Custom Protocol Decoding
Turn proprietary CAN protocols into readable signals with an Orbit plugin
Many CAN networks use proprietary or non-standard protocols that no off-the-shelf tool can parse. Instead of manually extracting values from raw hex data, you can build a custom Orbit SDK plugin that runs directly on Helix — decoding every frame automatically in real time.
System Overview
How It Works
Step-by-step workflow for custom protocol decoding.
Analyze the protocol
Study the protocol specification to understand frame layouts, multiplexing rules, and signal definitions.
Build the plugin
Use the Orbit SDK to implement a TypeScript plugin that decodes all message types, including nested multiplexed signals.
Deploy to Helix
Install the plugin on your Helix devices. Frames are decoded automatically as they arrive on the bus.
Dashboard and export
View decoded signals on live dashboards and export data for further analysis — no manual steps required.
Challenges & How Helix Helps
Every challenge has a built-in answer. See how Helix addresses common problems engineers face.
No standard definition file
Proprietary protocols often use non-standard frame layouts with nested multiplexing or variable-length fields. No DBC or EDS file exists, and generic CAN tools cannot parse the data.
Orbit SDK plugin
Build a TypeScript plugin using the Orbit SDK that implements your protocol specification — multiplexing logic, signal scaling, and all. The plugin runs on-device inside Helix.
Manual bit-level decoding
Without automated decoding, engineers resort to copying raw hex into a calculator, manually shifting bits, and applying scaling factors — a tedious process repeated for every frame they need to inspect.
Real-time decoding
Every incoming frame is decoded automatically and displayed as human-readable signals on Helix dashboards — no hex calculators needed.
Error-prone interpretation
Manual bit extraction is fragile. A wrong byte order assumption or off-by-one start bit produces subtly incorrect values that can propagate into downstream analysis unnoticed.
Export and stream
Decoded signals can be logged, exported as CSV or ASC, and streamed via MQTT — making proprietary data accessible to the rest of your toolchain.
Related Solutions
Extensibility
Extend Helix with custom plugins using the Orbit framework
R&D Labs
Protocol research, performance benchmarking, and embedded systems development
Protocol Analysis
Decode, visualize, and understand CAN bus communication in real time
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