Free online SOR to XLSX converter

What the SOR format is

SOR is the Bellcore Standard Optical Recording format used for optical time-domain reflectometer (OTDR) measurements. An SOR file can contain the fiber trace, launch and receive settings, wavelength, pulse width, distance range, loss measurements, event locations, splice losses, reflectance, and instrument information.

OTDRs and analysis applications from manufacturers such as EXFO, VIAVI, Anritsu, and Yokogawa create SOR files. You typically encounter them in fiber-installation acceptance tests, troubleshooting records, maintenance reports, and network documentation. SOR is a structured measurement format rather than a normal word-processing document, so spreadsheet conversion usually extracts its values instead of reproducing the original trace viewer.

What the XLSX format is

XLSX is the XML-based workbook format used by Microsoft Excel and supported by LibreOffice Calc, Apple Numbers, Google Sheets, and other spreadsheet programs. It stores worksheets, cells, formulas, charts, filters, formatting, and multiple data tables in one file.

XLSX is useful for sorting OTDR events, comparing measurements from multiple fibers, calculating averages and thresholds, creating charts, and adding project-specific columns. It is easier to edit and share than a proprietary measurement application file, but it does not preserve every SOR feature, such as the original instrument interface, proprietary analysis settings, or all trace metadata.

How to convert SOR to XLSX

Using the built-in online converter

1. Open the SOR-to-XLSX conversion page on 101convert.com.
2. Select the source file with the upload control, or drag the .sor file into the converter.
3. Choose XLSX as the output format and start the conversion.
4. Download the resulting workbook and open it in Excel or LibreOffice Calc.
5. Check the worksheet headers, units, decimal separators, event rows, and measurement values before using the workbook for a report.

The online method is suitable when the converter recognizes the SOR variant and you only need spreadsheet data. Keep the original SOR file because the XLSX output may contain extracted measurements without the full OTDR trace or instrument metadata.

Using OTDR desktop software

1. Open the SOR file in the software supplied with the OTDR, such as EXFO FastReporter or VIAVI FiberTrace, using File → Open.
2. Use the application’s export function, commonly found under File → Export or Report → Export data.
3. Export the measurement table as CSV when XLSX is not offered.
4. Open the CSV in Excel or LibreOffice Calc, confirm the delimiter and encoding in the import dialog, then use File → Save as and select Excel 2007–365 (*.xlsx).

Vendor software is preferable when the SOR contains multiple traces, event tables, or manufacturer-specific fields that a general converter may not interpret completely.

Quality and compatibility limitations

SOR files can use different revisions and vendor extensions. A converter may therefore omit unsupported fields, convert only the event table, or represent the trace as sampled distance-and-level columns rather than as an interactive OTDR graph.

After conversion, verify the distance unit, wavelength, loss unit, reflectance sign, decimal separator, and fiber identifier. Do not treat a blank cell as zero; it may indicate that the source SOR did not contain that measurement. For regulated testing or dispute records, retain the original SOR and use the XLSX as an analysis or reporting copy.