An overview of the JCAMP-DX format

The JCAMP-DX format is the most widely used vendor-independent data standard in spectroscopy. Based on the ASCII character set, the first standard was published for infrared spectroscopy in 1988 and over the years additional standards have been published covering most of the major spectroscopic techniques. This paper provides an overview of the JCAMP-DX standards, including a brief historical review. This is followed by a basic description of the format, example applications and a discussion of its continuing evolution.