Serial Studio is an open-source, cross-platform telemetry dashboard and real-time data visualization tool designed to monitor and analyze sensor data from embedded devices, IoT systems, and networked services. It supports multiple input protocols, including serial ports, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), MQTT, TCP/UDP sockets, and audio devices, making it versatile for various applications.
Key Features:
Multi-protocol Support: Connects to a wide range of devices using serial ports, BLE, MQTT, and network sockets.
Real-time Data Visualization: Displays sensor data in customizable dashboards with graphs, gauges, and tables for instant insights.
Project File Mode: Allows users to design custom dashboards by defining the layout and data mapping in JSON files.
MQTT Integration: Enables remote data acquisition and visualization over MQTT brokers for IoT applications.
CSV Export: Saves raw or processed data for offline analysis.
Audience & Benefit:
Ideal for engineers, educators, hobbyists, and professionals working with embedded systems, IoT projects, or sensor networks. Serial Studio provides a powerful yet accessible platform to monitor, analyze, and debug real-time data efficiently, supporting applications in education, research, and industrial environments.
Available on Windows, macOS, and Linux, Serial Studio can be installed via winget for easy setup.
README
Serial Studio
Serial Studio is an open-source dashboard tool for embedded developers who are tired of staring at scrolling terminals. Describe your data format once in a project file, and it builds a live dashboard for you.
It works with Arduino, ESP32, STM32, Raspberry Pi, Teensy, and anything that talks over UART, Bluetooth LE, TCP/UDP, or CAN Bus. Modbus TCP/RTU covers industrial and PLC setups. Audio drivers can be used to analyze analog signals. MQTT can work either as publisher or subscriber, making it useful for IoT setups where data needs to travel beyond the local network. Raw USB gives direct bulk/isochronous access to USB devices via libusb. HID devices (gamepads, custom USB HIDs, sensors) connect through hidapi. Process I/O lets any program that writes to stdout feed data into the dashboard.
Once the data is in, Serial Studio can visualize it using several kinds of widgets, including plots, gauges and tables. Export to CSV or MDF4 for further analysis, or load it back later to replay a session in the dashboard. Actions let you define buttons that send commands back to the device, with optional timers for polling or periodic control.
Serial Studio runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux (including ARM64 for Raspberry Pi), making it a practical choice for robotics teams, IoT developers, makers, educators, and researchers who want to spend time on their hardware rather than on the tooling around it.
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:
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
How It Works:
Project File Mode (recommended): Create custom dashboards using the Project Editor with drag-and-drop widgets. No coding needed.
Quick Plot Mode: Show comma-separated values from Arduino instantly. No setup needed.
Device-defined Mode: Let your device send its own dashboard layout via JSON.
What It Can Do:
No Coding Needed: Build dashboards using a simple visual interface
Many Protocols: Serial/UART, Bluetooth LE, MQTT, Modbus TCP/RTU, CAN Bus, TCP/UDP, Audio, Raw USB, HID devices, and Process I/O
15+ Widgets: Line plots, gauges, bar charts, GPS maps, FFT spectrum, accelerometers, gyroscopes, compass, data grids, live image/camera feed (Pro)
Save to CSV: Automatically save all data for later analysis in Excel, Python, MATLAB, or R
MDF4 Playback & Export: Play and export MDF4/MF4 files for CAN Bus, LIN, FlexRay, and analog channels (Pro)
Works Everywhere: Windows 10/11, macOS 11+ (Intel + Apple Silicon), Linux x64, and Raspberry Pi ARM64
Works with Arduino/ESP32: Compatible with any device that sends data via serial, BLE, or network
Fast Updates: 60 FPS dashboard with low delay (<50ms)
Custom Parsing: Use JavaScript to decode binary data, checksums, and complex formats
Modbus TCP/RTU: Connect to industrial PLCs and equipment (Pro)
CAN Bus Support: Import DBC files for automotive and industrial applications (Pro)
MQTT for IoT: Connect to MQTT brokers for distributed sensors (Pro)
Image View: Display live JPEG/PNG camera streams alongside telemetry on the same connection (Pro)
API Server (TCP port 7777): Control Serial Studio programmatically with 182+ API commands (see API Client example)
AI Integration (MCP): Connect AI models like Claude via Model Context Protocol for automated analysis and control (see MCP Client)
Dual Licensing: Open-source GPL-3.0 core, proprietary Pro features (see LICENSE.md)
Quick Start
Get started with Serial Studio in under 5 minutes:
1. Download and Install
Download the latest release for your platform (see Download section)
Windows: Run installer, allow "Unknown developer" if prompted
macOS: Drag to Applications, right-click → Open first time
Linux:chmod +x the AppImage and run (may need sudo apt install libfuse2)
2. Connect Your Device
Launch Serial Studio
Select your serial port and baud rate (common: 9600, 115200)
Click Connect
3. Visualize Data
Quick Plot Mode: Send comma-separated values from your device and see instant plots
Project Mode: Use the Project Editor to build custom dashboards with gauges, maps, and more
Examples: Explore the /examples folder for Arduino sketches, ESP32 code, and Python scripts
Arduino Quick Example
void setup() {
Serial.begin(9600);
}
void loop() {
int temperature = analogRead(A0);
int humidity = analogRead(A1);
Serial.print(temperature);
Serial.print(",");
Serial.println(humidity);
delay(100);
}
Upload to Arduino → Connect Serial Studio → Enable Quick Plot → Done!
First-time users: See FAQ for troubleshooting and common questions.
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:
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.
Contributing
Contributions are welcome! Whether you're fixing bugs, adding features, or improving documentation, your help is appreciated.
Serial Studio
