GitHub - choihimchan/linkscope-bpu-uart-analyzer

3 min read Original article ↗

High-speed UART analyzer using ESP32-S3 + PC GUI.

Real-time capture, framing, statistics, and visualization for embedded debugging.

Demo

Demo

LinkScope - Debug High-Speed UART in Real Time

❌ Terminal shows "fine"
❌ But packets are dropping
❌ You can't see jitter

✅ LinkScope shows it instantly.

[GIF HERE]

  • Detect drops
  • Show jitter
  • Monitor buffer
  • Analyze frames

Works with ESP32-S3

⚡ Quick Start (1 minute)

  1. Flash firmware to ESP32-S3
  2. Connect:
    • Target TX → GPIO18
    • Target GND → ESP32-S3 GND
  3. Plug ESP32-S3 into USB
  4. Run Windows EXE
  5. Select COM port
  6. Press Start

Important (Windows): Close Serial Monitor / Other Serial Apps

Only one program can use a COM port at a time.

✅ Before running LinkScope, close:

  • Arduino IDE Serial Monitor
  • PlatformIO Serial Monitor
  • PuTTY / TeraTerm
  • any other serial terminal/logging tool

If the port is busy, LinkScope may fail to connect or exit immediately.

Features

  • Up to 921600 baud UART capture
  • COBS framed binary protocol
  • Real-time throughput graph
  • RAW hex inspector
  • Auto frame decoder
  • Health / statistics monitoring
  • Windows standalone EXE
  • Works with STM32 / ESP32 / NRF / MCU UART TX

System Architecture

[ Target MCU TX ] --> [ ESP32-S3 RX ] --> USB --> [ PC Analyzer ]

Supported Devices

Any device with UART TX:

  • STM32
  • ESP32 / ESP8266
  • NRF52 / NRF53
  • RP2040
  • Arduino
  • Custom MCUs

Getting Started (Beginner Guide)

This guide explains how to use LinkScope UART Analyzer step-by-step.

1. Flash Firmware to ESP32-S3

  1. Open Arduino IDE

  2. Open firmware file:

    firmware/esp32_s3/LinkScope_UART_Analyzer_v0.1.0_esp32_s3.ino

  3. Select board:

    Tools → Board → ESP32 Arduino → ESP32S3 Dev Module

  4. Select COM port

  5. Click Upload

Wait until upload is finished.

2. Hardware Connection

Connect your target MCU to ESP32-S3:

Target MCU TX ---> ESP32-S3 GPIO18 (RX)
Target MCU GND ---> ESP32-S3 GND

(Default RX pin: GPIO18)

Examples:

STM32 TX → GPIO18
ESP32 TX → GPIO18
Arduino TX → GPIO18

No firmware change needed on target MCU. Just connect TX line.

3. Run PC Analyzer (Windows)

  1. Go to:

    releases/

  2. Run:

    LinkScope_UART_Analyzer_v0.1.0_windows_x64.exe

No installation required.

4. Select Serial Port

  1. Plug ESP32-S3 into PC

  2. Check COM port in Windows Device Manager

  3. In Analyzer:

    • Click Refresh
    • Select COM port
    • Set Baud Rate (default: 921600)
    • Click Connect

If connected, status will show "Connected".

5. Start Monitoring

After connection:

Press:

S → Start
P → Stop
C → Clear

Or use GUI buttons.

UART data will appear in real-time.

6. Baud Rate Setting

Make sure target MCU baud matches analyzer.

Example (115200):

Type:

B115200

Press Enter, then press S.

7. Run from Python (Optional)

If you want to run from source:

pip install pyserial matplotlib
python host/LinkScope_UART_Analyzer_v0.1.0.py

8. Example Project

Example firmware:

examples/hello_demo_wroom_tx/

Use this to test basic UART transmission.

9. Troubleshooting

No data?

Check:

  • TX/GND wiring
  • Correct COM port
  • Baud rate match
  • ESP32-S3 firmware uploaded
  • USB cable supports data

If still not working, open an Issue.

Documentation

Beginner guide:

docs/usage.md

Use Cases

  • UART data loss debugging
  • Throughput benchmarking
  • Protocol reverse engineering
  • Production testing
  • Factory logging

Build Windows EXE

pip install pyinstaller
pyinstaller --onefile host/LinkScope_UART_Analyzer_v0.1.0.py

License

MIT License