File compatibility and limitations
Supported files and preparation
ToFScope reads acquisitions from the TOFWERK TOFexplorer1 software in the HDF5 (.h5) format. These files may contain stored ion maps or raw events, depending on the analysis history in the vendor software. For raw files without ion maps, the preparation process creates a new copy with integrated peak data while retaining raw events and metadata. If the file has missing timing or channel metadata, it requires explicit acknowledgment of reconstruction assumptions.
Saving files with ToFScope
ToFScope’s Save as functionality stores the original acquisition, committed analysis settings, and full-resolution custom results in a new HDF5 file. The original acquisition remains unchanged. ToFScope restores its own analysis metadata, including signals and display settings, when the saved copy is reopened.
Using a ToFScope file in TOFexplorer1
ToFScope attempts to add eligible named signals as vendor peaks and reports any exclusions. Some saved copies have opened in TOFexplorer1, but ToFScope analysis names and custom signals may not appear in the vendor interface. ToFScope stores its analysis metadata separately, and the vendor software does not necessarily interpret it.
For a signal made from disjoint mass intervals, vendor peak bounds may span the gaps between intervals. Those bounds do not fully describe the signal; ToFScope retains the exact intervals in its analysis metadata.
Opening a file in TOFexplorer1 does not necessarily mean that all metadata is interchangeable or that the applications produce identical numerical results. ToFScope does not claim full interoperability with TOFexplorer.
Current limitations
Live analyses are held in memory and do not survive a service restart unless the data is saved to disk. Shared use requires a trusted authenticated proxy; self-hosted authentication and container deployment remain under development, and NFS deployment has not yet been tested or qualified. The deployment guide covers different hosted configurations.
3D rendering is qualitative and uses bounded display previews. The 3D guide explains pooling, coverage, interpolation, and rendering limits. Profiles, measurements, and CSV exports use original-resolution data.
Footnotes
TOFWERK and TOFexplorer are names owned by TOFWERK AG. ToFScope is an independent project and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by TOFWERK AG.↩︎