SDS-Remote - New version 0.3.0 available

The new version is out, now with better support for 4-channel oscilloscopes, Bode plot support for non Siglent Signal Generators and much more!

SDS-Remote is a remote control interface and help center for Siglent SDS 1000X-E series oscilloscopes. It provides a modern graphical user interface (GUI) for instrument control, waveform acquisition, screen capture, data logging, and interaction through an integrated AI-powered chat interface. SDS-Remote runs on Linux and Windows. For a quick overview, watch the introductory video.

Note: This application is not affiliated with Siglent or any other commercial entity.

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1. What is SDS-Remote and What It Can Do?

SDS-Remote enables remote control and AI-enhanced operation of Siglent SDS1202X-E, SDS1104X-E, SDS1204X-E, and SDS1102X-E oscilloscopes from Linux and Windows.

Key Features

• Remote Oscilloscope Control: Control supported oscilloscopes remotely over a network using the VXI-11 protocol or through USB connectivity (USB support is currently experimental).
• Waveform Acquisition & Data Export: Capture and display waveform data from enabled channels. Save screen captures as images and export waveform data as CSV files.
• Device Parameter Monitoring: View real-time parameters such as timebase, sample rate, and voltage settings. Cursor-based measurements are supported.
• Data Logging: Log key data points over a period of time. Generate PDF measurement reports containing charts and key metrics, or export all recorded measurement points as CSV files.
• Signal Generator & Bode Plot: Choose No Signal Generator, JDS6600 or FY6900 in the settings. With JDS6600 or FY6900 selected, a Bode toolbar button appears once both the oscilloscope and the generator are detected; it runs a frequency sweep and plots gain and phase. The sweep limits are taken from the detected generator model and the selected waveform.
• Macro Recorder: Record, edit and play back SCPI command sequences. Supports variables, conditionals, loops, and both network and USB connections for automated test procedures.

Waveform Data Acquisition

Acquire and visualize waveform data. Perform advanced measurements using X/Y cursors and zoom controls for detailed waveform analysis. Export waveform data as image files or CSV datasets.

Remote Control Panel

Acquire and display oscilloscope screenshots in real time. Control your oscilloscope remotely using a virtual front panel.

AI Chat Interface

Send commands and query oscilloscope functionality using natural-language prompts.

The instrument sub-agent also exposes a deterministic measurement parser tool (parse_measurement). It converts raw PAVA response strings such as C1:PAVA PKPK,3.000000E+00V or C1:PAVA FREQ,9.998900E+02Hz into a structured result (channel, measurement, value, unit) plus a human-readable form (3 V, 1.5 kHz, ...). Parsing and unit conversion are pure code — no LLM is involved — and invalid input is rejected with a structured error instead of producing a wrong value.

Device Profile Management

Save and restore oscilloscope configurations using local .lss profile files.

Data Logging

Log key measurement data over configurable durations ranging from 1 minute to 24 hours. Measure frequency drift and peak-to-peak voltage variations and generate reports with a detailed diagram, start/end and min/max values. All data points can also be saved in a separate CSV file.

Signal Generator Selection

Settings → Signal Generator contains a dropdown with three entries:

• No Signal Generator (default)
• JDS6600 (JOY-IT/Juntek JDS6600 and JDS6600-Lite)
• FY6900 (FeelElec FY6900; Bode plot, port detection and signal-generator window)

The selection is persisted as siggen_device. The app scans the serial ports, identifies the configured generator via the SCPI identity (*IDN?) and shows a Bode button once the oscilloscope is online and the generator is detected. The JDS6600 identifies as JOY-IT,JDS6600-…; the FY6900 as FeelElec,FY6900-….

