Convert .eds to RDML in under a minute
Journals, data repositories and collaborators increasingly ask for qPCR data in an open format. RDML is that format. Here is how to get there from a QuantStudio run.
To convert an .eds file to RDML, open the .eds in CycleView on Mac or Windows and choose Export, then RDML. The export keeps the plate layout, sample and target names, dyes, raw amplification and melt data and your Cq values in one open XML file that other qPCR tools can read. You can batch several .eds files in one go, and the original files are never modified.
Why convert to RDML
- Supplementary data: an RDML file lets reviewers reanalyse your runs without owning your instrument software.
- Collaboration: a partner lab on a LightCycler or Rotor-Gene can open your QuantStudio data.
- Archiving: vendor formats change; RDML is documented and open, so it remains readable.
- MIQE: RDML was designed to carry the information the MIQE guidelines ask authors to report.
Step by step
- Open CycleView and drag in one or more .eds files.
- Check that sample names, targets and well tasks came through on the plate map. Fix names here if the run was set up with placeholders.
- Optionally set threshold and baseline, so the exported Cq values match your analysis.
- Export, choose RDML, and pick a folder. Each run becomes its own .rdml file.
What carries over
| From the .eds | In the RDML |
|---|---|
| Plate layout, sample names, well tasks | Yes |
| Targets and dyes | Yes |
| Raw amplification data per cycle | Yes |
| Melt curve data | Yes |
| Cq values | Yes, from your analysis settings |
| Vendor-specific display settings | No, these have no RDML equivalent |
Open your run on your own laptop
CycleView opens QuantStudio, LightCycler, Rotor-Gene and RDML files on Mac and Windows. The viewer is free, and nothing is uploaded.
Get CycleView
Mac and Windows · runs locally · for research use, not for diagnosis.
FAQ
Can I convert .eds to RDML for free?
RDML and CSV export are part of CycleView Pro ($12/month or $99/year). Opening and viewing files is free.
Can the instrument software export RDML itself?
Some vendor software versions offer an RDML export. If yours does, that works too. CycleView helps when you only have the .eds and no access to the instrument PC.
Can I convert LightCycler or Rotor-Gene files to RDML too?
Yes. .ixo, .lc96p and .rex files export to RDML the same way.