Free online SOR to CSV converter

What the SOR format is

SOR is the Telcordia standard OTDR data format used to store optical-fiber test results. An SOR file can contain the OTDR trace, wavelength and pulse settings, distance and loss measurements, event information, instrument details, and test metadata.

Optical time-domain reflectometers from manufacturers such as EXFO, VIAVI, and AFL create SOR files. You may encounter them after testing fiber links, receiving commissioning reports from a contractor, or exporting results from software such as EXFO FastReporter or VIAVI FiberTrace.

What the CSV format is

CSV stores tabular data as plain text, with one record per line and a separator—usually a comma—between fields. Spreadsheet applications such as Microsoft Excel and LibreOffice Calc, databases, scripts, and document-management systems can read it without specialized OTDR software.

CSV is useful for extracting event tables, comparing measurements from multiple tests, filtering results, and importing values into reporting or quality-control workflows. It does not preserve the complete visual trace, proprietary instrument settings, or every SOR metadata block.

How to convert SOR to CSV

Using the online converter

1. Open the SOR-to-CSV converter on 101convert.com; no software installation is required.
2. Upload the SOR file and select CSV as the output format.
3. Start the conversion and download the resulting .csv file.
4. Open the CSV in Excel, LibreOffice Calc, or a text editor and verify the delimiter, column headings, distance units, and decimal values.

Using OTDR desktop software

1. Open the SOR in software that supports its SOR revision and the instrument’s vendor extensions, such as EXFO FastReporter or VIAVI FiberTrace.
2. Choose an export command such as File → Export → CSV, Export results, or Save as, depending on the application.
3. Select the event table, trace-point data, or both if the program offers separate export options.
4. Choose a comma delimiter, UTF-8 encoding, and the required measurement units, then save the output with a .csv extension.

For batch processing, use the manufacturer’s command-line or automation tool when available; generic spreadsheet converters cannot interpret the binary measurement blocks inside an SOR file.

Quality and compatibility limits

The exact CSV columns depend on the converter and the SOR content. An export may contain only event results rather than every trace sample, or may omit embedded photographs, signatures, comments, calibration data, and bidirectional-analysis details.

Check that the converter recognizes the SOR version and instrument-specific extensions. If a spreadsheet displays one long column, import the file with the correct delimiter; regional settings may require a semicolon instead of a comma. Keep the original SOR as the authoritative record because CSV does not retain the complete OTDR structure or guarantee round-trip conversion back to SOR.