The Bode Plot panel follows the Data Logger layout and supports start/stop frequency, point count, logarithmic/linear spacing, amplitude, offset, waveform, settling time, optional phase measurement and selectable input/output channels (default CH1 = Vin, CH2 = Vout). It sweeps the configured signal generator (JDS6600 or FY6900), measures RMS voltages and phase with the Siglent, computes gain in dB and phase in degrees, and shows two aligned plots with a shared logarithmic frequency axis. The configuration mask has an optional Report Name field; the top-bar Save action captures the plot and writes a PDF report with the report name, the plot image and the sweep configuration to bode/reports/ (the sweep data is additionally written as CSV when Save csv data is enabled).

Start/stop frequency, amplitude and offset limits are derived from the detected generator model and the selected waveform (for example a FY6900-30M sine sweep is limited to 30 MHz, a FY6900-60M to 60 MHz). The configuration form shows the active model limits.

Signal wiring: generator CH1 → DUT input → scope CH1; DUT output → scope CH2. The generator outputs are switched off when a sweep finishes, fails or is cancelled. Phase uses the Siglent MEAD PHA measurement with the documented C1-C2:MEAD? PHA query, plus a waveform-crossing fallback and a ±180° plausibility check. The scope returns the input relative to the output, so the sign is inverted; an RC low-pass was used to verify that a lagging output is shown as a negative phase. Transient scope acquisitions in which Vin collapses to the noise floor are retried; if the reading stays implausible, the point is marked invalid and left out of the plot instead of appearing as a spike. The output channel's V/div is adjusted automatically when the signal is too small or too large for the current scale; below about −30 dB the phase is taken from the waveform crossings because the scope's MEAD measurement is noise-limited.

The signal-generator backend lives in lib/src/signal_generator/: the shared service, SCPI layer and SiggenDriver seam, the JDS6600 register codec, and the FY6900 command codec (fy6900_protocol.dart / fy6900_driver.dart). Both drivers offer the same SCPI command syntax (SOURce<n>:FREQ, VOLT, PHAS, OUTP<n>:STAT, …). The Bode logic lives in lib/src/bode/. A hardware check for the JDS6600 is still available:

flutter build linux --debug
LIBSERIALPORT_PATH="$PWD/build/linux/x64/debug/bundle/lib" \
  dart run test/jds6600_check.dart /dev/ttyUSB0

The script saves registers 20-31, sets CH1 to a known signal, verifies the readback and restores the previous state. On Windows, point LIBSERIALPORT_PATH at the directory containing serialport.dll next to the built runner. On Linux the user must be in the dialout group; on Windows the CH340 driver must be installed.

Signal Generator Window (Ctrl+J)

With Signal Generator → JDS6600 or FY6900 selected and the generator detected, press Ctrl+J to open a separate OS window (there is no toolbar button). Pressing Ctrl+J again focuses the existing window. The window offers the two channel views CH1 / CH2 with waveform, frequency (Hz/kHz/MHz), amplitude (Vpp), DC offset, duty cycle (effective for square/pulse on the JDS6600 and rectangle on the FY6900), phase (global CH2-vs-CH1 on the JDS6600, per-channel phase on the FY6900) and an immediate output on/off switch. Other values are applied explicitly with Apply changes; confirmed device values and pending edits are shown separately. Frequency and amplitude limits come from the model returned by the driver identity query (JDS6600-LITE/JDS6600 or FY6900-20M…FY6900-100M) and the selected waveform; offset, duty-cycle and phase ranges are derived from the same detected device family. Numeric values can be adjusted with spinner buttons next to the fields.

All hardware access stays in the main window; the second window only sends typed commands through a bridge. Settings cannot be changed while a Bode sweep is running, and the child window closes together with the main application.

Macro Recorder

Record, edit and play back SCPI command sequences to automate repetitive measurement and configuration tasks. Supports variables, conditionals (if/else), loops (while), assertions, and both network (connect("IP")) and USB (connect(usb)) connections.

⚠️ USB connection support in macros is experimental.

2. Installation

2.1 Linux Debian .deb Package

To install the precompiled Debian .deb package on Debian-based Linux distributions (for example, Ubuntu 24.04 or newer), download the latest package from the Releases page and run the following command in your terminal:

sudo apt install ./sdsremote_[version]_amd64.deb

Alternatively, double-click the .deb file and follow the installation instructions.

