Extensibility
Extend Helix with custom plugins using the Orbit framework
Every CAN bus project has unique requirements — proprietary protocols, custom visualizations, or automated test workflows that no off-the-shelf tool covers. Helix's Orbit plugin system lets you build and load plugins that add custom decoders, data writers, UI components, and automated triggers — turning Helix into a platform tailored to your exact needs.
How It Works
Key Capabilities
What Helix brings to the table for extensibility.
Custom readers
Build plugins that decode incoming CAN frames with your own logic — filter by CAN ID and channel, apply custom parsing, and emit data points for dashboard visualization.
Custom writers & triggers
Define sendable CAN messages with configurable parameters and create triggers that can be invoked from the UI or other plugins to automate workflows.
UI contributions
Plugins can render custom interface elements into predefined slots — toolbar buttons, console tabs, and dropdown menus — with full two-way interaction.
Custom file formats
The built-in database editor is extensible via Orbit — add support for EDS, custom schemas, or any proprietary definition format alongside DBC.
Common Challenges
Problems engineers face with extensibility — and why they matter.
Proprietary protocols
Many industries use custom CAN message formats and higher-layer protocols that standard tools cannot decode. Without extensibility, engineers are stuck with raw hex data or must build entirely separate decoding tools from scratch.
Workflow automation
Repetitive tasks like running test sequences or triggering specific CAN messages manually waste time and introduce human error. Most CAN tools offer no way to script or automate these workflows within the analysis environment.
Custom visualization needs
Generic charts and tables do not always fit specialized data. Industry-specific displays — gauge clusters, state machines, protocol timelines — require custom UI that standard tools simply do not offer.
Locked-in database formats
Most CAN tools only support DBC files for signal definitions. Teams working with CANopen (EDS), proprietary formats, or in-house database schemas have no way to import their definitions — forcing manual re-entry or maintaining parallel toolchains.
Ready to get started?
See how Helix fits into your workflow. Browse our hardware, software, and plugin products.