diff --git a/micromate/sensor_check.py b/micromate/sensor_check.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dea67e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/micromate/sensor_check.py
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+r"""Decode the Thor / Micromate (series-4) sensor self-check waveforms from an
+IDFW event binary.
+
+Reverse-engineered 2026-09-15 against 4 UM (Thor) oracle events.  The IDFW
+binary carries the sensor self-check in its fixed-header region (before the
+waveform body), as up to four records tagged ``01 0e 3c/3d/3e/3f`` — the SAME
+channel ids as the series-3 MiniMate Plus (Tran / Vert / Long / MicL), which is
+the physical self-test:
+
+  * 3c / 3d / 3e = Tran / Vert / Long geophone ring-downs (a damped impulse
+    response — resonant frequency + damping).
+  * 3f          = MicL pulse train (the mic's known-signal gain check).  Absent
+    on three-channel (mic-disabled) units.
+
+Record framing (per record)::
+
+    01 0e [id:1] [flags:3] [count:2 BE] [pad:10] [int16-BE samples × count]
+    \___ 18-byte header ___/
+
+Unlike series-3's delta-coded trailing block, series-4 stores each trace as a
+raw int16 big-endian array.  ``count`` (the 2-byte field at header offset +8)
+is the sample count; the record is padded to a fixed stride after that.
+"""
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import struct
+from typing import Dict, List
+
+# Record id → channel.  Same ids/order as series-3 (minimateplus.sensor_check).
+_ID_TO_CHANNEL = {0x3C: "Tran", 0x3D: "Vert", 0x3E: "Long", 0x3F: "MicL"}
+_CHAIN_IDS = (0x3C, 0x3D, 0x3E, 0x3F)
+
+_MARKER = b"\x01\x0e"       # precedes the 1-byte channel id
+_HEADER_LEN = 18            # bytes from the marker start to the first sample
+_COUNT_OFF = 8              # 2-byte BE sample count, from the marker start
+_MAX_COUNT = 4000           # sanity cap (traces are ~70-200 samples)
+
+
+def _find_chain(raw: bytes):
+    """Locate the sensor-check record chain.  Returns a list of
+    ``(offset, id, count)`` for the first run of markers whose ids run
+    3c, 3d, 3e[, 3f] in order, or ``[]``.
+
+    Records are padded to a fixed stride, so the next marker is not at
+    ``header + count*2``; instead collect every ``01 0e [id]`` marker with a
+    sane count and take the first id-ordered run.  Validating the id sequence
+    (not a lone ``01 0e 3c``) keeps a stray marker in the waveform body from
+    matching — the real chain sits in the fixed header, ahead of the body.
+    """
+    n = len(raw)
+    markers = []
+    for p in range(n - _HEADER_LEN):
+        if raw[p:p + 2] == _MARKER and raw[p + 2] in _ID_TO_CHANNEL:
+            count = int.from_bytes(raw[p + _COUNT_OFF:p + _COUNT_OFF + 2], "big")
+            if 0 < count <= _MAX_COUNT:
+                markers.append((p, raw[p + 2], count))
+
+    for i, (off, rid, _c) in enumerate(markers):
+        if rid != 0x3C:
+            continue
+        run = [markers[i]]
+        for m in markers[i + 1:]:
+            if len(run) < len(_CHAIN_IDS) and m[1] == _CHAIN_IDS[len(run)]:
+                run.append(m)
+            else:
+                break
+        if len(run) >= 3:       # 3-channel (mic-disabled) units are valid
+            return run
+    return []
+
+
+def decode_idf_sensor_check(raw: bytes) -> Dict[str, List[int]]:
+    """Decode the sensor self-check traces from a Thor/Micromate IDFW binary.
+
+    Returns ``{"Tran": [...], "Vert": [...], "Long": [...], "MicL": [...]}`` in
+    raw int16 ADC counts (MicL omitted on 3-channel units), or ``{}`` if the
+    binary carries no sensor-check chain (a non-IDF file, or an IDFH histogram).
