CDCOM File

What are CDCOM files and how to open them

Are you having problems opening a CDCOM 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 CDCOM files.

What is a CDCOM file?

A .CDCOM file is a Circuit Diagram Component (compiled) file.

Circuit Diagram Component (compiled) files store custom component symbols for the Circuit Diagram application in a compact, binary form. These files allow components defined in XML - describing shape, rendering, pins, configuration options, icons, behaviours - to be converted into a form that Circuit Diagram Desktop or Web Edition can load more efficiently and display embedded icons.

These files are produced by compiling an XML component definition using the Circuit Diagram CLI tool. Once compiled, they are used by Circuit Diagram Desktop (and in testing, the Beta Web Editor) to provide components that include icon graphics and support versioned XML formats even when the XML schema changes. Components in CDCOM format can be installed into the Components folder in Desktop, or imported locally in the Web Editor.

A typical workflow is: write a component in XML format (up to version 1.2 is supported directly by desktop), then run a command like circuit-diagram-cli component my_component.xml -o my_component.cdcom, optionally specifying icon image resources with the --resources option so the compiled component embeds toolbar-ready graphics.

Internally the file begins with a unique binary signature: an ASCII prefix starting with the bytes B8 43 44 43 4F 4D 0D 0A etc., which acts as a magic number. The file contains embedded PNG images for icons, version markers, and tags such as "CDCOM", ".CIRCUIT-DIAGRAM.ORG", "IHDR", "IDAT", "IEND", "TEXTSOFTWARE", "PHYS" that indicate its composite binary/XML/image structure.

How to open CDCOM files

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

We have not yet verified any programs for Windows that work with this specific file format. If you know one, please use the 'Suggest a program' link below. Thanks!

Last updated: August 31, 2026

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