WFDB MATLAB Toolbox

The WFDB Toolbox for MATLAB and Octave provides access to PhysioNet’s waveform and annotation databases from within MATLAB or Octave environments.
It wraps functions from the WFDB C library and command-line tools, providing MATLAB-friendly interfaces for loading, processing, and visualizing physiologic signals.

This toolbox is no longer actively maintained. It remains available for legacy use but is not being updated with new features or database compatibility improvements.

Installation

You can download the WFDB Toolbox for MATLAB from PhysioNet:

Installation steps:

  1. Download and unzip the toolbox.
  2. Add the toolbox folder to your MATLAB or Octave path:
addpath(genpath('path_to_unzipped_folder'));
savepath;

Dependencies:

  • Java (for system calls and web access)
  • WFDB Software Package (C library) installed locally (optional but recommended for full functionality)

Repository and Contributions

Since active development has ceased, contributions are not currently being accepted.

Basic Usage Example

Reading a waveform record:

[signal, fs, tm] = rdsamp('mitdb/100', [], 10);
plot(tm, signal);
xlabel('Time (s)');
ylabel('Amplitude');
title('Record 100 from MIT-BIH Arrhythmia Database');

Reading annotations:

[ann, anntype, subtype, chan, num, comments] = rdann('mitdb/100', 'atr');
disp([ann, anntype]);

Features

  • Load signal data (rdsamp)
  • Load annotation data (rdann)
  • Fetch PhysioNet data automatically via HTTP
  • Basic processing tools (e.g., QRS detection, heart rate variability analysis)

The toolbox provides a simple, integrated way to work with PhysioNet databases in MATLAB but is dependent on system-level WFDB utilities for full functionality.

Citing

If you use the WFDB Toolbox for MATLAB in your research, please cite:

Silva, I., Moody, B., & Moody, G. (2021). Waveform Database Software Package (WFDB) for MATLAB and Octave (version 0.10.0). PhysioNet. https://doi.org/10.13026/6zcz-e163