Build dashboards for any device. Instantly.
Stream telemetry, plot sensor data, and monitor systems in real time. No custom frontend code or locked-in formats. Works with serial, MQTT, Bluetooth LE, or network sources.
Features
Everything you need to visualize, monitor, and make sense of your data in real time.
Real-Time Data
Stream and visualize live telemetry easily and without restrictive data formats or external libraries.
Real-Time Data
Stream and visualize live telemetry easily and without restrictive data formats or external libraries.
Real-Time Data
Stream and visualize live telemetry easily and without restrictive data formats or external libraries.
Flexible Data Sources
Connect to devices and services over Serial/COM, Bluetooth LE, MQTT, or TCP/UDP with no middleware required.
Flexible Data Sources
Connect to devices and services over Serial/COM, Bluetooth LE, MQTT, or TCP/UDP with no middleware required.
Flexible Data Sources
Connect to devices and services over Serial/COM, Bluetooth LE, MQTT, or TCP/UDP with no middleware required.
Project Editor
Visually configure data structure, sensors, units, and widgets like plots, gauges, LEDs, maps, and 3D views, no code required.
Project Editor
Visually configure data structure, sensors, units, and widgets like plots, gauges, LEDs, maps, and 3D views, no code required.
Project Editor
Visually configure data structure, sensors, units, and widgets like plots, gauges, LEDs, maps, and 3D views, no code required.
CSV Export
Log and save incoming data to CSV for offline analysis, reporting, or integration with other tools.
CSV Export
Log and save incoming data to CSV for offline analysis, reporting, or integration with other tools.
CSV Export
Log and save incoming data to CSV for offline analysis, reporting, or integration with other tools.
Frame Parser
Use JavaScript to parse raw frames, decode binary or hexadecimal data, and implement custom checksums or logic.
Frame Parser
Use JavaScript to parse raw frames, decode binary or hexadecimal data, and implement custom checksums or logic.
Frame Parser
Use JavaScript to parse raw frames, decode binary or hexadecimal data, and implement custom checksums or logic.
Data Groups & Workspaces
Organize your telemetry into workspaces and groups for clean, modular dashboards tailored to complex systems.
Data Groups & Workspaces
Organize your telemetry into workspaces and groups for clean, modular dashboards tailored to complex systems.
Data Groups & Workspaces
Organize your telemetry into workspaces and groups for clean, modular dashboards tailored to complex systems.
MQTT Integration
Publish and subscribe to MQTT topics for remote telemetry, IoT cloud applications, or cross-device communication.
MQTT Integration
Publish and subscribe to MQTT topics for remote telemetry, IoT cloud applications, or cross-device communication.
MQTT Integration
Publish and subscribe to MQTT topics for remote telemetry, IoT cloud applications, or cross-device communication.
CSV Player
Replay previously logged CSV data as if it were live, ideal for debugging, demos, or analysis without needing hardware connected.
CSV Player
Replay previously logged CSV data as if it were live, ideal for debugging, demos, or analysis without needing hardware connected.
CSV Player
Replay previously logged CSV data as if it were live, ideal for debugging, demos, or analysis without needing hardware connected.
Mini OS Dashboard
Dynamic layout with grouped widgets and pages, ideal for quick testing, complex telemetry setups, or as an HMI for operators and field teams.
Mini OS Dashboard
Dynamic layout with grouped widgets and pages, ideal for quick testing, complex telemetry setups, or as an HMI for operators and field teams.
Mini OS Dashboard
Dynamic layout with grouped widgets and pages, ideal for quick testing, complex telemetry setups, or as an HMI for operators and field teams.
Compare Editions
See what each edition offers, whether you’re evaluating, working on open source projects or using Serial Studio in a commercial environment.
