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Updated: March 07, 2025

.LVM File Extension

There is only one filetype that uses .LVM file extension and it is LabVIEW Measurement File.

LabVIEW Measurement File

File category: Data Files
Developer: National Instruments
Open with: Microsoft Excel (+5 more)
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, ChromeOS, iPadOS

An LVM file is a measurement data file created by LabVIEW (Laboratory Virtual Instrumentation Engineering Workbench), a graphical programming environment designed for developing test, measurement, and control applications that work with instrument hardware. The LVM abbreviation stands for "LabVIEW Measurement," reflecting its origin and purpose. These files store one-dimensional data and are particularly suited for small to medium-sized data sets.

LabVIEW introduced the LVM file format as part of its data storage solutions. The format has been available since early versions of LabVIEW, which was first released by National Instruments in 1986, though the LVM format itself was introduced in later versions as the software evolved.

LVM files use a simple ASCII text format organized in rows and columns. Each line contains a tab or comma-delimited record with an identifier tag followed by its corresponding data. This straightforward structure makes LVM files relatively easy to work with and analyze.

Common Usage of LVM Files

Users and applications typically use LVM files in several ways:

  • Storing output data from measurement instruments through the LabVIEW "Write To Measurement File" function
  • Serving as data input using the "Read From Measurement File" function
  • Transferring measurement data between different LabVIEW applications or modules
  • Sharing experimental results with colleagues who may not have specialized software

How to Open .LVM as LabVIEW Measurement File

Because of their text-based nature, LVM files can be opened and viewed in:

  • Any standard text editor (Notepad, TextEdit, etc.)
  • Spreadsheet programs like Microsoft Excel, which can parse the delimited data into columns
  • LabVIEW itself, which provides specialized tools for working with measurement data

For deeper analysis and integration with measurement hardware, opening LVM files with LabVIEW provides the most functionality. However, the accessible format allows users to examine the data with common tools.

How to Convert an LVM File

LVM files can also be converted to binary .TDM files for more efficient storage when working with larger datasets. The text-based nature of LVM makes it more human-readable but less efficient for very large data collections.

Applications That Open LVM Files

Windows Apps for LVM Files:

macOS Apps for LVM Files:

Linux Apps for LVM Files:

iOS Apps for LVM Files:

Android Apps for LVM Files:

ChromeOS Apps for LVM Files:

  • Any text editor

    Free

iPadOS Apps for LVM Files:

  • Any text editor

    Free

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