MATLAB: Opening a .DAT file

.dat file

I need to open a .DAT file that was created in 1988. This .DAT file was created by Fortran, which was programmed to collect streaming data.
The first ten rows are a header and I believe that each and every row is 140 bytes.
I have tried several programs and I get garbage. When I tried Matlab, I get actual numbers, but no header (which probably means it is all garbage).
I am using the "fopen" and "fread" commands in matlab.
Can anyone give me some insight on how to open this file correctly?
I can send the file upon request.
PS – I am a fairly new user, so cut me some slack.
This is what I get when I open it with Notepad:
14ma30 pinsfx s20e25 w2c p vel v D € 14MA30PINSFX314:13 VAG” F²FRp РÐB Ø@ÃõÀ¶ó]AòÒ æ=ܟýÌgš;€P3>sªÁ;@Ú‘<àuk;P¦> v< ½%¾s‹ =¨Ð†¼`¾’¶½ÌO­¼àTŽ=mñ¾ˆèZ<Àb½í~¾ÐÝL½Àž85†<€({½P:“½ƒE">8¼ •=î‡>ˆ§s=P8>[²¼Àßf=5 €@ €@ €@ €@ €@ A A A A A A E € B ÈB E @ÞB  B B ðB 0=#lî>†p¿Ët±»J4s;Æa´;t@ÚÿͼԨ¬?ƪ1¿÷~9»mù°»´jO<hœ@˜ÿ®¼bL@/I¿ u¼l¯¼u«¨<Û@ºý>Aƒ@µKG¿õª;N€/¼°/È<mZ@|þ`=à­”@wî,¿÷ɼžÌ)¼Þ×-<®¨@Nþ0=‡pî>ip¿ t²»ù¬t;Bk³;“\@Øÿͼš‡¬?«1¿ýz'»ÎÀ®»c²Q<åÄ@˜ÿ­¼ô¸@~I¿tq¼gô°¼Ê*©< J@ºý>C¥ƒ@ýKG¿ñ£;½ê-¼ïvÆ<E@„þa=u”@™î,¿ññƼ ò(¼N.<ì{@Xþ0=étî>Lp¿ut´»x)u;*r²;Ô«@Øÿͼff¬?F«1¿w»Œ{¬»øS<í@–ÿ­¼ˆ%@ÍI¿Þn¼Lƒ°¼š®©<¸@¼ý>Cºƒ@ELG¿ í;ýO+¼§»Ã<Ûä@Žþa= ”@»î,¿Øìļ©&¼ÁQ/<ºP@`þ0=Myî>/p¿Jtµ»ý£v;·~±;¯ú@Øÿͼ=E¬?†«1¿s»L1«»{9V<¯@–ÿ¬¼4’@I¿Dk¼Q±¼û7ª<M @¼ý>?σ@ŒLG¿ é–;P¨)¼ øÁ<€ª@–þa=˜ÿ”@Ýî,¿ÃçÁ¼[?$¼ÏŽ0<Ð&@jþ0=°}î>p¿t·»òw;Jˆ±;™I@Øÿͼ'$¬?Æ«1¿ oẉ¦©»‡hX<NB@”ÿ«¼ÿ@gI¿ª g¼´Ä±¼ÚÁª<p~@¼ý>7äƒ@ÓLG¿å;Pú(¼J*¿<Ýo@ þb=%p”@ÿî,¿­â¾¼ge"¼•Ë0<Qú@tþ0=‚î>öo¿õs¸»‡–x;•°;Q˜@Øÿͼ,¬?¬1¿ k¼ºŸÂ§»š‰Z<p@”ÿ«¼Jl@±I¿ d¼Tt²¼çKª<vÌ@¾ý>$ùƒ@MG¿ûà‰;;&¼ZP½<5@¨þb=¬à”@#ï,¿•Ý»¼¼!¼ð1<DÍ@|þ0=w†î>Ùo¿Ésº»*y;嚯;jç@Øÿ̼Xâ¬?F¬1¿ g—º¡¥»?—\</¡@’ÿª¼ÌÙ@õI¿s a¼;.²¼mÒ«<e@¾ý>ƒ@bMG¿íÜ‚;r$¼Älº<m÷@²þc=/Q”@Dï,¿Ø¸¼ µ¼¤E2<8¢@†þ0=ÚŠî>»o¿žs»»‹z;(¥¯;6@Øÿ̼¸Á¬?‡¬1¿cdºñ~£»¾Ž^<UÖ@’ÿª¼·G@6I¿Ú]¼@î³¼«Q«<Ç"@Àý>Ü"ƒ@ªMG¿ÙØw;«/"¼<~¸<·@ºþc=ªÁ”@fï,¿gÓµ¼‰Ý¼‹‚3<¦v@Žþ0=?î>žo¿ss½»6{;l®®;(…@Øÿ̼J¡¬?