Time-based data recording with time periods is a special form of time-based data recording. Time periods mark a range of time within a time-based HD store. The start and end of the time periods can be specified using triggers or times. A time period is comparable with a triggered DAT file, but with the signal data that is present in an HD store.

Time periods can be enhanced with info fields to save additional information, e.g. text channels such as product or coil numbers.

Time periods are saved in a database table. The info fields correspond to the columns in the database table. The database can either be the internal ibaHD-Server database or an external database provided by the user.