.SR file extension
To open .SR files on Windows, install a sigrok frontend (commonly PulseView) and open the app.
To open a .sr file, use a sigrok frontend such as PulseView (GUI) or sigrok-cli (command line). Don’t rename the extension—.sr is the recommended extension for the sigrok session format and is expected by sigrok tools.
Last updated: June 11, 2026
Open on your device
Choose your operating system for a dedicated step-by-step opening guide.
How to open .SR files
Use these platform-specific instructions to open .SR files safely.
Windows
- Install a sigrok frontend (commonly PulseView) and open the app.
- Use File → Open (or equivalent) and select the .sr file; if prompted for input format, choose the native sigrok session format.
- If you prefer the command line, use sigrok-cli to import the session and export to another format supported by sigrok.
Mac
- Install a sigrok frontend (commonly PulseView) and launch it.
- Open the .sr file from within the app (File → Open) so it is detected as a sigrok session.
- If needed, use sigrok-cli to convert/export the capture to another supported output format.
Linux
- Install PulseView and/or sigrok-cli from your distribution repositories or the sigrok project.
- Open the .sr file in PulseView (File → Open) or import it with sigrok-cli.
- Export/convert from sigrok-cli if you need a different file type for another tool.
iOS
- There is no common native iOS support for sigrok session (.sr) files; transfer the file to a desktop system and open it with PulseView or sigrok-cli.
Android
- There is no common native Android support for sigrok session (.sr) files; transfer the file to a desktop system and open it with PulseView or sigrok-cli.
Security notes
- .sr files are ZIP archives; treat them like any archive from an untrusted source (they may contain unexpected large data or structures that stress parsers).
- Prefer opening .sr files only with trusted sigrok tools (PulseView/sigrok-cli/libsigrok-based apps) and keep them updated, since the main risk is in parsing complex capture content.
- If you receive an .sr file from an unknown source, avoid extracting and opening embedded files with other applications unless you understand what they are.
Can't open this file?
These are the most common causes and fixes when .SR files fail to open.
Common reasons
- The .SR file won’t open or is not recognized
- The file looks like a ZIP archive (or your system tries to unzip it)
- Capture opens but shows missing/incorrect channels or decoding
Fix steps
- Open the file from within PulseView (File → Open) rather than double-clicking into an unknown default app.
- Update PulseView/sigrok-cli to a current version and try again.
- If the app asks for an input format, select the native sigrok session format (.sr).
OS-specific troubleshooting
What is a .SR file?
An .sr file is a sigrok session file (“srzip”, current v2 format) used by libsigrok to store captures. Technically, it is a standard ZIP archive containing the session structure and data. PulseView can load it as the native sigrok format, and sigrok-cli/libsigrok can read it as an input format.
Background
Sigrok is an open-source signal analysis suite centered around libsigrok, with frontends like PulseView (GUI) and sigrok-cli (CLI). Its session file format is meant to reliably store capture data along with the information needed to interpret it later (for example, configuration/metadata alongside sampled data).
Common MIME types: application/vnd.sigrok.session
Other meanings of .SR
The extension .SR is used by several programs. Besides the file type described on this page, it can also stand for:
- Sun Raster Graphic
- Sega Genesis Collection Archive
Further reading
Authoritative resources for more details on the .SR format.
- IANA Media Types registry (application/vnd.sigrok.session)
- sigrok: File format overview (sigrok session, .sr)
- sigrok: File format specification (sigrok/v2, ZIP-based)
- sigrok: Input/output formats (srzip, current v2 .sr)
- PulseView User Manual (native sigrok .sr format behavior)
- Sigrok (background and frontends like sigrok-cli)
Common .SR issues
The .SR file won’t open or is not recognized
This often happens when the file is opened in an unrelated app, or when the sigrok tools are too old to properly read the current session format (srzip/v2).
- Open the file from within PulseView (File → Open) rather than double-clicking into an unknown default app.
- Update PulseView/sigrok-cli to a current version and try again.
- If the app asks for an input format, select the native sigrok session format (.sr).
The file looks like a ZIP archive (or your system tries to unzip it)
The sigrok v2 session format is a standard ZIP file, so some systems may treat .sr as an archive instead of a capture session.
- Do not rename .sr to .zip for normal use; open it directly in PulseView or sigrok-cli.
- If you must inspect contents for troubleshooting, extract it with a ZIP tool, but keep a copy of the original .sr for use in sigrok.
Capture opens but shows missing/incorrect channels or decoding
Session files store capture data and related session information; differences in tool versions or expectations can lead to mismatches in how the capture is interpreted.
- Try opening the same .sr file in the latest PulseView version available to you.
- Use sigrok-cli to export the raw samples/metadata to another supported output format and re-import as needed.
FAQ
What program opens a .sr file?
The most common .sr meaning is a sigrok session capture. Open it with PulseView (GUI) or sigrok-cli (command line), which use libsigrok’s file format support.
Is a .sr file just a ZIP file?
For the current sigrok session format (v2), yes: it is a standard ZIP archive containing the session’s data and metadata. You can unzip it for inspection, but sigrok tools should be used for normal viewing and analysis.
Can I convert .sr to another format?
Often, yes. Sigrok lists many supported input/output formats, and sigrok-cli can typically export a loaded session to other formats depending on your needs.
PulseView doesn’t ask for an input format—how does it know?
PulseView assumes the native sigrok format (.sr) when no input format is specified.
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