| 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 |
GPL Version (Build it yourself)
| Commercial Use | ✅ If fully GPL compliant |
| Official Support | ❌ Community only |
| Pro Features | ❌ Not included |
| Usage Restrictions | Must comply with GPL and Qt terms |
| Precompiled Binary | ❌ Must build from source |
| Qt Licensing | Requires GPL-compatible Qt |
| Activation System | ❌ Not applicable |
| Business Use | ✅ If strictly GPL compliant |
| Best For | OSS devs, students, contributors |
Trial Version (Official binary)
| Commercial Use | ❌ Evaluation only |
| Official Support | ❌ None |
| Pro Features | ✅ Included |
| Usage Restrictions | 14-day trial, no redistribution |
| Precompiled Binary | ✅ Provided for trial only |
| Qt Licensing | Qt licensing covered by vendor |
| Activation System | ✅ Trial disables after 14 days |
| Business Use | ❌ Prohibited |
| Best For | Hobbyists, personal evaluation |
Pro Version (Activated official binary)
| Commercial Use | ✅ Fully licensed |
| Official Support | ✅ Priority support |
| Pro Features | ✅ Included |
| Usage Restrictions | Bound by commercial license terms |
| Precompiled Binary | ✅ Provided |
| Qt Licensing | Qt licensing covered by vendor |
| Activation System | ✅ Requires valid license key |
| Business Use | ✅ Fully allowed |
| Best For | Businesses, teams, commercial products |
| 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 |
What Users Say
See how Serial Studio helps developers, engineers, and educators bring their data to life
“We like Serial Studio’s ease of use and adaptability, and we’ll likely use it for our own projects in the future.”
Hackaday
“Serial Studio clicks so many boxes for general purpose telemetry plotting.”
Chris Lott
“I want to say that Serial Studio is a fantastic app, thank you, and the contributors for creating it. It’s an incredibly powerful tool, and I appreciate the effort that has gone into its development.”
Benjamin Isaacs
“I just found Serial Studio and I really like it – fantastic work! The ease of getting started makes it especially useful.”
Mark Oberst
“Serial-Studio est un projet permettant de visualiser facilement des données venant de vos périphériques IoT et pouvant interagir directement avec des ports série, le réseau et le protocole MQTT.”
Olivier PONCET
“Serial Studio is a handy tool for visualizing various sensor values from microcontrollers such as Arduino, it gives you a nice UI table to see the real-time data.”
Jasper Wang
“Serial Studio es una maravilla”
Proyectos MicroPIC
“We like Serial Studio’s ease of use and adaptability, and we’ll likely use it for our own projects in the future.”
Hackaday
“Serial Studio clicks so many boxes for general purpose telemetry plotting.”
Chris Lott
“I want to say that Serial Studio is a fantastic app, thank you, and the contributors for creating it. It’s an incredibly powerful tool, and I appreciate the effort that has gone into its development.”
Benjamin Isaacs
“I just found Serial Studio and I really like it – fantastic work! The ease of getting started makes it especially useful.”
Mark Oberst
“Serial-Studio est un projet permettant de visualiser facilement des données venant de vos périphériques IoT et pouvant interagir directement avec des ports série, le réseau et le protocole MQTT.”
Olivier PONCET
“Serial Studio is a handy tool for visualizing various sensor values from microcontrollers such as Arduino, it gives you a nice UI table to see the real-time data.”
Jasper Wang
“Serial Studio es una maravilla”
Proyectos MicroPIC
“We like Serial Studio’s ease of use and adaptability, and we’ll likely use it for our own projects in the future.”
Hackaday
“Serial Studio clicks so many boxes for general purpose telemetry plotting.”
Chris Lott
“I want to say that Serial Studio is a fantastic app, thank you, and the contributors for creating it. It’s an incredibly powerful tool, and I appreciate the effort that has gone into its development.”
Benjamin Isaacs
“I just found Serial Studio and I really like it – fantastic work! The ease of getting started makes it especially useful.”
Mark Oberst
“Serial-Studio est un projet permettant de visualiser facilement des données venant de vos périphériques IoT et pouvant interagir directement avec des ports série, le réseau et le protocole MQTT.”
Olivier PONCET
“Serial Studio is a handy tool for visualizing various sensor values from microcontrollers such as Arduino, it gives you a nice UI table to see the real-time data.”
Jasper Wang
“Serial Studio es una maravilla”
Proyectos MicroPIC
“We like Serial Studio’s ease of use and adaptability, and we’ll likely use it for our own projects in the future.”
Hackaday
“Serial Studio clicks so many boxes for general purpose telemetry plotting.”
Chris Lott
“I want to say that Serial Studio is a fantastic app, thank you, and the contributors for creating it. It’s an incredibly powerful tool, and I appreciate the effort that has gone into its development.”
