Entry No. 24 Seismic analysis · scientific computing

Excito

Earthquake ground-motion spectral matching: a modernized RSPMatch behind a Python command line, with a GUI and plots.

Status
PrototypePublic source; license pending RSPMatch's terms
Class
Engineering systems
Plates
—
Inspect source

Python · Fortran · CLI · Seismic

Outcome

Made proven legacy numerical methods scriptable, testable and easier to integrate, without pretending the underlying science was new.

modernizationFortran → Python
surfacesCLI + GUI
domainseismic

§ 1Constraint

Important seismic-analysis methods often live behind brittle legacy executables and hand-managed file flows. Replacing validated numerical work wholesale would add risk; wrapping it carelessly would keep the friction.

§ 2Approach

Excito puts a portable Python command line, a GUI and plots around a modernized RSPMatch (N. Abrahamson, 1993) and connects the results to a modern site-response workflow. The boundary keeps provenance visible while making batch runs repeatable.

  • Explicit input and output contracts around the legacy routine.
  • Scripted studies in place of manual desktop steps.
  • Plots for checking each match by eye.