# Recommendation for program to read IQ files?

**URL:** <https://learn.safran-navigation-timing.com/t/recommendation-for-program-to-read-iq-files/380>\
**Category:** Skydel Discussion\
**Created:** [January 24, 2022, 1:58pm UTC](https://learn.safran-navigation-timing.com/t/recommendation-for-program-to-read-iq-files/380 "2022-01-24T13:58:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![rburke](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/learn.safran-navigation-timing.com/rburke/32/29_2.png) [@rburke](https://learn.safran-navigation-timing.com/u/rburke)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2022, 1:58pm UTC](https://learn.safran-navigation-timing.com/t/recommendation-for-program-to-read-iq-files/380/1 "2022-01-24T13:58:56Z")

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I am curious if other members could make recommendations on programs for reading IQ files? There are multiple options and no free ones that I can find. If I need to purchase a program, I want to make sure I get the best one:-)

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**Author:** ![ToppDev](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/learn.safran-navigation-timing.com/toppdev/32/57_2.png) [@ToppDev](https://learn.safran-navigation-timing.com/u/ToppDev)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2022, 6:02pm UTC](https://learn.safran-navigation-timing.com/t/recommendation-for-program-to-read-iq-files/380/2 "2022-01-24T18:02:09Z")

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There is an open source tool called [_Insprectrum_](https://github.com/miek/inspectrum)

Its quite a simple program I came by through [_PySDR - Visually Analyzing an RF File_](https://pysdr.org/content/iq_files.html#visually-analyzing-an-rf-file)

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**Author:** ![G-Man](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/learn.safran-navigation-timing.com/g-man/32/137_2.png) [@G-Man](https://learn.safran-navigation-timing.com/u/G-Man)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2022, 6:49pm UTC](https://learn.safran-navigation-timing.com/t/recommendation-for-program-to-read-iq-files/380/3 "2022-01-24T18:49:01Z")

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I used a basic program called File Magic a while back, but not sure how it compares to others.

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**Author:** ![serge.malo](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/learn.safran-navigation-timing.com/serge.malo/32/23_2.png) [@serge.malo](https://learn.safran-navigation-timing.com/u/serge.malo)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2022, 9:51pm UTC](https://learn.safran-navigation-timing.com/t/recommendation-for-program-to-read-iq-files/380/4 "2022-01-24T21:51:35Z")

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If you are looking for a simple and free “hex editor”, I have liked to used the following ones in the past:  
Windows: Free Hex Editor Neo

> **[Free Hex Editor: Fastest Binary File Editing Software. Freeware. Windows](https://www.hhdsoftware.com/free-hex-editor)**
>
> HHD Free Hex Editor is a fastest binary file editing software for Windows. Using this freeware hex editor you'll be able to edit extremely large files/dumps of raw data and try advanced functions: search/replace data incl. RegExp, disk editor,...

Linux: Bless  
[https://www.thinkpenguin.com/gnu-linux/bless-hex-editor](https://www.thinkpenguin.com/gnu-linux/bless-hex-editor)

Note:  
When generating IQ files with Skydel, there are ways to disable navigation message bits and doppler effect in such a way that you can see the gold code chips with a simple hex editor!