Opening a WFM File

The WFM file type is primarily associated with Tektronix Waveform Editor.

WFM	File extension: WFM
	File type:	data file

What is a WFM file?

WFM files mostly belong to Tektronix Waveform Editor. WFM files store oscilloscope waveform data. They are used mainly by instruments from Tektronix and similar companies to capture measured signals.
These files contain binary data representing the signal's amplitude over time. Many WFM files include a header with metadata such as time base, trigger settings, and acquisition parameters.
Common points include:

Recorded data is from digital oscilloscopes (e.g., Tektronix DPO70000 and Rigol DS1000Z Series).

They store both raw signal samples and measurement details for later analysis.

Some variants are labeled as Tektronix Waveform File or WaveCache, indicating similar content.

A version exists that is known as the Waveform Audio File Format, but this use is less common.

To open and view them, use specialized software such as the Tektronix Waveform Editor or appropriate Rigol tools.

FilExt.com tip: Each WFM file may slightly differ depending on the specific instrument and model. Users should refer to their instrument’s documentation for proper file handling and conversion if needed.

How to open WFM files

You need a suitable software like Tektronix Waveform Editor to open a WFM file. Without proper software you will receive a Windows message "How do you want to open this file?" or "Windows cannot open this file" or a similar Mac/iPhone/Android alert. If you cannot open your WFM file correctly, try to right-click or long-press the file. Then click "Open with" and choose an application. You can also display a WFM file directly in the browser:. Just drag the file onto this browser window and drop it.

Online WFM Text Viewer

Choose your .wfm file to analyze

or drag and drop it here

Online File Viewer

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WFM file format:

If you can determine the file format, the associated program can also be determined. The initial characters of a file are called signature, sometimes also referred to as "magic bytes". The signature can be used to infer the file format. Frequently, however, one file extension is used by different programs for different file formats, and one file format for different file extensions. If there are problems opening a file, you must first determine the file format used. Our analysis of the WFM files produces the following result:

You will often come across the WFM file type. This is used by different programs with different formats. The two most popular formats are as follows:

• 50% of all WFM files belong to Rigol waveform. They consist of illegible, cryptic characters. A typical file size is 16 KB. The file type was created 10 years ago, but is still used today. A common filename is NewFile0.wfm or NewFile1.wfm. Files like these are about waveform.
• 15% of all WFM files have the same signature 0F 0F 3A 57 46 4D 23 30 30. The contents of these files cannot be read by a human; only a computer program can interpret the data. The files are often between 8 KB and 10 MB in size. The files contain the following words: :WFM#003. A usual file name is 20180601.wfm or Tek000.wfm. Files like these are about scope.

The remaining 35% of all WFM files are files with no common format, often e.g. Pro Tools WaveForm cache, Tektronix TDS waveform data, DTLG and XFS. Tagged as wave, cache, scope, signal or iout. You can get all the details of your WFM file by dragging it onto this page or by clicking the button "Choose your .wfm file to analyze" above.