New for Humminbird users

This page summarizes the new features, improvements and other changes that have been implemented in Echoview 16 which specifically affect the use of data from Humminbird echosounders.

Support for Humminbird .DAT and .SON data file formats

Echoview now supports data recorded by a range of Humminbird echosounders, including the 900/1100 series, Helix, Solix, and Apex models. Supported data include downscan and sidescan acoustic returns, GPS fixes, transducer depth, and selected device settings (e.g., water type).

Humminbird data are stored in .DAT and .SON files. The .DAT file contains metadata and references to the acoustic .SON files, which are automatically loaded when present. Variables derived from these files are Unspecified dB (logarithmic scale, proportional to received signal strength).

File structure conventions and GPS parsing behaviors are explained in detail in the Humminbird data files page. Users are encouraged to preserve the original folder and file naming conventions to ensure successful reading of files.

Note: Humminbird data are intended for qualitative use. Calibration values such as sound speed are approximated and not derived from the file. Sample values are stored as 8-bit logarithmic intensities.

Improved handling of corrupted data

It has been found that certain Humminbird Apex files may contain corrupted or incomplete ping records. Echoview 16 includes a robust recovery system that scans for valid ping headers even in the presence of data corruption. This helps preserve as much usable data as possible and prevents loss of valid pings.

The recovery system also detects and handles structural anomalies, such as unexpected byte ordering (little endian encoding in Apex .DAT files)—ensuring reliable file reading and display of available data.

See also: New features in Echoview 16 for a description of changes that may affect you but are not specific to Humminbird data.