All software distributed by PPI Node of PDS is subject to the legal rights and
limitations of liability described in the file COPYRIGH.TXT.

===============================================================================
                               Introduction
===============================================================================

The Planetary Plasma Interactions (PPI) Node of NASA's Planetary Data System
(PDS) provides software to facilitate the location of the data of interest on
CD-ROM data products, as well as software to convert data between architecture
specific data formats. In addition, the PPI Node provides software which has
been made available by individual projects which may be useful when working
with PPI data.  Non-PDS software is provided "as is" and is distributed by the
PPI Node as a service to the community. 

===============================================================================
                            Obtaining Software
===============================================================================

To obtain the most recent release of any PPI distributed software use anonymous
FTP to connect the PPI FTP server located at "pdsppi.igpp.ucla.edu".  (Complete
instructions on using FTP can be found in the file "FTP.TXT").  At the PPI FTP
server software is maintained in the "SOFTWARE" sub-directory.  Beneath this
directory are sub-directories for all supported platforms. For example, there
is a "DOS" sub-directory which contains all software supported on the Microsoft
DOS platform. 

If you do have the capability to access PPI FTP server you can obtain PPI soft-
ware by requesting a copy of the "PPI Software CD" from the PPI Node operator.

===============================================================================
                    Software Useful for this Data Product
===============================================================================

At the time this data product was created the following software existed: 

bin2asc : Converts an existing PDS labeled flatfile with binary interchange 
          format to an PDS labeled flatfile with ASCII interchange format.

cdf2asc : Converts a CDF file into an flat ASCII file.

det : Permits navigating a DITDOS inventory and extracting (copying) files from 
      one location to another.

ff2pds : Converts a UCLA/IGPP flatfile to a PDS labeled flatfile with binary 
         interchange format.

odr2lbl : Reads a Magellan or PVO Original Data record (ODR) and
          generates a description of the contents of the ODR in
          a PDS label format. 

pdsfiles : Scans a PDS label file and returns a list of files which
           are required by the label. 

pdslist : Lists the contents of a PDS labeled data file. The listing
          attempts to present a nice display. The assumption is that
          the display has at least 80 columns and 24 lines. 
          **** Still under development - doesn't deal with Cline time or 8 
          byte floats ****

sedr2asc: Converts a PVO SEDR raw IBM binary data file to an ASCII data file.


skt2flat : An application to convert the output from the tool "cdf2skt" (which
           converts a CDF format data file into CDF skeleton file) into flat
           ASCII data.

ffconvert : Tool to copy files from one location to another and perform format 
            conversion.

Since software is continuous evolving and new applications are added from time
to time you should check the PPI FTP server for updates and new releases. 


===============================================================================
                            For More Information
===============================================================================

For information about other services of the Planetary Plasma Interactions Node
of the Planetary Data System; contact the PDS/PPI Help line at (310) 206-6073;
e-mail: pds_operator@igpp.ucla.edu