PHC / PHB

Status

What it is

PHC and PHB files are legacy Brother-family card or media formats. They appear to wrap Brother-style machine data rather than being modern PES files.

Satin Studio behavior

Satin Studio documents this format for identification and inspection. It does not open or export the file.

Versions and variants

PHC and PHB should be treated as separate dialects until files prove their relationship.

File identification notes

Reported structure includes a header or container area plus a PEC-style block. Satin Studio verifies the wrapper before applying PEC decoding to the embedded block.

Observed structure notes

• PHB has been observed with a #PHB0003-style header lead, a color table near offset 0x71, and nested offsets that eventually locate PEC-style stitches.
• PHC has been observed with graphic height/stride near offset 0x4A, a Brother palette color table, PEC-style graphics, and a PEC-style stitch stream reached through offset and section-length fields.
• Both formats appear to wrap Brother/PEC-like payloads, but wrapper offsets and media metadata need validation.

Structure sketch

PHC/PHB are legacy Brother-family wrapper leads. The useful stitch data may be PEC-like after the wrapper is understood.

struct PhcPhbCandidate<'a> {
    wrapper_header: &'a [u8],           // card/media wrapper, unverified
    directory_or_metadata: Option<&'a [u8]>,
    possible_pec_block: Option<&'a [u8]>,
}

Compatibility evidence

The notes above help identify and inspect the format; they do not imply import or export support. Keep the original file and record the machine and software that produced it.