+    """
+    chain = _find_chain(raw)
+    if not chain:
+        return {}
+    out: Dict[str, List[int]] = {}
+    for off, rid, count in chain:
+        start = off + _HEADER_LEN
+        blob = raw[start:start + count * 2]
+        if len(blob) < count * 2:
+            continue
+        out[_ID_TO_CHANNEL[rid]] = list(struct.unpack(">%dh" % count, blob))
+    return out
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/thor-idf-sc/UM11719_20231219162723.IDFW b/tests/fixtures/thor-idf-sc/UM11719_20231219162723.IDFW
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diff --git a/tests/fixtures/thor-idf-sc/UM12947_20250806134504.IDFW b/tests/fixtures/thor-idf-sc/UM12947_20250806134504.IDFW
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diff --git a/tests/fixtures/thor-idf-sc/UM13981_20220207084555.IDFW b/tests/fixtures/thor-idf-sc/UM13981_20220207084555.IDFW
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diff --git a/tests/fixtures/thor-idf-sc/UM20147_20250531135901.IDFW b/tests/fixtures/thor-idf-sc/UM20147_20250531135901.IDFW
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diff --git a/tests/test_sensor_check_idf.py b/tests/test_sensor_check_idf.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..00074b2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_sensor_check_idf.py
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+"""Series-4 (Thor / Micromate IDFW) sensor self-check waveform decode.
+
+Reverse-engineered 2026-09-15 against 4 UM (Thor) oracle events.  The IDFW
+binary carries the sensor self-check in its fixed-header region (before the
+waveform body) as up to four records tagged ``01 0e 3c/3d/3e/3f`` — the SAME
+channel ids as series-3 (Tran/Vert/Long/MicL).  Unlike series-3's delta-coded
+trailing block, series-4 stores each trace as a raw int16-BE array after an
+18-byte record header whose sample count is a 2-byte field at offset +8.
+
+Three-channel (mic-disabled) Thor units carry only 3c/3d/3e — no MicL record.
+
+Validated by shape (geophone ring-down / mic pulse train) and cross-event
+consistency, since there's no Thor Event-Report strip to exact-match against.
+"""
+from pathlib import Path
+
+import numpy as np
+
+from micromate.sensor_check import decode_idf_sensor_check
+
+FIXDIR = Path(__file__).parent / "fixtures" / "thor-idf-sc"
+EVENTS = sorted(p.name for p in FIXDIR.glob("*.IDFW"))
+
+
+def _decode(name):
+    return decode_idf_sensor_check((FIXDIR / name).read_bytes())
+
+
+def test_geo_channels_present_and_ringdown_shaped():
+    # Every IDFW event has the three geophone self-checks; each is a large
+    # one-sided deflection (~15000 raw counts) that rings back — the geophone's
+    # damped impulse response.
+    for name in EVENTS:
+        sc = _decode(name)
+        for ch in ("Tran", "Vert", "Long"):
+            assert ch in sc, f"{name} missing {ch}"
+            tr = np.asarray(sc[ch], dtype=float)
+            tr = tr - tr[:4].mean()          # reference to the pre-trigger baseline
+            assert 40 <= len(tr) <= 300, f"{name}:{ch} n={len(tr)}"
+            assert tr.min() < -8000, f"{name}:{ch} min {tr.min()}"
+            # deflects one way and rings back toward / past the baseline
+            assert tr.max() < abs(tr.min()), f"{name}:{ch} not one-sided"
+
+
+def test_mic_present_only_on_four_channel_units():
+    # UM11719 / UM12947 record a mic; UM13981 / UM20147 are 3-channel
+    # (mic-disabled) units and carry no MicL self-check.
+    got = {name: ("MicL" in _decode(name)) for name in EVENTS}
+    assert any(got.values()), "expected at least one 4-channel unit"
+    assert not all(got.values()), "expected at least one 3-channel unit"
+    for name, has_mic in got.items():
+        if has_mic:
+            tr = np.asarray(_decode(name)["MicL"], dtype=float)
+            tr = tr - tr[:4].mean()
+            # mic self-check is a bipolar pulse train — swings both ways, wide range
+            assert tr.max() > 5000 and tr.min() < -5000, f"{name} mic not bipolar"
+
+
+def test_channel_ids_and_order():
+    # ids decode to the canonical channel names, geo always in Tran/Vert/Long order
+    sc = _decode(EVENTS[0])
+    assert [c for c in ("Tran", "Vert", "Long") if c in sc] == ["Tran", "Vert", "Long"]
+
+
+def test_returns_empty_on_non_idf_input():
+    assert decode_idf_sensor_check(b"not an IDF file") == {}
+    assert decode_idf_sensor_check(b"") == {}