Serial Studio is an open source, 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.
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.
README
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, TCP/UDP sockets and Audio devices, allowing data acquisition from embedded devices, analog circuits, 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.
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:
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.
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
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, Bluetooth LE, audio devices 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:
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.
Serial Studio
