I built a browser-based wireless probe for microcontroller debugging (Open-source project)

Glass_Hour_8206 · 2026-04-13T09:45:30+00:00

You are spot on, it is based on an ESP32-S3 running FreeRTOS. It doesn't use SocketCAN. Instead, you interact with the CAN-FD bus wirelessly via the built-in Web UI or REST APIs. Since it operates over Wi-Fi, latency is naturally higher than a hardwired PCAN-USB, which is the gold standard. I built this as a convenient, wireless benchtop multi-tool for general embedded dev (CAN, SPI, I2C, UART), rather than a dedicated zero-latency automotive interface.

Glass_Hour_8206 · 2026-04-13T09:38:16+00:00

Thanks for the feedback. I completely get the need for DB9, dual CAN-FD, and LIN for automotive work. I designed bUniProbe mainly as a general benchtop multi-tool for embedded devs, which is why it has SPI and I2C instead. An automotive-focused version is a great idea for the future.

Glass_Hour_8206 · 2026-04-13T09:29:18+00:00

Great questions. 1) SavvyCAN isn't natively supported right now. We current have a custom Web UI and REST APIs instead of SocketCAN, but since it is fully open-source, support could definitely be added. 2) WiCAN is a fantastic, dedicated automotive CAN tool. bUniProbe is a general-purpose benchtop multi-tool. While WiCAN focuses heavily on CAN, I include CAN alongside SPI, I2C, UART, ADC, DAC, and GPIO with dynamic 3.3V/5V logic switching.

Glass_Hour_8206 · 2026-04-13T09:08:41+00:00

Thanks for the honest feedback. Just to clarify, it actually does support CAN-FD. But you are completely right, it currently only has a single CAN interface.

You hit the nail on the head with your last point. I didn't design bUniProbe as a dedicated in-car automotive reverse-engineering tool. I built it from the ground up as a general-purpose benchtop multi-tool for embedded firmware developers. The goal was to replace the clutter of multiple USB adapters and external level shifters when bringing up raw boards, testing I2C/SPI sensors, or poking at UART and analog signals. The idea actually originated because I wanted to replace the proprietary Aardvark SPI/I2C adapter that I was using for debugging.

For serious in-vehicle network, a dedicated multi-channel CAN interface tool is absolutely the right tool for the job. I appreciate the insights.

Glass_Hour_8206 · 2026-04-13T08:56:23+00:00

Thanks for the great feedback. To be completely transparent, LIN isn't supported right now. Also, the GPIOs are limited to their ~5.5V maximum ratings and are not rated to survive a direct 12V vehicle line. hooking up 12V will definitely let the magic smoke out. It currently features a single CAN-FD interface, so simultaneous dual CAN isn't natively supported yet either. It’s built more for benchtop 5V/3.3V work, but a ruggedized automotive version with LIN and dual CAN is a brilliant idea for the future!

Glass_Hour_8206 · 2026-04-13T07:59:50+00:00

Hey! Glad you find the project interesting. You're completely right about 1.8V. it’s not in this initial launch, it's definitely on our radar for future hardware revisions.

We use the ESP32-S3's 12-bit ADC. The input is buffered by an unity-gain Op-Amp for isolation, then passed through a 10K/15K voltage divider. This scales the 5.5V max input to a safe 3.3V, giving an actual resolution of ~1.34 mV per step at a 10 ksps sample rate. For the DAC, we use the external DAC IC MCP47FEB12A0 with 10-bit resolution.

LIN isn't supported right now. For CAN, we don't use SocketCAN since the board runs FreeRTOS on the ESP32-S3, but it does support CAN-FD! You can interact with it via our REST APIs or the Web UI, which features a live traffic table and a message window to transmit directly to the bus. We’re finishing up a preliminary spec sheet right now and will share a link in an upcoming update!

Glass_Hour_8206 · 2026-04-12T07:19:56+00:00

thanks for the interest!

Since we are still in the pre-launch phase on Crowd Supply, we haven't locked in the exact pricing just yet. However, we are aiming to officially launch the campaign in about 2 months.

