Observing signals in a network and/or identifying signaling protocols and related devices, systems, and methods

A method comprising:

• comparing characteristics of a signal to corresponding characteristics of signal signatures associated with multiple signaling protocols to identify a signaling protocol of the signal from among the multiple signaling protocols;
• and
• decoding the signal into a stream of values based on the identified signaling protocol, decoding the signal into a stream of values based on the identified signaling protocol,
• wherein the corresponding characteristics of the signal signatures associated with the multiple signaling protocols comprise a plurality of:
• a peak-to-peak voltage range, a count of voltage levels, voltages of voltage levels, a count of transitions between voltage levels, transition times, an idle-state voltage, a type of the signal, a number of channels, and a timing synchronization.

A device comprising:

• a high-impedance input configured to observe a signal without disrupting the signal;
• an analog-to-digital converter configured to digitize the signal;
• a memory configured to store the digital signal;
• and
• a processor configured to:
• compare the stored digital signal to one or more signal signatures to identify a signaling protocol of the signal;
• and
• decode the stored digital signal into a stream of values based on the signaling protocol.

A device comprising:

• a processor configured to:
• compare a signal to one or more signal signatures to identify a signaling protocol of the signal;
• decode the signal into a stream of values based on the signaling protocol;
• compare the stream of values to one or more communication signatures to identify a communication protocol of the signal;
• and
• decode the stream of values into a message based on the communication protocol.