[fitsbits] [EXT] Re: Re: 16-bit floats {External} {External}

[Barrett, Paul]

I think that random groups and binary tables would be sufficient.

 -- Paul


On Fri, Jul 25, 2025 at 8:08 PM Seaman, Robert Lewis - (rseaman) via
fitsbits <fitsbits at listmgr.nrao.edu> wrote:

> A new extension type is an interesting thought. More fundamentally, would
> 16-bit floats be more useful in image arrays or in binary tables?
>
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>
> Rob
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> On 7/25/25, 4:56 PM, "fitsbits" wrote:
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> *External Email*
>
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> ------------------------------
>
> Hi Fitsbits,
> Although retired I still have a private opinion.
> Allowing a new data type in the primary header would in principle force
> all readers to be upgraded. A significant request.
> A better way would be to create a new extension type for radio astronomy.
> This would give full freedom to include any format or feature needed
> without forcing old readers to be upgraded.
> Yours
> Preben Grosboel
>
> --
> Sent with GMX Mail app
>
>
>
>
> On 7/25/25, 17:44 Maren Purves via fitsbits <fitsbits at listmgr.nrao.edu>
> wrote:
>
> As another one who also dates back to the days of punched cards, the
> 80 character length is what the punched cards had, 80 characters, 7
> bit ASCII.
>
> I'm glad Malcolm got back to doing some astronomical research after
> retiring.
>
> Maren (nominally head of instrument and telescope software at the East
> Asian Observatory/JCMT but really more of a sysadmin these days)
>
> On Thu, Jul 24, 2025 at 11:24 PM Malcolm J. Currie via fitsbits
> <fitsbits at listmgr.nrao.edu> wrote:
> >
> > > Just because we are old does not mean that we are not working on
> state-of-the art software. The reason for wanting 16-bit floats is for this
> > > specific reason. Radio astronomy software would benefit from 16-bit
> floats.
> >
> > Absolutely. That realisation had crossed my mind at the time, and I
> > wondered whether to qualify my statement. The groups weren't mutually
> > exclusive. In the end I decided not to dilute the point that we do need
> > fresh blood in the FITS WG.
> >
> > Malcolm
> >
> >
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