LIN Simulator

A cross-platform GUI tool for simulating LIN master nodes using BabyLIN-RC-II devices by Lipowsky. Built in two parallel implementations — Python (PyQt6) and C++ (Qt6) — maintained in feature parity.

Owner: TeqanyLogix LTD
Developer: Mohamed Salem

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Features

• LDF Loading — Parse LIN Description Files, auto-reload on file change
• Tx Panel — Expandable tree view of master frames with editable signal values
• Rx Panel — Real-time slave frame display with timestamps and change highlighting
• Bit Packing — Signal value edits automatically update frame bytes (and vice versa)
• Hex/Dec Toggle — Switch all values between hexadecimal and decimal display
• Schedule Tables — Select and run LDF schedule tables with start/stop/pause
• Mock Rx Simulation — Simulated slave responses for testing without hardware
• Connection Panel — Serial port discovery, connect/disconnect with status indicator
• BabyLIN Backend — Wraps Lipowsky's BabyLIN DLL for hardware communication
• Baud Rate Detection — Automatically extracted from LDF's LIN_speed field
• FreeFormat Entries — Support for raw diagnostic/configuration schedule entries
• Automotive Dark Theme — Industrial UI inspired by Vector CANoe and ETAS INCA

Screenshots

(Launch the app and load an LDF to see the automotive dark theme in action)

Project Structure

LIN_Control_Tool/
├── python/                     # Python implementation
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── main.py             # Entry point
│   │   ├── main_window.py      # GUI layout and logic
│   │   ├── ldf_handler.py      # LDF parsing adapter (wraps ldfparser)
│   │   ├── connection_manager.py  # Serial port state machine
│   │   ├── babylin_backend.py  # BabyLIN DLL wrapper
│   │   ├── scheduler.py        # QTimer-based schedule execution
│   │   └── theme.py            # Automotive dark theme stylesheet
│   ├── tests/                  # pytest test suite (182 tests)
│   └── requirements.txt
├── cpp/                        # C++ implementation
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── main.cpp            # Entry point
│   │   ├── main_window.h/.cpp  # GUI layout and logic
│   │   ├── ldf_parser.h/.cpp   # Custom LDF parser (regex-based)
│   │   ├── connection_manager.h/.cpp  # QSerialPort state machine
│   │   └── scheduler.h/.cpp    # QTimer-based schedule execution
│   ├── tests/                  # QTest test suite (124 tests)
│   └── CMakeLists.txt
├── resources/
│   ├── sample.ldf              # Sample LIN 2.1 LDF for testing
│   ├── logo.svg                # Application logo (SVG source)
│   └── logo.png                # Application logo (512x512 PNG)
└── docs/                       # Step-by-step documentation

Quick Start

Python

cd python
pip install -r requirements.txt
cd src && python main.py

C++

cd cpp
mkdir build && cd build
cmake .. -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=$(brew --prefix qt@6)   # macOS
# cmake ..                                           # Linux/Windows
cmake --build .
./lin_simulator

Running Tests

Python (pytest)

cd python
python -m pytest tests/ -v          # all tests
python -m pytest tests/test_ldf_handler.py -v   # single file

C++ (QTest / CTest)

cd cpp/build
ctest --output-on-failure -V       # all tests
./test_main_window                 # single test executable

Dependencies

Python

Package	Version	Purpose
PyQt6	>= 6.5.0	GUI framework
ldfparser	>= 0.25.0	LDF file parsing
pyserial	>= 3.5	Serial port communication
pytest	>= 7.0.0	Test framework

C++

Library	Purpose
Qt6 Widgets	GUI framework
Qt6 SerialPort	Serial port communication
Qt6 Test	Test framework
CMake >= 3.16	Build system

BabyLIN Hardware Support

The tool communicates with BabyLIN-RC-II devices using Lipowsky's official BabyLIN DLL.

Platform	Status
Linux	Full hardware support via libBabyLIN.so
Windows	Full hardware support via BabyLIN.dll
macOS	Mock mode (development/testing only — no native DLL)

Hardware Setup

1. Install LinWorks from Lipowsky
2. Compile your LDF into an SDF file using LinWorks
3. Connect the BabyLIN-RC-II via USB
4. Launch the LIN Simulator → Refresh → Connect → Load SDF → Start

Mock Mode

When the BabyLIN DLL is not available, the tool operates in mock mode:

• All GUI features work normally
• The scheduler generates simulated Rx data
• Useful for GUI development and testing without hardware

Architecture

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                         MainWindow (GUI)                            │
│  ┌──────────┐  ┌──────────────────────────┐  ┌──────────────────┐  │
│  │Connection│  │  Tx Tree    │  Rx Tree    │  │  Control Bar     │  │
│  │  Panel   │  │  (editable) │  (live)     │  │  Start/Stop/Pause│  │
│  └────┬─────┘  └──────┬─────┴──────┬──────┘  └────────┬─────────┘  │
│       │               │            │                   │            │
├───────┴───────────────┴────────────┴───────────────────┴────────────┤
│                       Application Logic                              │
│  ┌────────────────┐  ┌─────────────┐  ┌────────────────────────┐    │
│  │ LDF Handler    │  │ Scheduler   │  │ Connection Manager     │    │
│  │ (parse LDF)    │  │ (QTimer)    │  │ (serial port state)    │    │
│  └────────────────┘  └──────┬──────┘  └───────────┬────────────┘    │
│                             │                     │                  │
├─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────┴─────────────────┤
│                       Hardware Layer                                 │
│  ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐    │
│  │ BabyLIN Backend (wraps Lipowsky DLL / mock mode)            │    │
│  │   → libBabyLIN.so (Linux) / BabyLIN.dll (Windows)          │    │
│  └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘    │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

LDF File Support

The tool parses standard LIN 2.0/2.1 LDF files and extracts:

• Protocol/language version and baud rate
• Master and slave node definitions
• Frame definitions with signal mappings (bit offset, width, initial value)
• Schedule tables (including FreeFormat diagnostic entries)
• Node attributes

Sample LDF

A test LDF (resources/sample.ldf) is included with:

• 1 master node (ECU_Master), 2 slave nodes
• 4 frames (2 Tx, 2 Rx), 9 signals
• 2 schedule tables (NormalSchedule, FastSchedule)
• 19200 baud

License

Copyright 2026 TeqanyLogix LTD. All rights reserved.