(ADIF Version 3.0.5, updated 2017/02/24, annotated with changes from the previous release: green for additions, and red for deletions)

Amateur Data Interchange Format (ADIF) Specification

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Policies
   1. Upward Compatibility
   2. Deprecation
3. Data Types, Enumerations, and Fields
   1. Data Types
   2. Enumerations
      1. Ant_Path
      2. ARRL Section Names
      3. Awards (Deprecated)
      4. Bands
      5. Contests IDs
      6. Continent
      7. DXCC Entity Code EnumerationCountry Codes and Names
      8. Credit
      9. Modes
      10. Submodes
      11. Primary Administrative Subdivisions
      12. Secondary Administrative Subdivisions
      13. Propagation Modes
      14. QSL Medium
      15. QSL Rcvd
      16. QSL Sent
      17. QSL Via
      18. QSO Upload Status
      19. Sponsored Award
   3. Fields
      1. ADIF-defined Fields
         1. Header Fields
         2. QSO Fields
      2. Application-defined Fields
      3. User-defined Fields
4. File Formats
   1. ADI file format
   2. ADX file format
5. ADIF Resources
   1. ADX Schemas
   2. Implementation Notes

I. Introduction

Ever since software has become a part of amateur radio, there have been as many data formats as there have been ham radio software programmers. Hams have struggled with converting data among various formats. In early 1996 KK7A promoted the idea of a standard for exchange of ham data, and an internet reflector was set up for discussing such a standard. Ray WF1B and Dennis WN4AZY, publishers of commercial ham radio software, took the best suggestions from this discussion and proposed the Amateur Data Interface Format (ADIF), which Ray introduced as ADIF 1.0 at the 1996 Dayton Hamvention. Within a year, this standard was adopted by most software publishers.

Starting In 2002, ADIF 2.0.0 initiated a period of upward-compatible expansion during which new data types, formal enumerations, additional fields, and enumeration values were added.

During 2010, the need to support international characters led to this proposal to define a second file format (syntax) that would introduce international data types using Unicode encoded with UTF-8, and that would employ XML syntax. This second file format, referred to as ADX, references the same Data Types, Enumerations, and Fields as are referenced by the original ADIF file format, now referred to as ADI.

The ADIF specification is produced by the ADIF Developers group , which is open to developers of logging software, web sites, amateur radio applications, and others who have a vested interest in the ADIF standard and who will actively participate in its definition, maintenance, and promotion. Decisions are made by majority vote in the ADIF Voting group , with each application or service represented by exactly one ADIF Voting group member.

II. Policies

II.A. Upward Compatibility

From one version of ADIF to the next, Data Types, Enumerations, Fields, and Formats shall be upwardly compatible, meaning that an ADIF file compliant with ADIF version N will comply with any future ADIF version M where M>N.

II.B. Deprecation

Deprecated fields and enumeration values shall be accepted when importing an ADIF file, but shall not be emitted when exporting an ADIF file.

III. Data Types, Enumerations, and Fields

III.A. Data Types

Data Types and Data Type Indicators are case insensitive.

III.B. Enumerations

Enumeration values are case insensitive.

III.B.1 Ant Path Enumeration

III.B.2 ARRL Section Enumeration

III.B.3 Award Enumeration (import-onlydeprecated)

III.B.4 Band Enumeration

III.B.5 Contest ID Enumeration

III.B.6 Continent Enumeration

III.B.7 DXCC Entity Code EnumerationCountry Codes and Names Enumeration

III.B.8 Credit Enumeration

III.B.9 Mode Enumeration

III.B.10 Submode Enumeration

III.B.13 Propagation Enumeration

III.B.11 Primary Administrative Subdivision Enumeration