This format consists of beamformed data.
You can choose between a 32-bit floating point complex or 8-bit integer magnitude format. Select the 8-bit format only if you are interested in imaging pixel data and want a reduced data file size. The 8-bit format takes up a quarter of the 32-bit format's size.
Data body size is determined by the number of beams and samples. Different modes may form a different number of beams. Therefore, data body size may change depending upon the mode.
.imb files are easier to work with when using the M3 Sonar MATLAB toolbox and can be used with third-party software, such as Echoview.
NoteIf files are recorded in .imb format, they cannot be converted to .mmb.