ADIF

ADIF
Name	ADIF
Extension	.adi
Owner	Amateur Radio Digital Interface Committee
Released	1999
Latest release	3.1.0
Genre	Amateur radio logging interchange format
Website	Amateur Radio Digital Interface Committee

ADIF ADIF is a plain-text, tag-based interchange format designed for exchanging amateur radio logbook data among logging programs, contest software, and online services. It enables standardized transfer of contact records between applications used by Amateur Radio operators such as those participating in DXpeditions, Field Day events, and radio contests. ADIF is maintained by a community of developers and organizations involved with ARRL, IARU, and other international amateur radio bodies, and it is widely supported by logging software and online logging services.

Overview

ADIF defines a set of named fields and a syntax for representing contact (QSO) records, operator information, station details, and metadata used by logging programs like Logbook of The World, N3FJP, DXLab Suite, Ham Radio Deluxe, and Winlog32. Each record in an ADIF file is composed of ASCII or UTF-8 encoded tagged elements indicating attributes such as callsign, date, time, band, mode, signal reports, and operator. The format facilitates interoperability between applications like WSJT-X, FLdigi, N1MM Logger+, and cloud services such as QRZ.com and eQSL.cc. ADIF supports explicit declaration of version and character encoding, allowing compatibility with standards adopted by projects associated with IEEE and regional regulatory authorities.

History

ADIF originated in the late 1990s through collaborative efforts by developers and organizations in the amateur radio community seeking a common exchange format to replace ad hoc CSV, XML, and proprietary binary logs. Early contributors included authors of logging packages for platforms related to Microsoft Windows, Linux, and macOS, and integration partners from Elecraft, Icom, Yaesu, and other equipment manufacturers. Over successive revisions the format expanded to include fields for digital modes developed by projects like WSJT, PSK31, and FT8 and to address internationalization concerns raised by users in regions represented by the European Radio Amateurs' Organization and national societies. Formal releases and specification updates were coordinated via mailing lists and repositories used by developers who also maintain clients such as CQRLOG and XLog.

Format Specification

ADIF files consist of a header area followed by one or more QSO records. Each field uses a tagged syntax of the form value, where FIELDNAME is one of a defined set such as CALL, QSO_DATE, TIME_ON, BAND, MODE, RST_SENT, and RST_RCVD. The specification enumerates required and optional fields for interoperability among applications like N3FJP, Ham Radio Deluxe, DXLab Suite, Logger32, and ContestLog. The header may include metadata tags for program name, program version, and ADIF version, enabling parsers used in projects like Log4OM to handle backward compatibility with prior versions and different character encodings such as UTF-8 and ISO-8859-1. Commentary in the specification addresses timestamp formats aligned with conventions promoted by UTC and handling of time zones relevant to operators in locations like New York City, London, Tokyo, and Sydney.

Usage in Amateur Radio Logging Software

Logging programs implement ADIF import and export to permit migration of station logs between applications such as N1MM Logger+, DXLab Suite, Ham Radio Deluxe, Logger32, CQRLOG, XLog, QSOm, and Logbook of The World. Contest platforms and award-tracking services use ADIF to ingest submission logs from participants using software developed by contributors associated with CQ Magazine and regional contest organizations like RSGB. Integration with digital-mode clients such as WSJT-X and JTDX often involves automated ADIF exports representing completed QSOs, which are then uploaded to services like Club Log for confirmation and validation. ADIF support reduces friction when porting logs between desktop clients and web platforms maintained by organizations including ARRL and national societies such as TARA.

Extensions and Variants

ADIF has been extended by software projects and community groups to include custom or proprietary fields for specialized uses. Examples include tags added by contest-specific tools developed in conjunction with events like the CQ World Wide DX Contest and by manufacturers such as Elecraft and Icom for telemetry or rig-control metadata. Some variants adapt ADIF principles into XML or JSON wrappers for integration with APIs provided by services like Club Log and QRZ.com, while other projects publish schema mappings for interoperability with databases used by portals like HamQTH. Extension mechanisms are documented by maintainers and discussed on developer forums and at conferences such as Hamvention.

Compatibility and Interoperability

Interoperability is achieved through adherence to the ADIF specification, explicit version tagging within files, and common handling of character encodings endorsed by communities around WSJT-X, N1MM Logger+, and Ham Radio Deluxe. Tools and converters exist to translate between ADIF and other formats (CSV, XML, JSON) enabling use with software ecosystems that include MySQL, SQLite, and cloud platforms provided by services like Google Cloud Platform when operators build custom logging solutions. Backward compatibility concerns are addressed by conservative extension practices and by reference implementations maintained by volunteer developers involved with projects tied to ARRL and international amateur radio unions.

Category:Amateur radio software formats