How to open an .ixo file from a LightCycler 480
You have been sent an .ixo file, or found a folder of them on a shared drive from a project years ago. Here is what they are and how to read them.
An .ixo file is an experiment exported from Roche's LightCycler 480 software: it bundles the plate layout, sample names, run protocol and fluorescence readings for one qPCR run. The instrument software can import it back, but that software runs only on Windows next to the instrument. To open an .ixo on any Mac or Windows computer, use an app that reads the format directly, such as CycleView, which shows the curves and lets you recalculate Cq and ΔΔCt.
What an .ixo file contains
- the sample list and plate layout
- the thermal protocol and detection formats
- fluorescence readings per well and per cycle, plus melt readings
- analysis information saved with the experiment
Because the raw readings are included, an .ixo can be fully reanalysed, which a results table cannot.
Three ways to open it
- CycleView on Mac or Windows: drag it in, see the plate and curves, analyse and export.
- The LightCycler 480 software: import it into the database on a PC that has the software installed.
- Ask for an RDML export from whoever has the instrument software, if you only need the data in an open format.
Rescuing old .ixo archives
Old projects often sit on drives as .ixo exports long after the instrument PC was replaced. If you need to reanalyse them, for a revision, a thesis chapter or a meta-analysis, open them in CycleView and export RDML. RDML is open and documented, so it will still be readable when today's software is gone.
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
Is an .ixo file the same as .lc96p?
No. .ixo comes from the LightCycler 480; .lc96p is the LightCycler 96 run file. CycleView opens both.
Can I convert .ixo to Excel?
Open it in CycleView and export CSV for a spreadsheet, or RDML to keep the full data in an open format.
Does opening the file change it?
No. CycleView never writes to the original file; exports are new files.