Benjamin Isaacs
“I just found Serial Studio and I really like it – fantastic work! The ease of getting started makes it especially useful.”
Mark Oberst
“Serial-Studio est un projet permettant de visualiser facilement des données venant de vos périphériques IoT et pouvant interagir directement avec des ports série, le réseau et le protocole MQTT.”
Olivier PONCET
“Serial Studio is a handy tool for visualizing various sensor values from microcontrollers such as Arduino, it gives you a nice UI table to see the real-time data.”
Jasper Wang
“Serial Studio es una maravilla”
Proyectos MicroPIC
“We like Serial Studio’s ease of use and adaptability, and we’ll likely use it for our own projects in the future.”
Hackaday
“Serial Studio clicks so many boxes for general purpose telemetry plotting.”
Chris Lott
“I want to say that Serial Studio is a fantastic app, thank you, and the contributors for creating it. It’s an incredibly powerful tool, and I appreciate the effort that has gone into its development.”
Benjamin Isaacs
“I just found Serial Studio and I really like it – fantastic work! The ease of getting started makes it especially useful.”
Mark Oberst
“Serial-Studio est un projet permettant de visualiser facilement des données venant de vos périphériques IoT et pouvant interagir directement avec des ports série, le réseau et le protocole MQTT.”
Olivier PONCET
“Serial Studio is a handy tool for visualizing various sensor values from microcontrollers such as Arduino, it gives you a nice UI table to see the real-time data.”
Jasper Wang
“Serial Studio es una maravilla”
Proyectos MicroPIC
“We like Serial Studio’s ease of use and adaptability, and we’ll likely use it for our own projects in the future.”
Hackaday
“Serial Studio clicks so many boxes for general purpose telemetry plotting.”
Chris Lott
“I want to say that Serial Studio is a fantastic app, thank you, and the contributors for creating it. It’s an incredibly powerful tool, and I appreciate the effort that has gone into its development.”
Benjamin Isaacs
“I just found Serial Studio and I really like it – fantastic work! The ease of getting started makes it especially useful.”
Mark Oberst
“Serial-Studio est un projet permettant de visualiser facilement des données venant de vos périphériques IoT et pouvant interagir directement avec des ports série, le réseau et le protocole MQTT.”
Olivier PONCET
“Serial Studio is a handy tool for visualizing various sensor values from microcontrollers such as Arduino, it gives you a nice UI table to see the real-time data.”
Jasper Wang
“Serial Studio es una maravilla”
Proyectos MicroPIC
“We like Serial Studio’s ease of use and adaptability, and we’ll likely use it for our own projects in the future.”
Hackaday
“Serial Studio clicks so many boxes for general purpose telemetry plotting.”
Chris Lott
“I want to say that Serial Studio is a fantastic app, thank you, and the contributors for creating it. It’s an incredibly powerful tool, and I appreciate the effort that has gone into its development.”
Benjamin Isaacs
“I just found Serial Studio and I really like it – fantastic work! The ease of getting started makes it especially useful.”
Mark Oberst
“Serial-Studio est un projet permettant de visualiser facilement des données venant de vos périphériques IoT et pouvant interagir directement avec des ports série, le réseau et le protocole MQTT.”
Olivier PONCET
“Serial Studio is a handy tool for visualizing various sensor values from microcontrollers such as Arduino, it gives you a nice UI table to see the real-time data.”
Jasper Wang
“Serial Studio es una maravilla”
Proyectos MicroPIC
“We like Serial Studio’s ease of use and adaptability, and we’ll likely use it for our own projects in the future.”
Hackaday
“Serial Studio clicks so many boxes for general purpose telemetry plotting.”
Chris Lott
“I want to say that Serial Studio is a fantastic app, thank you, and the contributors for creating it. It’s an incredibly powerful tool, and I appreciate the effort that has gone into its development.”
Benjamin Isaacs
“I just found Serial Studio and I really like it – fantastic work! The ease of getting started makes it especially useful.”
Mark Oberst
“Serial-Studio est un projet permettant de visualiser facilement des données venant de vos périphériques IoT et pouvant interagir directement avec des ports série, le réseau et le protocole MQTT.”
Olivier PONCET
“Serial Studio is a handy tool for visualizing various sensor values from microcontrollers such as Arduino, it gives you a nice UI table to see the real-time data.”
