PicoScope MCP Server
A STDIO MCP server that enables LLMs like Claude to interact with PicoScope oscilloscopes for signal acquisition, measurement, and analysis. Built with FastMCP and the official PicoSDK Python bindings.
Features
Device Management: Auto-discover and connect to PicoScope devices
Channel Configuration: Set voltage ranges, coupling, and offsets
Data Acquisition: Block capture and streaming modes
Triggering: Simple and advanced trigger configurations
Measurements: Frequency, amplitude, rise time, FFT, THD, and more
Signal Generation: Control built-in arbitrary waveform generator
AI-Native: Designed for natural language control via Claude and other LLMs
Quick Start
The server runs in STDIO mode and is ready to communicate with MCP clients like Claude Desktop.
Installation
Prerequisites
PicoSDK C Libraries (required for hardware operation)
Windows: Download from PicoTech Downloads
macOS: Download PicoScope software package
Linux: Install via package manager:
# Ubuntu/Debian sudo apt-get install libps5000a libps4000a libps3000a libps2000a
Python 3.11+ with uv package manager
Install Dependencies
Usage
Running the Server
The server runs in STDIO mode, communicating via standard input/output for use with MCP-compatible clients.
Using with Claude Desktop
Add this configuration to your Claude Desktop config file:
macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
Restart Claude Desktop, and you'll see the PicoScope tools available in the MCP menu.
Testing Without Hardware
The server will run even without PicoScope hardware connected, though device operations will fail until:
PicoSDK C libraries are installed
A PicoScope device is connected
MCP Tools
Discovery & Connection
Tool | Description |
| Find all connected PicoScope devices |
| Connect to a specific device (by serial) or first available |
| Get details about connected device |
| Disconnect from current device |
Channel Configuration
Tool | Description |
| Set channel parameters (range, coupling, offset) |
| Query current channel settings |
| Configure sampling rate (informational) |
Triggering
Tool | Description |
| Configure edge trigger (rising/falling/both) |
Data Acquisition
Tool | Description |
| Single snapshot capture with pre/post trigger samples |
| Begin continuous data capture |
| End streaming mode |
| Retrieve latest streaming data |
Analysis
Tool | Description |
| Calculate signal frequency |
| Measure voltage (pk-pk, RMS, etc.) |
| Edge timing analysis |
| Pulse characteristics |
| Frequency domain analysis |
| Signal statistics (min/max/mean/std) |
| Total Harmonic Distortion |
Advanced
Tool | Description |
| Configure AWG output |
| Disable signal generator |
| Channel operations (A+B, A-B, etc.) |
| Save data to file (CSV/JSON/NumPy) |
| Set downsampling mode |
Example Usage with Claude
Configuration
Typical Workflow
Connect:
connect_device()
Configure Channels:
configure_channel()
for each channelSet Trigger:
set_simple_trigger()
Capture:
capture_block()
orstart_streaming()
Analyze: Use measurement tools on captured data
Supported Hardware
PS5000A Series (primary support)
PS2000/3000/4000/6000 Series (planned)
Currently optimized for PS5000A. Other series will require device-specific implementations.
Development
Project Structure
Running Tests
Adding Support for New Device Series
Update
device_manager.py
to detect device seriesImport appropriate picosdk module (e.g.,
ps3000a
)Map device-specific constants and API calls
Handle series-specific capabilities
Troubleshooting
"PicoSDK not found" Error
Install PicoSDK C libraries for your platform (see Prerequisites).
"No device connected" Errors
Ensure PicoScope is connected via USB
Check device appears in system (Windows Device Manager, macOS System Information, Linux
lsusb
)Verify PicoSDK drivers are installed
Try reconnecting the device
Channel Configuration Fails
Check voltage range is supported: 0.02, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10, 20V
Verify channel exists (A-D for 4-channel models)
Capture Timeout
Ensure trigger settings are appropriate for signal
Try increasing auto-trigger timeout
Check signal is within configured voltage range
Roadmap
Phase 1: Foundation - Device discovery, connection, PS5000A support
Phase 2: Advanced acquisition - Streaming mode, advanced triggers
Phase 3: Multi-device support - PS2000/3000/4000/6000 series
Phase 4: Enhanced analysis - Real-time FFT, automated characterization
Phase 5: Visualization - Web dashboard for waveform viewing
See PROJECT_PLAN.md for detailed architecture and development plans.
Contributing
Contributions are welcome! This project is in active development.
How to Contribute
Fork the repository
Create a feature branch (
git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature
)Commit your changes (
git commit -m 'Add amazing feature'
)Push to the branch (
git push origin feature/amazing-feature
)Open a Pull Request
Development Setup
Areas for Contribution
Support for additional PicoScope series (PS2000, PS3000, PS4000, PS6000)
Streaming mode implementation
Advanced trigger modes (pulse width, window, logic)
Additional measurement algorithms
Documentation and examples
Test coverage
Bug reports and fixes
License
This project is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0 - see the LICENSE file for details.
Note: This license allows commercial use but requires derivative works to remain open source under GPLv3.
Acknowledgments
Pico Technology for the PicoSDK Python wrappers
Anthropic for the Model Context Protocol
Jeff Lowin for FastMCP
The open source community
References
Contact
Issues: GitHub Issues
Discussions: GitHub Discussions
local-only server
The server can only run on the client's local machine because it depends on local resources.
Tools
Enables LLMs like Claude to interact with PicoScope oscilloscopes for signal acquisition, measurement, and analysis. Supports device management, data capture, triggering, and signal generation through natural language commands.