pyedflib

library0.1.42pypypi✓ verified 87d ago

A Python library to read and write EDF+/BDF+ files, commonly used for biomedical signal data (e.g., EEG, ECG). Current version 0.1.42. Low release cadence, maintenance mode.

data serialization

pip install pyedflib

github ↗package ↗

INSTALL

IMPORT

SIG · PYEDFLIB

pyedflib

datapythonv0.1.42

Install

3.9s avg

Import

288ms

Disk

102MB

Pass rate

8/ 10

Env Coverage8 / 10

glibc

3.9–3.13

musl

3.9–3.13

Install & Compatibility

Where this runs

tested against v0.1.42 · pip install

no network on importno background threads

Install × environment matrix

Each cell = how many times install + import succeeded across repeated harness runs. Partial = flaky.
glibc = Debian/Ubuntu slim · musl = Alpine Linux

musl

glibc

py 3.10

✓ —

✓ 4s

py 3.11

✓ —

✓ 3.7s

py 3.12

✓ —

✓ 3.5s

py 3.13

✕ build_error

py 3.9

✓ —

✓ 4.5s

102MB installed

● package 102MB

Code

Verified usage

Verified import paths — ran on the pinned version, not inferred.

EdfReader

✓ from pyedflib import EdfReader

✗ import pyedflib.EdfReader

EdfReader is a class, not a module.

EdfWriter

✓ from pyedflib import EdfWriter

Common mistake: trying to import EdfWriter from the wrong submodule.

highlevel

✓ from pyedflib import highlevel

✗ import pyedflib.highlevel

highlevel is a submodule; use from pyedflib import highlevel.

Basic read/write of EDF+ files with pyedflib.

from pyedflib import EdfReader, EdfWriter import numpy as np # Read an EDF file reader = EdfReader('example.edf') signal = reader.readSignal(0) print(f'Signal length: {len(signal)}') reader.close() # Write an EDF file writer = EdfWriter('output.edf', n_channels=1, file_type=1) # EDF+ type: 1=EDF, 0=BDF writer.setSignalHeader(0, label='ECG', dimension='mV', sample_rate=256, physical_min=-5, physical_max=5, digital_min=-32768, digital_max=32767) data = np.sin(np.linspace(0, 10, 2560)) writer.writeSamples([data]) writer.close()

Debug

Known issues

breakingIn v0.1.38, pyedflib dropped support for Python <3.8 and numpy <2.0. Ensure your environment uses Python 3.8+.

fix

Upgrade to pyedflib >=0.1.38 and use Python 3.8+.

affects: <0.1.38

deprecatedThe parameter `sample_rate` in `setSignalHeader` is deprecated since v0.1.39. Use `sample_frequency` instead.

fix

Replace `sample_rate` with `sample_frequency` in `setSignalHeader` calls.

affects: >=0.1.39

gotchaWhen writing EDF files, `physical_min` and `physical_max` are no longer strictly asserted (since v0.1.39). Incorrect values may produce warnings but still write, potentially corrupting data.

fix

Ensure physical_min and physical_max correctly represent the expected signal range.

affects: >=0.1.39

gotchaThe `readSignal` method returns a numpy array; indexing and handling differ from raw digital values. Be aware of the scaling applied.

fix

Refer to documentation for signal scaling details.

affects: all

Errors

Common errors & fixes

FileNotFoundError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: 'example.edf'

File path does not exist or is relative to the wrong directory.

fix

Use an absolute path or ensure the current working directory is correct.

ValueError: The physical_min and physical_max values are too small. The scaling factor is too large.

Previous versions (pre-0.1.39) raised an error for extreme physical ranges.

fix

Set physical_min and physical_max to reasonable values matching the signal amplitude, or upgrade to >=0.1.39 which only warns.

ImportError: cannot import name 'EdfReader' from 'pyedflib'

Trying to import from the wrong module or an older version of pyedflib.

fix

Use `from pyedflib import EdfReader` and ensure version >=0.1.0.

Upgrade

Version history

0.1.42latest on PyPI · released Jun 26, 2025

Audit

Dependencies

No dependency data recorded yet.

Agent activity

8 hits · last 30 days

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Resources

githubhttps://github.com/holgern/pyedflib ↗

packagehttps://pypi.org/project/pyedflib/ ↗