Once installed, you can launch the application from your desktop environment's application menu.

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2.2 Windows MSI Installer

For Windows installation, use the MSI installer: sdsremote_[version].exe

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3. Building the Application Yourself

If you prefer to build SDS-Remote from source, you will need to install the Flutter SDK and its dependencies.

3.1 Installing Flutter/Dart

Choose the instructions for your target platform.

Linux

1. Install Dependencies: Ensure the required development tools are installed:

   sudo apt install curl git unzip cmake ninja-build pkg-config libgtk-3-dev

2. Download Flutter: Download the Flutter SDK from the official Flutter Linux installation guide.

3. Extract and Add to PATH: Extract the archive and add the flutter/bin directory to your system PATH.

4. Verify Installation: Run flutter doctor in your terminal to verify that all dependencies are installed and the environment is configured correctly.

Windows

1. Install Dependencies: Ensure the following components are installed:

   • Git for Windows
   • Visual Studio 2022 with the Desktop development with C++ workload

2. Download Flutter: Download the Flutter SDK from the official Flutter Windows installation guide.

3. Extract and Add to PATH: Extract the archive and add the flutter\bin directory to your system PATH.

4. Verify Installation: Run flutter doctor in a command prompt to verify that all dependencies are installed and the environment is configured correctly.

3.2 Building the App from Source

1. Clone the Repository (if not already cloned):

   git clone https://github.com/klumw/sdsremote.git
   cd sdsremote

2. Install Packages:

   flutter pub get

3. Build the Linux Application:

   flutter build linux

   The compiled executable will be located in the build/linux/x64/release/bundle/ directory.

4. Build the Windows Application:

   flutter build windows

   The compiled executable will be located in the build/windows/x64/runner/Release/ directory.

   To run the executable, ensure that the associated DLLs and the data directory are located in the same folder.

3.3 USB Support (Experimental) ⚠️

3.3.1 USB Support on Windows

For USB support on Windows, place the x64 libusb-1.0.dll from the libusb project in the same directory as the SDS-Remote executable. (The application also accepts the older file name libusb.dll as a fallback.)

Multiple DLL versions are available in the download package. Select the DLL located under /VS2025/MS64-hotplug.

Next, verify or install the WinUSB driver for your device:

1. Download the Zadig driver tool.
2. Connect your device.
3. In Zadig, enable Options → List All Devices.
4. Select your device and install the WinUSB driver if it is not already installed.

Note: If you are using a VISA-based application in parallel, it may no longer detect the device after switching to the WinUSB driver.

If the oscilloscope is still not detected:

• Set Settings → Connection Mode to USB (USBTMC).
• In Device Manager, the Siglent device must use the WinUSB driver (not usbtmc.sys). Re-run Zadig with Replace Driver if needed, and select the device's USBTMC interface.
• The WinUSB binding is per device (VID/PID): installing it for one Siglent model does not cover another. Run Zadig separately for each model — SDS1104X-E f4ec:ee38, SDS1202X-E f4ed:ee3a — and pick the matching device when both are connected.
• Use the oscilloscope's USB Device port, not the USB host port for flash drives.
• Check %TEMP%\sds\logging\sds.log for USBTMC Windows messages.

3.3.2 USB Support on Linux

USB access is implemented with libusb, which opens the raw USB device node (/dev/bus/usb/<bus>/<device>). That node is root-only by default, so a udev rule is required; otherwise the device is detected but opening it fails with Failed to open USB device ... Please check physical connection and USB permissions.

