Extract text from Firmware and media files (SA1)
To convert SA1 files to another format, you need ArCon CAD or other System software.
To convert other file formats to the "Firmware / 3D Model" file type, you need software like ArCon CAD or a similar tool.
The .SA1 file format is highly fragmented and serves completely different purposes depending on its origin. Most commonly, it functions as a Satellite Receiver Firmware Update for set-top boxes powered by ALi Corp chipsets. Alternatively, it acts as a proprietary 3D object file used in ArCon architectural CAD software, or as a save state and extracted audio file for retro video games like Super Mario 64.
Opening these files requires highly specific tools. Firmware updates are flashed directly via USB onto hardware receivers. ArCon 3D objects are managed exclusively within Eleco Software's ArCon ecosystem. Game saves and audio rips require emulators like VisualBoyAdvance or specialized audio players.
Users often need to convert .SA1 files to escape severe software lock-in. The ArCon 3D format is proprietary, expensive to license, and unsupported by standard web browsers or modern 3D engines. Firmware files are opaque binary blobs that are impossible to read without developer tools. For 3D models, the best conversion targets are universal formats like OBJ, STL, or DXF, though complex textures may be lost. For audio extracts, converting to WAV or MP3 is standard practice.
This file format is difficult to open or convert because standard online converters cannot differentiate between a hardware firmware update and an architectural 3D model. Often, only the original software or hardware can correctly interpret the binary data. Despite this, convert.guru offers a practical workaround. Just drag and drop your file to identify the format, view its internal hex structure, and convert it if our system detects a supported embedded format.
Convert.Guru analyzes your SA1 file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted AUP, WAV, APN and SAV files.
If you want to convert SA1 file to SAV, you can use ArCon CAD or similar software from the "Firmware Update / 3D Object" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert files to SA1, try ArCon CAD or another comparable tool in the "Firmware Update / 3D Object" 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 SA1 converter.