.PCM File Extension
Pulse Code Modulation File
| Developer | N/A |
| Popularity |
3.4 | 91 Votes |
What is a PCM file?
A PCM file contains uncompressed Pulse Code Modulation (PCM) audio data, which represents sound waves in digital form. It stores audio as a series of binary numerical samples, with each sample delineating the amplitude of the sound wave at a specific moment in time.
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The PCM format preserves audio fidelity by recording the full range of frequencies without losing quality due to compression. Since PCM files store high-quality audio, music production and sound design professionals often work with them (PCM was integral to the CD audio standard developed by Philips and Sony).
Additionally, PCM files are raw and do not include metadata, such as track details or playback configurations, making them potentially difficult for average users to play accurately. To simplify playback, users often package PCM data within container formats like .WAV or .AIFF to include necessary metadata.
How to open a PCM file
You can open PCM files with various media players, including MPlayer, (Audacity|audacity/audacity}, and Adobe Audition. To open a PCM file with Audition, select File → Open.
How to convert a PCM file
Several audio editors and media players, including Audacity, MPlayer, and Adobe Audition, can convert PCM files to other formats.
For example, Audacity can convert PCM files to the following audio formats:
Programs that open or reference PCM files
Precompiled C++ Module
| Developer | ISO C++ Standards Committee |
| Popularity |
2.0 | 1 Vote |
A PCM file may also be a precompiled C++ module, which a C++ compiler creates when compiling .CPPM (C++ module) files. It contains binary data that represents the compiled form of a module interface. PCM files enable compilers to build source code files faster by avoiding repetitive parsing and compilation of headers, such as .H files.
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The International Organization for Standardization (ISO), in collaboration with the C++ Standards Committee (also known as WG21), develops and maintains the C++ programming language. They introduced modules (including CPPM and PCM files) as part of the C++20 standard, finalized in December 2020. The goal of modules is to reduce dependency issues, improve code organization, and enhance compilation speed by providing an alternative to traditional header files.
When developers are ready to build, they can compile CPPM files using C++ compilers that support the C++20 standard, such as Clang (included with LLVM) or GNU Compiler Collection. The compiler generates a PCM file during this compilation process, which can be reused in future builds to save time.
For example, a developer may create a PCM file with the Clang compiler from the example.cppm file by typing the following command:
clang++ -std=c++20 -c example.cppm -o example.pcm
How to open a PCM file
You should not attempt to open PCM files since they contain compiled binary data and are not intended for developers to modify them. Instead, C++ compilers that support the C++20 standard, such as Clang (included with LLVM) and GNU Compiler Collection, reference them to reduce the time of the build process.