Install the bundled rule and re-trigger udev:

sudo cp linux/udev/99-siglent-usbtmc.rules /etc/udev/rules.d/
sudo udevadm control --reload-rules
sudo udevadm trigger --action=change
# unplug and replug the oscilloscope

Verify that the device is present and writable for your user/group:

lsusb | grep -i siglent        # e.g. f4ec:ee38 for the SDS1104X-E
ls -l /dev/bus/usb/*/*         # your user or group plugdev must have rw-
groups                         # must list plugdev

The rule covers the SDS1104X-E (f4ec:ee38), the SDS1202X-E (f4ed:ee3a) and /dev/usbtmc* via the usbmisc subsystem. For other models, add a rule with their idVendor/idProduct from lsusb.

Some Siglent USB firmware versions are not fully USB compliant. Perform the following compatibility check:

1. Connect your device to a USB port.

2. Run the following command:

   sudo dmesg

3. If you see messages similar to the following:

   config 1 interface 0 altsetting 0 bulk endpoint 0x81 has invalid maxpacket 64
   usb 1-4: config 1 interface 0 altsetting 0 bulk endpoint 0x1 has invalid maxpacket 64

   then the device's USB firmware is not fully compliant with the USB standard, and some SDS-Remote functionality, such as profile upload, may not work correctly under Linux.

3.4 Running the Application

You can run the built executable directly or start the application in debug/development mode.

Linux

flutter run -d linux

The Linux window title bar and task bar show the bundled SDS-Remote icon (assets/icons/sds-remote.png). The GTK header bar (top bar) uses a small 24x24 icon scaled from assets/icons/sds-remote-icon_128_128.png. Both icons are loaded and applied by the GTK runner in linux/runner/my_application.cc.

Windows

flutter run -d windows

3.5 Running the Test Suite

Run the unit and widget tests from the project root:

flutter test

The AI search accuracy evaluation in test/ai_search_accuracy_test.dart performs real API calls — one search-agent call plus one grader call per test case. The LLM under test is configured in the test itself (currently edenai:mistral-code-agent-latest, which also drives its knowledgebase search sub-agent), while the grader LLM is currently deepseek:deepseek-v4-flash. Both provider keys must therefore be exported. Run the test from the project root so that the relative paths to test/ai_test_data.json and docs/knowledgebase.md resolve:

export EDENAI_API_KEY="..."
export DEEPSEEK_API_KEY="sk-..."
flutter test -r expanded test/ai_search_accuracy_test.dart

The -r expanded reporter shows the per-case score and reasoning. A full run evaluates 20 cases and can take several minutes; the averaged results are printed and written to test/ai_search_accuracy_results.json.

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4. AI Configuration

The AI chat feature supports the following providers:

Provider
DeepSeek
OpenAI
Anthropic
Google
Mistral
Cohere
EdenAI
OpenRouter
xAI

The following LLMs are known to work with the application:

Known working models

• deepseek-flash
• gpt-6-luna
• gemini-flash
• claude-sonnet
• qwen-3.x-max
• mistral-code

For exact model names, refer to your provider's documentation.

The AI subsystem may generate inaccurate information or incorrect operating instructions. Use this functionality at your own risk.

AI Subsystem Code Layout

The AI code is split into agents and tools:

• lib/src/ai/agents/ — agent classes and system prompts:
  • frontend_agent.dart — user-facing agent that delegates to specialized sub-agents.
  • instrument_agent.dart — SCPI/VXI-11 instrument control agent.
  • search_agent.dart — knowledgebase search agent.
  • max_tool_calls_handler.dart — shared max-tool-call mixin used by agents.
  • systemprompts.dart — centralized system prompt strings for all agents.
• lib/src/ai/tools/ — all agent tools:
  • vxi11_tool.dart — raw SCPI write/query tool for the instrument.
  • measurement_tool.dart — deterministic PAVA measurement parser (parse_measurement).
  • scpi_agent_tool.dart — wraps the instrument agent as a scpi_instrument_agent tool.
  • search_agent_tool.dart — wraps the search agent as a search_agent tool.
  • knowledgebase_search_tool.dart — knowledgebase chunk search tool (knowledgebase_search).

