ANC File

What are ANC files and how to open them

Are you having problems opening an ANC file or are you simply curious about its contents? We're here to explain the properties of these files and provide you with software that can open or handle your ANC files.

What is an ANC file?

An .ANC file is a Motion Analysis Corp. ANC Format file.

Motion Analysis Corp. ANC format stores synchronized analog-channel data (for example EMG, force plate signals etc.) from motion capture trials in a plain text (ASCII) row/column layout. It is exported by Motion Analysis's EVaRT software, typically to give users readable analog data that was originally captured simultaneously with video and stored in the binary ANB format.

These files begin with a header section identifying trial information (such as Board_Type, Trial_Name, Duration, Polarity, Number of Channels, BitDepth, Generation etc.), followed by labels for each analog channel, sampling rates ("Rate"), ranges for each channel, then time-stamped rows of raw sample values. The data values are integers unless scaled into analog units using BitDepth and Range. There are two "generations" of the format: Generation 1 uses analog resolution to scale the data; Generation 2 uses gain values, which results in smaller files by default.

Files can be opened or parsed with Motion Analysis tools, or general tools like spreadsheets once exported. Because the format is ASCII text, the raw data is human-readable and editable. In exported files, names like L TIBIALIS, R RECTUS etc. appear in the channel labels, along with keywords like PRECISERATE, CHANNELS, TRIAL_NAME.

Internally the file begins with ASCII signature "File_Type: Analog R/C ASCII.Generation#:" at offset zero, and contains header fields such as DURATION(SEC.), PRECISERATE, BOARD_TYPE, GENERATION, BITDEPTH, CHANNELS, RANGE, POLARITY, and channel labels like L TIBIALIS, R TIBIALIS etc.

How to open ANC files

Important: Different programs may use files with the ANC file extension for different purposes, so unless you are sure which format your ANC file is, you may need to try a few different programs.

While we have not verified the apps ourselves yet, our users have suggested four different ANC openers which you will find listed below.

Last updated: August 18, 2026

Various apps that use files with this extension

These apps are known to open certain types of ANC files. Remember, different programs may use ANC files for different purposes, so you may need to try out a few of them to be able to open your specific file.

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File.org helps thousands of users every day, and we would love to hear from you if you have additional information about ANC file formats, example files, or compatible programs. Please use the links below or email us at submit@file.org to discuss further.