Extract text from Weather data files (BFR)
To convert BFR data files to another format, you need ecCodes or other Data software.
To convert other file formats to the "Binary Meteorological Data" file type, you need software like ecCodes or a similar tool.
The .bfr extension acts as a container for two very different, high-friction data types that often stump users. The most common variation is the BUFR (Binary Universal Form for the Representation of meteorological data) file, a standard maintained by the World Meteorological Organization. These are dense, table-driven binary files used to store weather observations - from satellite feeds to buoy telemetry. Because they are designed for extreme storage efficiency rather than readability, they are completely opaque to standard text editors. Scientists and analysts frequently need to convert these binary streams into human-readable JSON, CSV, or XML to ingest the data into Python or R workflows without writing complex decoding scripts.
Alternatively, a .bfr file may be a legacy Observer Packet Capture derived from Viavi Solutions (formerly Network Instruments) software. These files contain recorded network traffic used for forensic analysis. The proprietary formatting creates a lock-in effect, preventing you from analyzing the traffic in open-source tools. Network administrators typically convert these to the industry-standard PCAP or PCAPNG formats to open them in Wireshark for easier filtering and inspection.
Convert.Guru analyzes your BFR file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted BRF, VTX, PWB and ISF files.
If you want to convert BFR file to , you can use ecCodes or similar software from the "Meteorological Data Storage" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert files to BFR, try ecCodes or another comparable tool in the "Meteorological Data Storage" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our BFR converter.