F-POD software and user guidesThe free dedicated FPOD app displays, filters, analyses and exports the data. It uses the advanced KERNO-F classifier that pulls cetacean trains out of background noise.
Updates to the app are always compatible with earlier versions of both data and hardware and are also free.
The structure of F-POD data is open source, and for coders the source code that reads it and calculates some derivatives is available directly from the app. All the data logged is available to users plus the derived click train features generated by the KERNO-F classifier.
The free dedicated FPOD app displays, filters, analyses and exports the data. It uses the advanced KERNO-F classifier that pulls cetacean trains out of background noise.
Updates to the app are always compatible with earlier versions of both data and hardware and are also free.
The structure of F-POD data is open source, and for coders the source code that reads it and calculates some derivatives is available directly from the app. All the data logged is available to users plus the derived click train features generated by the KERNO-F classifier.
F-POD app
The current version of the FPOD app, dated 26 Aug 2024. It uses Version 1.0 of the advanced KERNO-F classifier.
The latest additions include an implementation of the PYRA method of estimating trends in detection rates / access to smoothed inter-click-interval values / and an export utility for users who want to develop their own classifiers using machine learning or AI.
Updated: November 2024
F-POD Software Guide
The F-POD app includes a lot of display, filtering and exporting options.
Hopefully this guide will be useful in learning your way round this beast!
Updated: November 2024
Getting your data from the SD card
Data on SD cards is in .CHE files, which may be one per day or other configurations, but in all cases you read them with the FPOD app and they are then on the PC as .FP1 files.
Mac users will need a PC-emulator
Samples of C-POD and F-POD data
Franciscana and Guiana dolphins recorded by Renan Paitach using a C-POD and an F-POD in Babitonga Bay in Brazil.
View these together in the FPOD app to see the differences between the instruments and species.
POD sightings template for use with F-POD app
Excel template for adding annotations to F-POD and C-POD files.
If you make observations, or arrive at species classifications using your own classifier, you can rapidly add your findings to the file so that the app will show your species designation on a minute by minute basis. Then you can filter the data by the species information you added.
Updated: July 2024
Exporting data into Microsoft Access, running queries and creating charts.
Databases can be quicker and easier to use for large data sets such as those from POD studies.
This is a brief guide to using queries in Microsoft’s Access.
F-POD app version history
This is a reference document on software changes and is of limited interest!
The KERNO-F classifier that underpins the usefulness of F-PODs is based on deep ‘feature engineering’ to seek ‘coherent’ click trains and then allocates them to species guilds or leaves then ‘unclassed’.
This takes you to a paper on the validation of the results.
This takes you to a paper on PYRA.
Updated: November 2024
Video guides on YouTube
The F-POD app
It’s not that bad…
Updated: March 2020
Opening F-POD data files
A good place to start.
Updated: March 2020
Taking a first wide view of a data file
Starting to understand what low time resolution data can tell us.
Updated: March 2020
More user guides:
Video tutorials
| Tutorial link | Updated | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Graphing high resolution data | March 2020 | A fast analysis of the clicks on screen. |
| Graphing low resolution data | March 2020 | A fast analysis of clicks and trains on screen. |
| Using the Analysis function | March 2020 | Another tool that helps assess performance, the effect of filters and much much more. |
| Exploring click characteristics | March 2020 | The unfamiliar world of high-resolution time-domain data. You saw it here first! |
| Fine tuning and saving the F-POD display | March 2020 | Display tools ... and how to go back to see interesting events anywhere in all your many files. |
| Good click trains | March 2020 | Features of trains from train sources. |
| NBHF clicks | March 2020 | Features of clicks from porpoises. |
| Other cetacean click trains | March 2020 | Features of clicks from dolphins. |
| Sonars | March 2020 | Features of clicks from sonars. |
| Bad click trains | March 2020 | Features of false trains created by multiple click sources. |
| Validating a file | March 2020 | How to estimate the false positive level. This is a key skill. Please give feedback on this! |
| Running the KERNO-F classifier | March 2020 | Some advanced points on using this awesome classifier. |
| File Cropping and Time selections | March 2020 | Essential skills for a project and detailed questioning of your data. |
| Exploring click bursts | March 2020 | A scramble through a jungle trying to pick out unknown species of tall tree. |
| Exporting basic F-POD data | March 2020 | Every aspect of your data and its classification can be exported! |
| Exporting cetacean and environmental data | March 2020 | Another exampe of exporting and viewing your data in Excel. |
| Diel and other graphs | March 2020 | Super-fast data analysis in the F-POD app. |
| Marking and editing click trains | March 2020 | Useful tools. |
| Use and sometimes improve the KERNO classifier | March 2020 | Use and sometimes improve the KERNO classifier. |
| Using click filters | March 2020 | Can be the quickest solution to some challenges. |
| Using train filters | March 2020 | Find needles in the haystack. |