Summary File Format - SM5

Song Meter SM5 User Guide
Core Product
SM5
Accessory

The SM5 summary file is a plain text file on each SD card that records periodic status information while the recorder is active.

Tip: Summary files can be imported into spreadsheet processors as comma-separated values. Depending on your computer's region settings, you may need to explicitly specify that the data is comma-delimited.

File Name

Summary files are named according to the format RecorderName_Summary_CardNumber.txt, where CardNumber indicates whether the summary file was originally written to an SD card in slot 1 or 2.

For example, S5A00032_Summary_1.txt was produced by a recorder with the name S5A00032 to the card in slot 1.

Summary File Update Frequency

Under default settings, the SM5 writes a new line to its summary file once per minute during active schedule periods. When GPS Sync is set to Continuous, the SM5 writes a new line to its summary file once every ten seconds.

The recorder updates the summary file on the same SD card it is currently using to save new recordings.

Example Summary File Excerpts

DATE,TIME,LAT,NS,LON,EW,POWER(V),TEMP(C),#ACFILES,ACL,ACR
2026-Jan-20,13:47:00,42.43068,N,71.45617,W,4.107,25.1,0,Stub,A2
2026-Jan-20,13:48:00,42.43068,N,71.45617,W,4.105,25.1,0,Stub,A2
2026-Jan-20,13:48:13,42.43068,N,71.45617,W,4.078,25.1,1,Stub,A2

Summary Line Fields

DATE
Date on which each line was added to the summary file, formatted as YYYY-MMM-DD, using a three-letter abbreviation of the English name of the month. For example, 2026-Jan-20 refers to January 20th, 2026.
TIME
Time on which each line was added to the summary file, formatted in 24-hour time as hh:mm:ss.
LAT
Absolute value of the recorder's latitude, in positive decimal degrees, as of the most recent location update (manual entry, built-in GPS sync, or update via app).
NS
Indicates whether the latitude is north (N) or south (S) of the equator.
LON
Absolute value of the recorder's longitude, in positive decimal degrees, as of the most recent location update (manual entry, built-in GPS sync, or update via app).
EW
Indicates whether the longitude is east (E) or west (W) of the prime meridian.
POWER(V)
Voltage measurement of the recorder's internal batteries or external power source.
TEMP(C)
Temperature measurement, in degrees Celsius, from the recorder's internal temperature sensor.
#ACFILES
Number of acoustic recordings that have been completed and saved since the previous line in the file.
ACL
Active microphone on the left acoustic channel, also known as Acoustic Channel 1.
ACR
Active microphone on the right acoustic channel, also known as Acoustic Channel 2.

Active Microphones

The columns ACL and ACR display which microphones are active on each audio channel. If no microphone is active on a given channel, that field will display None. In order for a microphone to be active, it must meet the following criteria:

  • In the Channel menu, the channel is mapped to use the microphone.
  • The microphone is properly connected to the SM5.

The active microphone columns can display the following possible values:

None
Indicates that the channel is not using any microphone, either because the channel is not mapped to a microphone, or because the channel is not currently recording.
Stub
Indicates that the left or right acoustic channel is using an acoustic stub microphone.
Stub?
Error state. Indicates that the left or right acoustic channel was mapped to a stub microphone, but the stub microphone is not installed.
A1
Indicates the channel is mapped to an external microphone port with an SMM-A1 acoustic microphone connected.
A2
Indicates the channel is mapped to an external microphone port with an SMM-A2 acoustic microphone connected.
U1
Indicates the channel is mapped to an external microphone port with an SMM-U1 ultrasonic microphone connected.
U2
Indicates the channel is mapped to an external microphone port with an SMM-U2 ultrasonic microphone connected.
H1
Indicates the channel is mapped to an external microphone port with an SM3-H1 hydrophone attached. The SM3-H1 is a discontinued, legacy product.
H2
Error state. Indicates that the channel is mapped to an external microphone port, but the SM5 cannot correctly identify the model of the attached microphone.
NA?
Error state. Indicates that the channel is mapped to an external microphone port, but no external microphone is connected.
!!
Error state. Indicates that the channel is mapped to an external microphone port, but the SM5 cannot correctly identify the model of the attached microphone.
Trouble: If the listed external microphone model does not match the connected microphone, it may indicate a hardware fault inside the microphone or the SM5 recorder. Contact Wildlife Acoustics Support for help diagnosing the issue.