Custom protocol decoders ?

Post any questions you may have about our current range of oscilloscopes
Post Reply
nurber
Active User
Active User
Posts: 12
Joined: Fri Mar 24, 2017 6:05 pm

Custom protocol decoders ?

Post by nurber »

Hi Forum. I really like the way Smartscope has allowed for the creation of custom decoders. I think this would be a useful addition to Picoscope software. Possible for Picoscope to do something similar ?

nurber
Active User
Active User
Posts: 12
Joined: Fri Mar 24, 2017 6:05 pm

Re: Custom protocol decoders ?

Post by nurber »

or better yet, how about sigrok support for assorted Picoscopes ? I just stumbled on PulseView and it looks way cool with lots of protocols. It looks even more extensible with its own HOWTO:

Martyn
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 4491
Joined: Fri Jun 10, 2011 8:15 am
Location: St. Neots

Re: Custom protocol decoders ?

Post by Martyn »

Is there a particular protocol you are looking to decode, if so we may wish to add it, or are these just general thoughts ?

It would always be possible for someone to write there own application to perform protocol decoding using our SDK, giving them the ultimate custom control.
Martyn
Technical Support Manager

nurber
Active User
Active User
Posts: 12
Joined: Fri Mar 24, 2017 6:05 pm

Re: Custom protocol decoders ?

Post by nurber »

Hi Martyn. Thanks for replying. I have several protocols I wish to look at, but my question is about providing a framework to allow people to decode new ones. I'm guessing not an easy task for an individual to create such a framework using your SDK, but yes possible. I think it would be easier for your company given it's experience and access to source. The other possibility is leveraging something like sigrok which I think makes all the sense in the world given the protocols it supports, rate of development, and extensibility. Interestingly several Picoscopes are listed on "Work in progress / planned:" area of sigrok website ( url not included, because all previous urls are being LPFd ). Is this Picoscope sanctioned driver development ? What is Picoscopes thoughts about interfacing with third-party utilies like sigrok ?

lab!fyi
Newbie
Posts: 0
Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2016 6:58 pm

Re: Custom protocol decoders ?

Post by lab!fyi »

I also think that SDK based approach will not reach wide audience. Most often one wants to accomplish specific isolated task on top of features already present in original GUI. Problem is not limited only to decoding. I had real good fight with math channels only to reach conclusion that would be much better if I could just read data from GUI, process in external resource and return manipulated data to GUI.

nurber
Active User
Active User
Posts: 12
Joined: Fri Mar 24, 2017 6:05 pm

Re: Custom protocol decoders ?

Post by nurber »

Thanks for interesting reply. I suppose you tried MATLAB although you ultimately want to display in Picoscope? I agree, this kind of extensibility would be awesome, but it is only possible if software has it as original design goal and even then it seems hard to do really well particularly by companies who don't have _BIG_ vision. And then there are the closed-minded ( i.e. most ) end users and I'm starting to realize there are plenty of those using oscilloscopes, e.g. "A scope without physical buttons is not a scope." I've seen good examples of what you want just a few times in my life mostly in Smalltalk IDEs ( e.g. Morphic graphics system ) . The power of it if done well is so mind blowing.

I think the Picoscope API has more potential and I'm going to explore it for a particular industry product. But I'm working on more basic stuff first and am still waiting for Picoscope to arrive.

lab!fyi
Newbie
Posts: 0
Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2016 6:58 pm

Re: Custom protocol decoders ?

Post by lab!fyi »

Hi, actually I almost* achieved what I wanted directly with math channels:
http://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/p ... msg1298871

Would have been a breeze with MatLab but had concept that this should be possible in end user GUI.

Currently exploring CLI apporach

Code: Select all

picoscope /a ?
In this case pre-configured main GUI is also running. Externally processed stuff could be displayed in separate window.
Another possibility is Alarms/Capture thru saved files.

This is all tinkering out of general interest I suppose. If you have some financed narrow product that you aim for, better go directly for SDK indeed, it does not have many limits that PS6 has (USB transfer speed etc).

*phase is unsigned

nurber
Active User
Active User
Posts: 12
Joined: Fri Mar 24, 2017 6:05 pm

Re: Custom protocol decoders ?

Post by nurber »

Good stuff lab!fyi. Just read about the CLI stuff in Picoscope 6 User's Manual. I'm still hoping to get a response from Picoscope on the following questions from this thread:
The other possibility is leveraging something like sigrok which I think makes all the sense in the world given the protocols it supports, rate of development, and extensibility. Interestingly several Picoscopes are listed on "Work in progress / planned:" area of sigrok website ( url not included, because all previous urls are being LPFd ). Is this Picoscope sanctioned driver development ? What is Picoscopes thoughts about interfacing with third-party utilies like sigrok ?

Martyn
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 4491
Joined: Fri Jun 10, 2011 8:15 am
Location: St. Neots

Re: Custom protocol decoders ?

Post by Martyn »

The listed PicoScopes are very old models, so I doubt there is any work progressing on these, or any plans in the pipeline.

I will feed the information onto the team, but it is unlikely to be something for the short or medium term.
Martyn
Technical Support Manager

Post Reply