---
name: "srec_formatted_binary"
section: "5"
platform: "linux"
package: "srecord"
version: "1.64-4.1+b1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/srec_formatted_binary"
---

# srec\_formatted\_binary(5)

Formatted Binary file format

## NAME

srec\_formatted\_binary - Formatted Binary file format

## DESCRIPTION

This is the PDP‐11 paper tape format, described in the DEC‐11‐GGPC‐D PDP‐11 "Paper Tape Software Programming Handbook" 1972.

The file starts with a character sequence which appears as an arrow when punched on 8‐hole paper tape.

0x08, 0x1C, 0x2A, 0x49, 0x08, 0x00

Then follows a byte count, encoded big‐endian in the low 4 bits of the next 4 bytes.  The high bits should be zero.

Then follows a 0xFF byte.

The data follows, as many bytes as specified in the header.

The trailer consists of the following bytes:

0x00, 0x00,

and then a 2‐byte checksum (big‐endian).

The alternate header sequence

0x08, 0x1C, 0x3E, 0x6B, 0x08, 0x00

is followed by an 8‐nibble big‐endian byte count.

### Size Multiplier

In general, binary data will expand in sized very little when represented with this format.\

## EXAMPLE

Here is a hex dump of a formatted binary file containing the data "Hello, World!".

```
0000: 08 1C 2A 49 08 00 00 00  ..*I....
0008: 00 0E FF 48 65 6C 6C 6F  ...Hello
0010: 2C 20 57 6F 72 6C 64 21  , World!
0018: 0A 00 00 04 73           ....s
```

## COPYRIGHT

*srec\_cat* version 1.64\
 Copyright (C) 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 Peter Miller\

The *srec\_cat* program comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY; for details use the '*srec\_cat -VERSion License*' command. This is free software and you are welcome to redistribute it under certain conditions; for details use the '*srec\_cat -VERSion License*' command.\

## MAINTAINER

| | | |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Scott Finneran | E‐Mail: | scottfinneran@yahoo.com.au |
| Peter Miller | E‐Mail: | pmiller@opensource.org.au |