ɬ1¿ý^ºò'¡»¡|a<R@ÿ©¼2¶@qI¿CZ¼ò²³¼ Ç«<Â%@Àý>£7ƒ@òMG¿½Ôi;Gd ¼ª„¶<¾v@Âþd=2”@‰ï,¿Qγ¼V¼F¾4< G@–þ0=£“î>o¿Gs¾»µ~|;·­;Ô@Øÿ̼ ¬? ­1¿òZš¹ñDŸ»dc<¢M@Žÿ©¼¸%@§I¿°W¼Gp´¼Ñ(«< @Âý>ZLƒ@8NG¿—Ð[;ú–¼Í‚´<2@Êþd=‡¢”@«ï,¿8É°¼¾-¼›ù5<@žþ0=˜î>co¿s¿»,û};æÀ­;Â"@Øÿ̼@a¬?P­1¿ÞV¶B»žJe<ÌŽ@Œÿ¨¼À–@ÛI¿$T¼!´¼…qª<Ã×@Æý>ÿ`ƒ@€NG¿jÌM;(½¼ÿz±<úæ@Ôþe=ë”@Íï,¿ Ä­¼±U¼Ý35<óë@¦þ0=kœî>Fo¿òrÁ»q~;Yͬ;¹r@Öÿ̼®A¬?–­1¿ÈR™9þ^›»Cg<M×@Šÿ¨¼˜ @ I¿žP¼¿´¼" ª<*‡@Èý>’uƒ@ÇNG¿3È?; â¼’o¯<Eš@Üþe=Bƒ”@ïï,¿¿ª¼K~¼ôm6<¾@®þ0=Рî>)o¿Ær»rï;Þ«;}Á@Öÿ̼c"¬?Þ­1¿­N:¹t™»wOj<¶#@ˆÿ§¼~@8I¿ M¼OA´¼û«ª<u@Ìý>Šƒ@OG¿óÃ2;ð¼ƒ_­<ÈI@äþe=ó”@ð,¿í¹§¼n§¼¡§7<AŽ@¶þ0=7¥î> o¿›rÄ»†i€;Fs«;@Öÿ̼\¬?'®1¿ŽJh:¢©—»Apl<¤x@†ÿ¦¼¢õ@dH¿®ÿI¼š´¼EŒ©<nš@Ðý>ˆžƒ@UOG¿«¿$;S¼ÄKª<›ó@ìþf=×c”@4ð,¿Ó´¤¼mϼfà8<Õ_@¾þ0=›©î>în¿qrÅ»õá€;ï÷ª;ä`@Öÿ˼‘ä¬?s®1¿kF›:| •»êŸn<ÛÔ@„ÿ¦¼5o@H¿GþE¼—´¼g<©<¸@Öý>벃@OG¿[»;­Ÿ¼¿1¨<{—@ôþf=Ô”@Vð,¿¸¯¡¼1ù¼{9<Ä-@Æþ0= ®î>Ñn¿FrÇ»U`;c~©;2¯@Öÿ˼óŬ?î1¿FBÃ:)“»tÐq<);@‚ÿ¥¼wë@ºH¿ïüA¼"¸³¼'¼¨<µW@Üý>?ǃ@äOG¿·;ƒý¼Ä¦<{7@üþg=DD”@yð,¿œªŸ¼d$¼ÙR9<û@Îþ0=g²î>´n¿rÈ»eØ‚;"¨;mÿ@Öÿ˼y§¬?¯1¿>ê:¢‘»·÷s<ϯ@€ÿ¥¼¦j@æH¿Ÿû=¼i~³¼§<»›@äý>…Ûƒ@*PG¿š²ö:>ʼ…ã£<ÜÑ@ÿg=n´”@›ð,¿€¥œ¼áO ¼ÂŒ:<„Ç@Öþ0=жî>—n¿ïqÊ»W‚;|Š¨;žN@Öÿ˼ÿˆ¬?i¯1¿ô9 ;&»xv<j/@|ÿ¤¼Ûì@H¿Wú9¼²²¼ç9¦<Ð@êý>¿ïƒ@rPG¿+®Û:Ç  ¼©¡<Ég@ ÿh=$”@½ð,¿d ™¼Ó| ¼ Ç;<Ê”@Üþ0=6»î>{n¿ÄqË» σ;†§;Ÿ@Öÿ˼†j¬?¯1¿Ê5;üŽ»´x<]¼@zÿ¤¼Cr@CH¿ù4¼2¡±¼ÚF¥<.ö@ôý >îƒ@¹PG¿²©À:ˆi ¼³^ž<²ü@ÿh=¥””@ßð,¿G›–¼ƒ« ¼&<<ï_@äþ0= ¿î>\n¿™qÍ»{Iƒ;R”¦;Ží@Ôÿ˼çK¬?°1¿¢10;²áŒ»({<^R@vÿ£¼û@uH¿Ë÷0¼7 °¼Æ:¥<Z@üý >ƒ@ QG¿.¥¥:Gr ¼`œ<Ú‹@ÿi=±”@ñ,¿,–“¼›Û¼_>=<w(@êþ0= Äî>?n¿nqλUÇ„;Ó¦;À=@Ôÿ˼-¬?}°1¿z-D;ï­Š».

Best Answer

Okay, binary data. :( Do you know what the file is supposed to contain? What is created on a Intel x86 machine (that is, is the floating point format likely to be compatible with your current machine)? Unless you know something about the data you are reading in, you're flying blind.
I might be tempted to try:
 f = fopen('foo.dat, 'rb');
 D = fread(f, inf, '*float');  % Try '*double' too
 fclose(f);
 plot(D);
Does a signal eventually emerge in the plot? If there is a header following by a stream of vector data, you might see a burst of noise (the header) followed by the data.
Beyond this, I don't have a lot of ideas, sorry.
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