def setup_sft_obs(sft_file,ins_file=None,start_datetime=None,times=None,ncomp=1):
    """writes an instruction file for a mt3d-usgs sft output file

    Parameters
    ----------
        sft_file : str
            the sft output file (ASCII)
        ins_file : str
            the name of the instruction file to create.  If None, the name
            is <sft_file>.ins.  Default is None
        start_datetime : str
            a pandas.to_datetime() compatible str.  If not None,
            then the resulting observation names have the datetime
            suffix.  If None, the suffix is the output totim.  Default
            is None
        times : iterable
            a container of times to make observations for.  If None, all times are used.
            Default is None.
        ncomp : int
            number of components in transport model. Default is 1.


    Returns
    -------
        df : pandas.DataFrame
            a dataframe with obsnme and obsval for the sft simulated concentrations and flows.
            If inschek was not successfully run, then returns None


    Note
    ----
        setups up observations for SW conc, GW conc and flowgw for all times and reaches.
    """

    df = pd.read_csv(sft_file,skiprows=1,delim_whitespace=True)
    df.columns = [c.lower().replace("-","_") for c in df.columns]
    if times is None:
        times = df.time.unique()
    missing = []
    utimes = df.time.unique()
    for t in times:
        if t not in utimes:
            missing.append(str(t))
    if len(missing) > 0:
        print(df.time)
        raise Exception("the following times are missing:{0}".format(','.join(missing)))
    with open("sft_obs.config",'w') as f:
        f.write(sft_file+'\n')
        [f.write("{0:15.6E}\n".format(t)) for t in times]
    df = apply_sft_obs()
    utimes = df.time.unique()
    for t in times:
        assert t in utimes,"time {0} missing in processed dataframe".format(t)
    idx = df.time.apply(lambda x: x in times)
    if start_datetime is not None:
        start_datetime = pd.to_datetime(start_datetime)
        df.loc[:,"time_str"] = pd.to_timedelta(df.time,unit='d') + start_datetime
        df.loc[:,"time_str"] = df.time_str.apply(lambda x: datetime.strftime(x,"%Y%m%d"))
    else:
        df.loc[:,"time_str"] = df.time.apply(lambda x: "{0:08.2f}".format(x))
    df.loc[:,"ins_str"] = "l1\n"
    # check for multiple components
    df_times = df.loc[idx,:]
    df.loc[:,"icomp"] = 1
    icomp_idx = list(df.columns).index("icomp")
    for t in times:
        df_time = df.loc[df.time==t,:]
        vc = df_time.sfr_node.value_counts()
        ncomp = vc.max()
        assert np.all(vc.values==ncomp)
        nstrm = df_time.shape[0] / ncomp
        for icomp in range(ncomp):
            s = int(nstrm*(icomp))
            e = int(nstrm*(icomp+1))
            idxs = df_time.iloc[s:e,:].index
            #df_time.iloc[nstrm*(icomp):nstrm*(icomp+1),icomp_idx.loc["icomp"] = int(icomp+1)
            df_time.loc[idxs,"icomp"] = int(icomp+1)

        df.loc[df_time.index,"ins_str"] = df_time.apply(lambda x: "l1 w w !sfrc{0}_{1}_{2}! !swgw{0}_{1}_{2}! !gwcn{0}_{1}_{2}!\n".\
                                         format(x.sfr_node,x.icomp,x.time_str),axis=1)
    df.index = np.arange(df.shape[0])
    if ins_file is None:
        ins_file = sft_file+".processed.ins"

    with open(ins_file,'w') as f:
        f.write("pif ~\nl1\n")
        [f.write(i) for i in df.ins_str]
    #df = _try_run_inschek(ins_file,sft_file+".processed")
    df = try_process_ins_file(ins_file,sft_file+".processed")
    if df is not None:
        return df
    else:
        return None
writes an instruction file for a mt3d-usgs sft output file

    Parameters
    ----------
        sft_file : str
            the sft output file (ASCII)
        ins_file : str
            the name of the instruction file to create.  If None, the name
            is <sft_file>.ins.  Default is None
        start_datetime : str
            a pandas.to_datetime() compatible str.  If not None,
            then the resulting observation names have the datetime
            suffix.  If None, the suffix is the output totim.  Default
            is None
        times : iterable
            a container of times to make observations for.  If None, all times are used.
            Default is None.
        ncomp : int
            number of components in transport model. Default is 1.


    Returns
    -------
        df : pandas.DataFrame
            a dataframe with obsnme and obsval for the sft simulated concentrations and flows.
            If inschek was not successfully run, then returns None


    Note
    ----
        setups up observations for SW conc, GW conc and flowgw for all times and reaches.