple channels
	VOC format file, single/multiple channels
	AU format file, single/multiple channels
	AIFF format file, single/multiple channels
	ILS format file, single channel
	HTK format file, single channel
	PCLX Tx data file, for access as SFS Tx item

Files on the host machine are specified with a filename. Files accessed through a file server running the UCL protocol are specified with a host name ("networkname") and a filename.

For SP and LX items in SFS or binary files, a part of the primary data set may be linked, using specified start and end times (in seconds or samples).

Binary data may be transformed by (i) selecting channels, (ii) swapping bytes, (iii) removing a DC offset and (iv) shifting bit pattern up/down word. Options and their meanings are:

-I Identify program and exit.

-i item (sfs source) Select a source item number. Each item is linked.
(binary source) Specify datatype. Single item is linked.

-f freq (binary source)Specify sampling frequency in Hz.

-t filetype Specify file format. Options are: RIFF, WAV, VOC, AU, AIFF, ILS, HTK, PCLX. Default: RAW (straight binary).

-c chan/#chan Specify channel number and number of channels for multiplexed data. For example: two-channel data acquired and first channel required: "-c 1/2". Default is "-c 1/1".

-C chantype Specify speech and/or Lx for stereo linkage. Use -C11 for stereo speech, -C12 for speech and Lx, -C21 for Lx and speech, -C22 for stereo Lx.

-s start Specify start time for linked item (in seconds).

-S start Specify start time for linked item (in samples).

-e end Specify end time for linked item (in seconds).

-E end Specify end time for linked item (in samples).

-b (binary source)Swap bytes in sampled data.

-d DC (binary source)Subtract value given by "DC" from samples. Performed after byte swapping.

-m mult (binary source)Shift sampled bit pattern up (positive shift) or down (negative shift) by the number of bits specified in "mult". Performed after byte swapping and DC offset correction. Values of shift greater than 15 are reserved for manipulation of 8-bit values internally.

-h headerlen (binary source)Skip 'headerlen' bytes before starting the link. Useful for skipping fixed length headers prefixed onto raw binary - providing you know how long they are.

-r Use a relative path to the source file. Default: absolute path.

VERSION/AUTHOR

3.6 - Mark Huckvale

BUGS

Item offsets are not preserved in links to individual items across files.

_{Fri Jul 09 14:54:32 2004}