diff --git a/gui.py b/gui.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..08a6bbb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gui.py
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+import asyncio
+import os
+import logging
+
+import numpy as np
+from quamash import QEventLoop, QtWidgets
+import pyqtgraph as pg
+from sipyco.pipe_ipc import AsyncioChildComm
+from sipyco import pyon
+ 
+
+class SpectrogramWidget(pg.PlotWidget):
+    def __init__(self, block_size=4096):
+        super(SpectrogramWidget, self).__init__()
+ 
+        self.block_size = block_size
+ 
+        self.img = pg.ImageItem()
+        self.addItem(self.img)
+ 
+        self.img_array = np.zeros((100, block_size))
+ 
+        pos = np.array([0., 1., 0.5, 0.25, 0.75])
+        color = np.array([[0,255,255,255], [255,255,0,255], [0,0,0,255], (0, 0, 255, 255), (255, 0, 0, 255)], dtype=np.ubyte)
+        cmap = pg.ColorMap(pos, color)
+        lut = cmap.getLookupTable(0.0, 1.0, 256)
+ 
+        self.img.setLookupTable(lut)
+        self.img.setLevels([-50,40])
+  
+        self.show()
+
+    def update(self, block):
+        self.img_array = np.roll(self.img_array, -1, 0)
+        self.img_array[-1:] = block 
+        self.img.setImage(self.img_array, autoLevels=True)
+
+
+class IPCClient(AsyncioChildComm):
+    def set_close_cb(self, close_cb):
+        self.close_cb = close_cb
+
+    async def read_pyon(self):
+        line = await self.readline()
+        return pyon.decode(line.decode())
+
+    async def listen(self, spectrogram):
+        while True:
+            obj = await self.read_pyon()
+            try:
+                action = obj["action"]
+                if action == "update":
+                    spectrogram.update(obj["data"])
+                if action == "terminate":
+                    self.close_cb()
+                    return
+            except:
+                logging.error("error processing parent message",
+                              exc_info=True)
+                self.close_cb()
+
+
+def main():
+    app = QtWidgets.QApplication([])
+    loop = QEventLoop(app)
+    asyncio.set_event_loop(loop)
+
+    try:
+        ipc = IPCClient(os.getenv("NOPTICA2_IPC"))
+        loop.run_until_complete(ipc.connect())
+        try:
+            main_widget = SpectrogramWidget()
+            main_widget.show()
+            ipc.set_close_cb(main_widget.close)
+            asyncio.ensure_future(ipc.listen(main_widget))
+            loop.run_forever()
+        finally:
+            ipc.close()
+    finally:
+        loop.close()
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()
diff --git a/gui_test.py b/gui_test.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e56b6a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gui_test.py
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+import os
+import sys
+import subprocess
+import time
+
+import numpy as np
+from sipyco import pyon
+
+
+# env QT_QPA_PLATFORM=wayland python gui_test.py 
+
+class ParentComm:
+    def __init__(self):
+        self.c_rfd, self.p_wfd = os.pipe()
+        self.p_rfd, self.c_wfd = os.pipe()
+        self.rf = open(int(self.p_rfd), "rb", 0)
+        self.wf = open(int(self.p_wfd), "wb", 0)
+        self.process = None
+
+    def get_address(self):
+        return "{},{}".format(self.c_rfd, self.c_wfd)
+
+    def read(self, n):
+        return self.rf.read(n)
+
+    def readline(self):
+        return self.rf.readline()
+
+    def write(self, data):
+        return self.wf.write(data)
+
+    def write_pyon(self, obj):
+        self.write(pyon.encode(obj).encode() + b"\n")
+
+    def close(self):
+        self.rf.close()
+        self.wf.close()
+        if self.process is not None:
+            self.process.wait()
+
+    def create_subprocess(self, *args):
+        env = os.environ.copy()
+        env["PYTHONUNBUFFERED"] = "1"
+        env["NOPTICA2_IPC"] = self.get_address()
+        self.process = subprocess.Popen(
+            *args, pass_fds={self.c_rfd, self.c_wfd},
+            env=env)
+        os.close(self.c_rfd)
+        os.close(self.c_wfd)
+
+
+
+def main():
+    gui = ParentComm()
+    try:
+        gui.create_subprocess([sys.executable, "gui.py"])
+        for i in range(600):
+            obj = {"action": "update", "data": np.random.normal(size=4096)}
+            gui.write_pyon(obj)
+            time.sleep(1/60)
+        obj = {"action": "terminate"}
+        gui.write_pyon(obj)
+    finally:
+        gui.close()
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()
diff --git a/shell.nix b/shell.nix
index 8d6675f..3ddd800 100644
--- a/shell.nix
+++ b/shell.nix
@@ -16,12 +16,28 @@ let
     url = "https://www.nuand.com/fpga/v0.11.0/hostedxA4.rbf";
     sha256 = "c172e35c4a92cf1e0ca3b37347a84d8376b275ece16cb9c5142b72b82b16fe8e";
   };
+  sipyco = pkgs.python3Packages.buildPythonPackage rec {
+    name = "sipyco";
+    version = "1.1";
+    src = pkgs.fetchFromGitHub {
+      owner = "m-labs";
+      repo = "sipyco";
+      rev = "v${version}";
+      sha256 = "09vyrzfhnbp65ybd7w2g96gvvnhzafpn72syls2kbg2paqjjf9gs";
+    };
+    propagatedBuildInputs = [ pkgs.python3Packages.numpy ];
+  };
 in
  pkgs.mkShell {
+    nativeBuildInputs = [ pkgs.qt5.wrapQtAppsHook ];
     buildInputs = [
-      (pkgs.python3.withPackages(ps: [ps.soapysdr-with-plugins ps.scipy ps.pyserial ps.quamash ps.pyqt5 pyqtgraph-qt5]))
+      (pkgs.python3.withPackages(ps: [ps.soapysdr-with-plugins ps.scipy ps.pyserial ps.quamash ps.pyqt5 pyqtgraph-qt5 sipyco]))
       pkgs.libbladeRF pkgs.gqrx
     ];
+    dontWrapQtApps = true;
+    postFixup = ''
+       wrapQtApp "$out/bin/python"
+    '';
     shellHook = ''
       ${pkgs.libbladeRF}/bin/bladeRF-cli -l ${bitstream}
       ${pkgs.libbladeRF}/bin/bladeRF-cli -e "set biastee rx on"