[fitsbits] 16-bit floats {External} {External}

[Paul Hirst]

Hi all,

My 2c worth on all this.

I would support updating the standard to include both 16 and 128 bit floats
as both image and binary table data types. My instinct is to just update
the standard rather than going with an extension.

I don't think it follows that this forces all packages to update - as far
as I'm aware there's nothing that says every package has to support all
possible FITS files. Obviously, if you want to make use of the new types,
you'd need to use software that supports them, but that's only the same as
for example if you want to use tables, or tile compression, you need to use
software that supports them.

Paul.


On Fri, Jul 25, 2025 at 1:56 PM Preben Grosboel via fitsbits <
fitsbits at listmgr.nrao.edu> wrote:

> 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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