Jasper Wang
“Serial Studio es una maravilla”
Proyectos MicroPIC
“We like Serial Studio’s ease of use and adaptability, and we’ll likely use it for our own projects in the future.”
Hackaday
“Serial Studio clicks so many boxes for general purpose telemetry plotting.”
Chris Lott
“I want to say that Serial Studio is a fantastic app, thank you, and the contributors for creating it. It’s an incredibly powerful tool, and I appreciate the effort that has gone into its development.”
Benjamin Isaacs
“I just found Serial Studio and I really like it – fantastic work! The ease of getting started makes it especially useful.”
Mark Oberst
“Serial-Studio est un projet permettant de visualiser facilement des données venant de vos périphériques IoT et pouvant interagir directement avec des ports série, le réseau et le protocole MQTT.”
Olivier PONCET
“Serial Studio is a handy tool for visualizing various sensor values from microcontrollers such as Arduino, it gives you a nice UI table to see the real-time data.”
Jasper Wang
“Serial Studio es una maravilla”
Proyectos MicroPIC
“We like Serial Studio’s ease of use and adaptability, and we’ll likely use it for our own projects in the future.”
Hackaday
“Serial Studio clicks so many boxes for general purpose telemetry plotting.”
Chris Lott
“I want to say that Serial Studio is a fantastic app, thank you, and the contributors for creating it. It’s an incredibly powerful tool, and I appreciate the effort that has gone into its development.”
Benjamin Isaacs
“I just found Serial Studio and I really like it – fantastic work! The ease of getting started makes it especially useful.”
Mark Oberst
“Serial-Studio est un projet permettant de visualiser facilement des données venant de vos périphériques IoT et pouvant interagir directement avec des ports série, le réseau et le protocole MQTT.”
Olivier PONCET
“Serial Studio is a handy tool for visualizing various sensor values from microcontrollers such as Arduino, it gives you a nice UI table to see the real-time data.”
Jasper Wang
“Serial Studio es una maravilla”
Proyectos MicroPIC
“We like Serial Studio’s ease of use and adaptability, and we’ll likely use it for our own projects in the future.”
Hackaday
“Serial Studio clicks so many boxes for general purpose telemetry plotting.”
Chris Lott
“I want to say that Serial Studio is a fantastic app, thank you, and the contributors for creating it. It’s an incredibly powerful tool, and I appreciate the effort that has gone into its development.”
Benjamin Isaacs
“I just found Serial Studio and I really like it – fantastic work! The ease of getting started makes it especially useful.”
Mark Oberst
“Serial-Studio est un projet permettant de visualiser facilement des données venant de vos périphériques IoT et pouvant interagir directement avec des ports série, le réseau et le protocole MQTT.”
Olivier PONCET
“Serial Studio is a handy tool for visualizing various sensor values from microcontrollers such as Arduino, it gives you a nice UI table to see the real-time data.”
Jasper Wang
“Serial Studio es una maravilla”
Proyectos MicroPIC
“We like Serial Studio’s ease of use and adaptability, and we’ll likely use it for our own projects in the future.”
Hackaday
“Serial Studio clicks so many boxes for general purpose telemetry plotting.”
Chris Lott
“I want to say that Serial Studio is a fantastic app, thank you, and the contributors for creating it. It’s an incredibly powerful tool, and I appreciate the effort that has gone into its development.”
Benjamin Isaacs
“I just found Serial Studio and I really like it – fantastic work! The ease of getting started makes it especially useful.”
Mark Oberst
“Serial-Studio est un projet permettant de visualiser facilement des données venant de vos périphériques IoT et pouvant interagir directement avec des ports série, le réseau et le protocole MQTT.”
Olivier PONCET
“Serial Studio is a handy tool for visualizing various sensor values from microcontrollers such as Arduino, it gives you a nice UI table to see the real-time data.”
Jasper Wang
“Serial Studio es una maravilla”
Proyectos MicroPIC
FAQ
FAQ
FAQ
Got questions? We've got answers.
Got questions? We've got answers.
Got questions? We've got answers.
Everything you need to know about Serial Studio: features, setup, licensing, integrations, and advanced usage, in one place.
Everything you need to know about Serial Studio: features, setup, licensing, integrations, and advanced usage, in one place.
Everything you need to know about Serial Studio: features, setup, licensing, integrations, and advanced usage, in one place.
