Serial Studio Alex Spataru

Serial Studio

Serial Studio is an open-core, cross-platform telemetry dashboard and real-time data visualization tool. It supports input from serial ports, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), MQTT, and TCP/UDP sockets, allowing data acquisition from embedded devices, external software, and networked services.

Serial Studio runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux. It is suited for telemetry monitoring, sensor data analysis, and real-time debugging in educational, hobbyist, and professional environments.

Download

Serial Studio is available as source code and official precompiled binaries for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

• Latest Stable Release
• Pre-release Builds

Microsoft Windows:

Requires the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable (x64). On first launch, Windows may show a warning about an unknown developer, click "More Info → Run Anyway" to continue.

macOS:

Distributed as a universal DMG. Open the DMG file and drag Serial Studio into the Applications folder. Alternatively, you can try installing via Homebrew:

brew install --cask serial-studio

Note: The Homebrew cask is community-maintained. It’s available, but not officially developed or tested by me.

Linux:

The recommended way to install Serial Studio on Linux is via the official pre-built AppImage. Make it executable and run it:

chmod +x SerialStudio-3.1.7-Linux-x86_64.AppImage
./SerialStudio-3.1.7-Linux-x86_64.AppImage

If the AppImage fails to launch, your system may be missing libfuse2:

sudo apt install libfuse2

Tip: For better desktop integration (menu entries, updates, icons), use AppImageLauncher.

Flatpak (via Flathub)

Serial Studio is also available on Flathub. This version receives regular updates and may offer better support for ARM64 systems. However, minor graphical glitches may occur on some desktop environments—especially under Wayland (e.g., missing window shadows).

Raspberry Pi / ARM64:

An ARM64 AppImage is available for Raspberry Pi and similar devices. Performance varies based on hardware and GPU drivers, since the UI depends on GPU acceleration. The ARM64 AppImage requires:

• A 64-bit Linux OS equivalent to or newer than Ubuntu 24.04 (due to a glibc 2.38 dependency)
• libfuse2 installed

Make sure your system meets these requirements before running the AppImage.

Features

Operation Modes:

• Project File Mode (recommended): Uses local JSON files created with the Project Editor to define the dashboard layout and data mapping.
• Quick Plot Mode: Automatically plots comma-separated values with no configuration.
• Device-defined Mode: Dashboards are fully defined by incoming JSON data from the device.

Core Capabilities:

• Cross-platform: Runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
• CSV export: Save received data for offline analysis or processing.
• Multiple data sources: Supports serial ports, MQTT, BLE, and network sockets (TCP/UDP).
• Customizable visualization: Build dashboards using various widgets via the integrated project editor.
• Advanced frame decoding: Use a custom JavaScript function to preprocess raw data or handle complex binary formats.
• MQTT support: Publish and receive data over the internet for remote visualization.

Documentation

Refer to the Wiki for complete guides and examples:

• Installation: Instructions for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
• Quick Start: Connect a device and visualize data in minutes.
• Advanced Usage: Learn about data flow, frame parsing, and dashboard customization.
• Examples: Sample code and projects to accelerate learning.

Building Serial Studio

The only required dependency to build Serial Studio from source is Qt, preferably with all modules and plugins installed. The project is built using Qt 6.9.1.

Additional Requirements for Linux

If you’re compiling on Linux, install the following packages:

sudo apt install libgl1-mesa-dev build-essential

Build Instructions

Once Qt is installed, you can compile the project by opening CMakeLists.txt in your preferred IDE or using the terminal:

mkdir build
cd build
cmake ../ -DPRODUCTION_OPTIMIZATION=ON -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release
cmake --build . -j$(nproc)

By default, the build system produces a fully GPLv3-compliant version of Serial Studio. This version includes most core features but excludes commercial modules such as MQTT, 3D visualization, XY plotting, and other advanced tools that depend on proprietary Qt components.

If you are a Pro user or have a commercial license, contact the project maintainer for build instructions and activation requirements.

Support the Project

Serial Studio is developed and maintained by Alex Spataru.
It is open source and community-driven, with commercial options available for users who need advanced features or business-friendly licensing.

If Serial Studio is useful to you, consider supporting its development in one of the following ways:

• Donate via PayPal: Helps keep the project active and sustainable.
• Purchase a Commercial License: Required for commercial use of the official binary. Includes Pro features and priority support.

Commercial licenses directly fund continued development, bug fixes, and new features.

Licensing

Serial Studio uses a dual-license model that distinguishes between open-source usage and commercial distribution:

• LICENSE.md: summary of dual-license structure and usage terms
• LICENSES/GPL-3.0-only.txt: full GNU GPLv3 text for open-source source code
• LICENSES/LicenseRef-SerialStudio-Commercial.txt: full terms for proprietary features and official binaries

Source files are individually marked with SPDX headers indicating whether they are:

• Licensed under GPL-3.0-only
• Licensed under LicenseRef-SerialStudio-Commercial
• Or dual-licensed as GPL-3.0-only OR LicenseRef-SerialStudio-Commercial

This structure allows developers to build and distribute GPL-compliant versions while protecting commercial functionality.

Choosing the Right Version of Serial Studio

The table below outlines licensing, feature access, and obligations across each edition:

Feature / Use Case	GPL Version (Build it yourself)	Trial Version (Official binary)	Pro Version (Activated official binary)
Commercial Use	✅ If fully GPL compliant	❌ Evaluation only	✅ Fully licensed
Official Support	❌ Community only	❌ None	✅ Priority support
Pro Features	❌ Not included	✅ Included	✅ Included
Usage Restrictions	Must comply with GPL and Qt terms	14-day trial, no redistribution	Bound by commercial license terms
Precompiled Binary	❌ Must build from source	✅ Provided for trial only	✅ Provided
Qt Licensing	Requires GPL-compatible Qt	Qt licensing covered by vendor	Qt licensing covered by vendor
Activation System	❌ Not applicable	✅ Trial disables after 14 days	✅ Requires valid license key
Business Use	✅ If strictly GPL compliant	❌ Prohibited	✅ Fully allowed
Best For	OSS devs, students, contributors	Hobbyists, personal evaluation	Businesses, teams, commercial products

Reminder: Pro features and official binaries are proprietary and require a commercial license for any use beyond personal evaluation. Visibility of source code does not imply GPL rights unless explicitly licensed.