A DTA file is a database file used by IWIS Chain Engineering, an automobile drive chain calculation program. It contains data, which may include the engine torque, chain load, and friction supported by the drive chain. DTA files are used for calculating the required drive capacity to determine the appropriate drive chain for an automobile.

The two most common DTA files are IS.dta, which is the system database, and IW.dta, which is the chain database. You can open Chain Engineering DTA files with IWIS Chain Engineering, which is only available for Windows. You most likely will only encounter a Chain Engineering DTA file if you have the Chain Engineering program installed on your computer. If you do not have the program installed on your computer and do not specialize in industrial chain drives, your DTA file most likely stores different information. NOTE: IWIS is a company that specializes in engineering automotive and industrial application chain drive systems.