Widget Code Layout

All Flutter widget class files live under lib/src/widgets/:

• Panels: data_logger_panel.dart, macro_editor_panel.dart, macro_recorder_panel.dart, osci_device_params_panel.dart, osci_physical_panel.dart, osci_profiles_panel.dart, osci_settings_panel.dart, bode_plot_panel.dart, signal_generator_panel.dart.
• Windows/screens: home_page.dart, osci_chat_window.dart, osci_help_window.dart, signal_generator_window.dart.
• Widgets & dialogs: data_logger_dialog.dart, data_logger_plot.dart, osci_knob_widgets.dart, osci_news_notification.dart, osci_toolbar_button.dart, filename_prefix_dialog.dart, reference_file_picker_dialog.dart, unsaved_changes_dialog.dart.

Non-widget, domain-specific support code is grouped into subfolders under lib/src/.

Domain Code Layout

• lib/src/ai/ — AI agents (agents/), tools (tools/), and the chat service (ai_chat_service.dart).
• lib/src/app/ — application configuration and environment: app_config.dart, app_paths.dart, app_preferences.dart, app_theme.dart.
• lib/src/core/ — cross-cutting utilities: logger.dart.
• lib/src/data_logger/ — Data Logger logic: data_logger_csv_writer.dart, data_logger_models.dart, data_logger_report.dart, data_logger_service.dart.
• lib/src/instrument/ — instrument I/O and protocol: dart_vxi11.dart (VXI-11/USBTMC transport), scpi_parser.dart (SCPI response parsing), measurement.dart (PAVA measurement parsing/formatting).
• lib/src/signal_generator/ — signal-generator domain layer shared by both families: models.dart (identity and limits), siggen_driver.dart (driver seam), jds6600_protocol.dart (register codec), jds6600_driver.dart, fy6900_protocol.dart (command codec), fy6900_driver.dart, jds6600_transport.dart (transport seam), jds6600_serial_transport.dart and fy6900_serial_transport.dart (libserialport backends), serial_port_info.dart (port discovery), siggen_scpi.dart (SCPI subset) and signal_generator_service.dart (connection, cache, queue, polling). The Ctrl+J window adds siggen_window_protocol.dart (bridge DTOs), siggen_window_host.dart / siggen_window_launcher.dart / siggen_window_server.dart (main-window side) and siggen_window_client.dart / siggen_window_controller.dart (child-window side).
• lib/src/bode/ — Bode Plot domain and sweep: bode_models.dart, bode_math.dart, bode_scope.dart, vxi11_bode_scope.dart, waveform_phase.dart, bode_plot_service.dart, bode_csv_writer.dart, bode_report.dart.
• lib/src/macro/ — Macro language and recorder logic: macro_ast.dart, macro_evaluator.dart, macro_grammar.dart, macro_lint_controller.dart, macro_lint_error.dart, macro_linter.dart, macro_recorder_models.dart.
• lib/src/waveform/ — Waveform models, conversion, acquisition, and rendering: waveform_models.dart, waveform_converter.dart, waveform_acquisition.dart, waveform_painter.dart, cursor_geometry.dart, plus the CSV/processing helpers waveform_csv_parser.dart, waveform_csv_writer.dart, waveform_processing.dart (drops the first 8 acquisition samples, which contain a transient artifact visible as a left-edge offset in the plot). Voltage conversion uses V = code * vdiv / 25 - OFST (Siglent OFST is the zero-level offset from screen center), and the painter centers the visible range at -OFST.
• lib/src/widgets/ — all Flutter widget classes (see Widget Code Layout).

The application entry point main.dart stays at lib/.

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5. License and Feedback

License

This software is released under the terms and conditions of the Apache 2.0 License.

Feedback and Support

• Review the in-app help manual for troubleshooting guidance.
• Check the application logs at:
  • Linux: /tmp/sds/logging/sds.log
  • Windows: %TEMP%\sds\logging\sds.log
• Submit issues or feature requests through the SDS-Remote GitHub Issues page.