Why MQTTProbe: Building a Sparkplug B Diagnostic Tool
The problem with existing MQTT tools
If you work with Sparkplug B in an IIoT environment, you have probably tried using a standard MQTT client to inspect your traffic. Tools like MQTT Explorer and MQTTX do their job well: browsing topics, viewing raw payloads, and publishing test messages.
But most of these tools leave Sparkplug B payloads as opaque protobuf bytes. Even where a beta decoder exists, you still lack alias resolution, automatic rebirth requests, and a dedicated nodes dashboard.
What MQTTProbe does differently
MQTTProbe decodes Sparkplug B messages natively. When an EoN node sends an NBIRTH message, MQTTProbe displays the metric names, data types, values, and aliases. You see the same information the receiving application sees, without writing a decoder or running a separate script.
The same applies to DBIRTH, NDATA, DDATA, and DCMD messages. The decode happens in real time as messages arrive, so you can watch a Sparkplug B group come online and see each node publish its birth certificate.
Beyond decode
Decode is the core feature, but MQTTProbe also includes:
- Live charts: plot numeric metrics as time-series charts. Extract fields from JSON or Sparkplug B payloads and watch values update in real time.
- Built-in emulation: Sparkplug B and Generic emulators generate realistic traffic so you can try the tool without external MQTT clients on the network.
- Docker deployment: run one container for team access. Persistent configuration, no desktop install required.
Who it is for
MQTTProbe is built for OT engineers, IIoT system integrators, and controls engineers. People who need to see what is happening on an MQTT broker right now, not after writing a script.
If you have ever stared at a hex dump of a Sparkplug B payload wondering which metric is which, MQTTProbe is for you.