What are datasets and groups in Serial Studio?
Datasets are individual sensor readings or variables like temperature or speed. Groups let you organize related datasets to keep your dashboard clean and structured.
What are the different operation modes available?
Serial Studio has three modes: Project File Mode for custom dashboards, Quick Plot Mode for instant CSV plotting, and Device-Defined Mode where your device sends the dashboard layout.
What is the difference between the GPL version and the official Pro version?
The GPL version is open source, must be built from source, and excludes Pro features. The official Pro version is the precompiled binary with all features unlocked, licensed for commercial use after a 14-day trial.
How can I purchase and install a Pro license?
Licenses are purchased through the online store and managed via Lemon Squeezy. After purchase, a license key is sent to your email. To activate Pro, open Serial Studio, go to About → License Management, and paste the key. Activation is instant.
Why is the dashboard not appearing or is greyed out?
This usually means your project file is outdated or incorrectly formatted. Open it in the Project Editor to check for errors and update it to the latest structure.
Can I use Serial Studio for commercial purposes?
Yes, but only with a valid commercial license if you’re using the official binaries. It unlocks Pro features and includes support. Alternatively, you may compile the GPL version yourself using open-source Qt, but it includes no Pro features, no support, and you’re fully responsible for compliance.
What platforms does Serial Studio support?
Serial Studio runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Linux users can run it via AppImage, and there’s an ARM64 AppImage available for Raspberry Pi.
What kind of widgets can I use?
You can use widgets like plots, gauges, LEDs, level indicators, FFT windows, GPS maps, and 3D plots. All are configurable through the Project Editor or sent dynamically by the device.
Do I need to write code to use Serial Studio?
No. You can create dashboards using the built-in Project Editor or have your device send the layout as JSON. No frontend or dashboard code is required.
Does Serial Studio support multiple devices?
No. Serial Studio currently connects to a single data source at a time. If you need multi-device support, you’ll need to multiplex the data externally.
Can I customize how incoming data is parsed?
Yes. You can use a custom JavaScript frame parser to decode binary, hexadecimal, or complex structured data. It’s ideal for non-standard protocols, applying checksums, or handling multiple frame formats within a single project.
What is the Plugin subsystem?
The Plugin subsystem lets external applications connect to Serial Studio over TCP (default port 7777) to receive real-time telemetry in JSON format. It streams both raw and processed data, making it ideal for integrating with custom software, dashboards, or scripts. Plugins can also send commands or data back to the connected device. No special protocol required—just connect over TCP and start exchanging data.
Does Serial Studio support checksums?
Yes. Serial Studio supports a wide range of checksum algorithms, including CRC-8, CRC-16, CRC-32, Adler-32, Fletcher-16, and others. You can select the desired checksum type in the project editor. If a checksum is appended to the end of each data frame, Serial Studio will automatically validate it during runtime to ensure data integrity.
What are datasets and groups in Serial Studio?
Datasets are individual sensor readings or variables like temperature or speed. Groups let you organize related datasets to keep your dashboard clean and structured.
What are the different operation modes available?
Serial Studio has three modes: Project File Mode for custom dashboards, Quick Plot Mode for instant CSV plotting, and Device-Defined Mode where your device sends the dashboard layout.
What is the difference between the GPL version and the official Pro version?
The GPL version is open source, must be built from source, and excludes Pro features. The official Pro version is the precompiled binary with all features unlocked, licensed for commercial use after a 14-day trial.
How can I purchase and install a Pro license?
Licenses are purchased through the online store and managed via Lemon Squeezy. After purchase, a license key is sent to your email. To activate Pro, open Serial Studio, go to About → License Management, and paste the key. Activation is instant.
Why is the dashboard not appearing or is greyed out?
This usually means your project file is outdated or incorrectly formatted. Open it in the Project Editor to check for errors and update it to the latest structure.
Can I use Serial Studio for commercial purposes?
Yes, but only with a valid commercial license if you’re using the official binaries. It unlocks Pro features and includes support. Alternatively, you may compile the GPL version yourself using open-source Qt, but it includes no Pro features, no support, and you’re fully responsible for compliance.
What platforms does Serial Studio support?
Serial Studio runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Linux users can run it via AppImage, and there’s an ARM64 AppImage available for Raspberry Pi.
