# Interoperable data formats

The diversity of raw data file formats generated by different sonar systems is a major obstacle toward integrative analysis of ocean sonar data at large scales. Echopype addresses this problem by providing tools for converting and standardizing data from manufacturer-specific formats into the netCDF data model, so that data from different instruments are interoperable. NetCDF is the current defacto standard in climate research and is supported by many powerful Python packages for efficient computation, of which echopype takes advantage extensively.

See the following sections:

- Adaptation of SONAR-netCDF4 convention details echopype’s adaptation of the ICES SONAR-netCDF4 convention version 1 to create standardized data that fully leverage the power of label-aware manipulation and enhance coherence of data representation for scientific echosounders.

- Raw converted data describes the standardized `EchoData` object and provides instrument-specific examples on raw data unpacked and organized (“converted” via `open_raw`) into `EchoData` objects.

- Changes in recent versions describes significant changes in data structures in recent major versions of echopype.