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Protolith Studio

Getting started

Install Protolith Studio, start the free plan and run your first monitoring session.

1. Install

Run the installer from the download page. It installs for your Windows user, so no administrator rights are needed, and it includes everything the app needs (no separate .NET installation).

Until our code-signing certificate arrives, Windows SmartScreen may show an unknown-publisher warning. Check the file’s SHA-256 against the value on the download page, then select More info → Run anyway.

2. Activate

On first start the activation window opens with three tabs:

  • Free start: enter your e-mail, select Send code, type the 6-digit code from the e-mail and select Activate. New accounts get a 30-day Pro trial. If you bought a license with the same e-mail, it is applied automatically.
  • License key: paste the key from your purchase e-mail and select Activate key.
  • Offline: for a computer without internet, see Offline activation.

After activation the app works for 30 days without a connection. It keeps working when our server can’t be reached.

3. Connect a device

  1. Open Datalinks and create a link: Serial (port and baud rate), UDP or TCP client / server.
  2. Open Devices, add a device and give it a channel that uses the link.
  3. Open Parsers and create a parser for your protocol: header, payload and footer fields, and a validator such as a CRC or XOR / SUM checksum.

4. Watch the traffic

Start Raw Monitoring to see every frame as bytes, or Parsed Monitoring to see decoded field values. Use the record button to save a session; open recordings later with Offline Raw Monitoring.

5. Automate a test

Open Flow, drag nodes onto the canvas (Send, Listen Once, Send & Listen, Delay, If / Else) and connect them from Start to End. Run the flow and follow each step’s result in the run log.

Your license

The License page shows your plan, status and remaining days. From there you can:

  • Renew license now: apply a purchase right away instead of waiting for the daily check.
  • Change license: switch to another account or license key.
  • Release this computer: free its seat, for example before replacing it.
  • Send anonymous usage data: turn usage statistics on or off.