What kind of widgets can I use?
You can use widgets like plots, gauges, LEDs, level indicators, FFT windows, GPS maps, and 3D plots. All are configurable through the Project Editor or sent dynamically by the device.
Do I need to write code to use Serial Studio?
No. You can create dashboards using the built-in Project Editor or have your device send the layout as JSON. No frontend or dashboard code is required.
Does Serial Studio support multiple devices?
No. Serial Studio currently connects to a single data source at a time. If you need multi-device support, you’ll need to multiplex the data externally.
Can I customize how incoming data is parsed?
Yes. You can use a custom JavaScript frame parser to decode binary, hexadecimal, or complex structured data. It’s ideal for non-standard protocols, applying checksums, or handling multiple frame formats within a single project.
What is the Plugin subsystem?
The Plugin subsystem lets external applications connect to Serial Studio over TCP (default port 7777) to receive real-time telemetry in JSON format. It streams both raw and processed data, making it ideal for integrating with custom software, dashboards, or scripts. Plugins can also send commands or data back to the connected device. No special protocol required—just connect over TCP and start exchanging data.
Does Serial Studio support checksums?
Yes. Serial Studio supports a wide range of checksum algorithms, including CRC-8, CRC-16, CRC-32, Adler-32, Fletcher-16, and others. You can select the desired checksum type in the project editor. If a checksum is appended to the end of each data frame, Serial Studio will automatically validate it during runtime to ensure data integrity.
What are datasets and groups in Serial Studio?
Datasets are individual sensor readings or variables like temperature or speed. Groups let you organize related datasets to keep your dashboard clean and structured.
What are the different operation modes available?
Serial Studio has three modes: Project File Mode for custom dashboards, Quick Plot Mode for instant CSV plotting, and Device-Defined Mode where your device sends the dashboard layout.
What is the difference between the GPL version and the official Pro version?
The GPL version is open source, must be built from source, and excludes Pro features. The official Pro version is the precompiled binary with all features unlocked, licensed for commercial use after a 14-day trial.
How can I purchase and install a Pro license?
Licenses are purchased through the online store and managed via Lemon Squeezy. After purchase, a license key is sent to your email. To activate Pro, open Serial Studio, go to About → License Management, and paste the key. Activation is instant.
Why is the dashboard not appearing or is greyed out?
This usually means your project file is outdated or incorrectly formatted. Open it in the Project Editor to check for errors and update it to the latest structure.
Can I use Serial Studio for commercial purposes?
Yes, but only with a valid commercial license if you’re using the official binaries. It unlocks Pro features and includes support. Alternatively, you may compile the GPL version yourself using open-source Qt, but it includes no Pro features, no support, and you’re fully responsible for compliance.
What platforms does Serial Studio support?
Serial Studio runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Linux users can run it via AppImage, and there’s an ARM64 AppImage available for Raspberry Pi.
What kind of widgets can I use?
You can use widgets like plots, gauges, LEDs, level indicators, FFT windows, GPS maps, and 3D plots. All are configurable through the Project Editor or sent dynamically by the device.
Do I need to write code to use Serial Studio?
No. You can create dashboards using the built-in Project Editor or have your device send the layout as JSON. No frontend or dashboard code is required.
Does Serial Studio support multiple devices?
No. Serial Studio currently connects to a single data source at a time. If you need multi-device support, you’ll need to multiplex the data externally.
Can I customize how incoming data is parsed?
Yes. You can use a custom JavaScript frame parser to decode binary, hexadecimal, or complex structured data. It’s ideal for non-standard protocols, applying checksums, or handling multiple frame formats within a single project.
What is the Plugin subsystem?
The Plugin subsystem lets external applications connect to Serial Studio over TCP (default port 7777) to receive real-time telemetry in JSON format. It streams both raw and processed data, making it ideal for integrating with custom software, dashboards, or scripts. Plugins can also send commands or data back to the connected device. No special protocol required—just connect over TCP and start exchanging data.
Does Serial Studio support checksums?
Yes. Serial Studio supports a wide range of checksum algorithms, including CRC-8, CRC-16, CRC-32, Adler-32, Fletcher-16, and others. You can select the desired checksum type in the project editor. If a checksum is appended to the end of each data frame, Serial Studio will automatically validate it during runtime to ensure data integrity.