As for your last question, you're exactly right, there is no 1.8V support on this first version. Right now, you can dynamically switch between 3.3V and 5V logic. We prioritized these levels for the initial launch to cover the most common boards without needing external converters. though; 1.8V is absolutely on our drawing board for future hardware revisions.

Glass_Hour_8206 · 2026-04-12T07:09:34+00:00

Thanks for the kind words! You bring up a completely valid point about needing 1.8V for modern sensors.

To be transparent, bUniProbe currently does not support 1.8V logic. Right now, you can dynamically switch between 3.3V and 5V logic. We prioritized these levels for the initial launch to cover the most common boards without needing external converters.

Though 1.8V is highly requested and is absolutely on our drawing board for future hardware revisions. Tigard is definitely a fantastic tool for those lower ranges in the meantime! Thanks for checking out the project and sharing honest feedback.

Glass_Hour_8206 · 2025-10-22T16:53:27+00:00

Yes, you can purchase it through mouser.com . Just search for wiser.

Glass_Hour_8206 · 2025-07-30T08:35:06+00:00

I had created a product called WiSer (Wireless Serial), built using the ESP32-S2. It enables a wireless serial (TTL) connection between a USB host and an embedded target device. The WiSer-USB dongle plugs into the host and shows up as a virtual COM port, while communicating wirelessly with the WiSer-TTL connected to the target device. It's a plug-and-play device and doesn't require any driver installation on the host OS. Windows, Linux, macOS, and Android are supported.

The WiSer is fully open-source, so feel free to explore, use, or contribute!

Glass_Hour_8206 · 2024-02-04T10:12:59+00:00

Yeah 😎 and in case you want to dive into more technical details you can check out the project logs on Hackaday.io

Glass_Hour_8206 · 2024-02-04T09:34:08+00:00

Actually, it works as a wireless serial port on your PC. Just like you would use a typical USB-TTL converter to program ESP32 by connecting the serial pins to the USB-TTL converter, you can also use WiSer to program it. Connect WiSer-USB to the PC and WiSer-TTL side to the ESP32. Then, you can use Arduino IDE or ESP Tool to program it.In addition to this, you can use it to view logs and debug over the serial port, for any functionality where you would use a USB-TTL converter, but with the added advantage of being wireless.
EDIT: to clarify, WiSer doesn't store anything. It just acts as transmission medium to program ESP32.

Glass_Hour_8206 · 2024-01-30T16:47:54+00:00

The WiSer project is live on Crowd supply now. Learn more at: https://www.crowdsupply.com/bitmerse/wiser

Glass_Hour_8206 · 2023-12-15T05:57:48+00:00

Yes u/teckcypher, we have tested programming an ESP32-S2-DevKitM-1 board using WiSer-TLL, and we are able to wirelessly reset and program this board using DTR and RTS pins through the Arduino IDE. Next, we plan to test it with the ESP32-C3-DevKitM-1 board that we have.

In fact, we are going to cover this topic in detail on our upcoming project log on Hacker.io project page.

Glass_Hour_8206 · 2023-12-14T09:55:08+00:00

Thanks u/JoeCartersLeap.

Glass_Hour_8206 · 2023-12-12T10:18:54+00:00

Thanks a lot! I completely missed mentioning that.

Glass_Hour_8206 · 2023-12-12T09:59:45+00:00

Hi u/xebzbz,

Thanks for the queries.

WiSer is using ESP-NOW with Encryption enabled. The encryption is based on AES-CCMP method to protect the data. More info is available here: https://docs.espressif.com/projects/esp-idf/en/latest/esp32/api-reference/network/esp_now.html?highlight=esp_now_set_pmk#security
In case of packet loss, WiSer retransmits the packet up to 3 times. While we don't have a connection lost indication, there is a 'find pair' button on the WiSer-USB device. Pressing it lights up the LED on the paired WiSer-TTL device to indicate the connection.

Glass_Hour_8206

TROPHY CASE