What tools do folks use for protocol decoding? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: Lathe26
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 02, 2024, 06:10:13 am
content: I'm curious what tools folks use for offline protocol decoding after they have captured data from an oscilloscope or a logic analyzer?For example, I have a Rigol oscilloscope that can save capture data to a file. While it natively supports a handful of protocol decodings, there are many it doesn't and does not appear to allow end-users to write their own. I am looking at loading the data into Sigrok/Pulseview since it has many protocol decoders, they are written in Python, and it's open source. However, there might be alternative tools out there.

author: RoGeorge
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 02, 2024, 07:21:55 am
content: The best I know is sigrok. Sometimes wireshark, too.I remember from some years ago sigrok/Pulseview was starting to support Rigol oscilloscopes. Should be able to work using oscilloscope's SCPI, so without exporting to a file, but I didn't check how good the support is in practice.https://sigrok.org/wiki/Supported_hardware

author: Smokey
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 02, 2024, 08:22:11 am
content: I don't do a lot of protocol decoding, but when I do.. I have a totally official, definitely not Chinese knockoff I bought for $12 from eBay, Saleae Logic. Their software is pretty good.

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 02, 2024, 09:27:03 am
content: I just use my Saleae (legit) to save the capture and export the decoded data into excel.I believe you can write your own decoders for Saleae LA's as plugins, but its not something i've ever looked into, so i'm not sure.

author: RoGeorge
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 02, 2024, 09:32:08 am
content: https://www.saleae.com/downloads/Looks like a sigrok/pulseview fork.

author: Gyro
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 02, 2024, 10:26:35 am
content: Quote from: RoGeorge on January 02, 2024, 09:32:08 amNo, Saleae is a commercial software development that (I think) predates sigrok. The first gen Saleaes were just clones of the Cypress Ez-USB microcontroller H/W reference design (as were the first USBEE), hence the number of Chinese compatible clones that work illegally / immorally with the S/W.Sigrok is an open source development. It just happens to have support for Saleae LAs, just as it does many other manufacturers' devices.

author: Kean
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 02, 2024, 01:46:34 pm
content: Same as Psi, I've typically captured the data via my Saleae Logic Pro 8 and exported as CSV. I then review the data in Excel or with some code. I am yet to try the custom decoders.Some years before Saleae started supporting plugins, I wrote C# code to analyse and compare exported digital and analog samples. That was some multi-channel synchronised PWM and PDM signals (not audio) that I needed to carefully replicate, and there was enough different sequences that there was sufficient value in automating the data analysis, visualisation, and code generation.I don't recall seeing any protocol decoders at the time for PDM. Sigrok had PWM decode, and it appears someone wrote a Sigrok PDM decoder a couple of years later. A search on Github just now shows that someone from Adafruit was working on a Saleae PDM decoder (old SDK) around 6 months after I did the first work on that project. I reused my code at various times over the course of a few years.

author: RAPo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 02, 2024, 01:58:09 pm
content: Is it really a special protocol? I have a Zero-plus LAP-c6000 that has a whole range of built-in protocols.And a DSLogic U3Pro16, their software also has a whole range of builtin decoders.

author: RoGeorge
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 02, 2024, 03:09:15 pm
content: DSlogic is using DSview, which is a fork of sigrok/pulseview, so all the protocol decoders from sigrok will be available + the ability to write your own decoders.

author: RAPo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 02, 2024, 03:14:33 pm
content: There is quite a history behind the word "fork" 🤔. I'm just answering the question the OP on what I use.Quote from: RoGeorge on January 02, 2024, 03:09:15 pm

author: Lathe26
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 03, 2024, 04:52:09 pm
content: Thanks for the all suggestions.