diff --git a/qcodes/tools/dataviewer.py b/qcodes/tools/dataviewer.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..39bc711ee0fb
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+++ b/qcodes/tools/dataviewer.py
@@ -0,0 +1,200 @@
+#%% Load packages
+
+import os
+import re
+import logging
+
+import qtpy.QtGui as QtGui
+import qtpy.QtWidgets as QtWidgets
+import pyqtgraph as pg
+import argparse
+
+import qcodes
+from qcodes.plots.pyqtgraph import QtPlot
+
+#%% Helper functions
+
+
+def findfilesR(p, patt):
+    """ Get a list of files (recursive)
+
+    Arguments
+    ---------
+
+    p (string): directory
+    patt (string): pattern to match
+
+    """
+    lst = []
+    rr = re.compile(patt)
+    for root, _, files in os.walk(p, topdown=False):
+        lst += [os.path.join(root, f) for f in files if re.match(rr, f)]
+    return lst
+
+#%% Main class
+
+
+class DataViewer(QtWidgets.QWidget):
+
+    ''' Simple viewer for Qcodes data
+
+    Arugments
+    ---------
+
+        datadir (string or None): directory to scan for experiments
+        default_parameter (string): name of default parameter to plot
+    '''
+
+    def __init__(self, datadir=None, window_title='Data browser', default_parameter='amlitude'):
+        super(DataViewer, self).__init__()
+
+        self.default_parameter = default_parameter
+
+        if datadir is None:
+            datadir = qcodes.DataSet.default_io.base_location
+        self.datadir = datadir
+
+        qcodes.DataSet.default_io = qcodes.DiskIO(datadir)
+        logging.info('DataViewer: data directory %s' % datadir)
+
+        # setup GUI
+        self.text = QtWidgets.QLabel()
+        self.text.setText('Log files at %s' %
+                          self.datadir)
+        self.logtree = QtWidgets.QTreeView()  # QTreeWidget
+        self.logtree.setSelectionBehavior(
+            QtWidgets.QAbstractItemView.SelectRows)
+        self._treemodel = QtGui.QStandardItemModel()
+        self.logtree.setModel(self._treemodel)
+        self.__debug = dict()
+        self.qplot = QtPlot() # remote=False, interval=0)
+        self.plotwindow = self.qplot
+
+        vertLayout = QtWidgets.QVBoxLayout()
+        vertLayout.addWidget(self.text)
+        vertLayout.addWidget(self.logtree)
+        vertLayout.addWidget(self.plotwindow)
+        self.setLayout(vertLayout)
+
+        self._treemodel.setHorizontalHeaderLabels(['Log', 'Comments'])
+        self.setWindowTitle(window_title)
+        self.logtree.header().resizeSection(0, 240)
+
+        # disable edit
+        self.logtree.setEditTriggers(
+            QtWidgets.QAbstractItemView.NoEditTriggers)
+        self.logtree.doubleClicked.connect(self.logCallback)
+
+        # get logs from disk
+        self.updateLogs()
+
+    def updateLogs(self):
+        ''' Update the list of measurements '''
+        model = self._treemodel
+        dd = findfilesR(self.datadir, '.*dat')
+        print('found %d files' % (len(dd)))
+        # print(dd)
+
+        logs = dict()
+        for i, d in enumerate(dd):
+            try:
+                datetag, logtag = d.split(os.sep)[-3:-1]
+                if not datetag in logs:
+                    logs[datetag] = dict()
+                logs[datetag][logtag] = d
+            except Exception:
+                pass
+        self.logs = logs
+
+        for i, datetag in enumerate(sorted(logs.keys())[::-1]):
+            parent1 = QtGui.QStandardItem(datetag)
+            for j, logtag in enumerate(sorted(logs[datetag])):
+                child1 = QtGui.QStandardItem(logtag)
+                child2 = QtGui.QStandardItem('info about plot')
+                child3 = QtGui.QStandardItem(os.path.join(datetag, logtag))
+                parent1.appendRow([child1, child2, child3])
+            model.appendRow(parent1)
+            # span container columns
+            self.logtree.setFirstColumnSpanned(
+                i, self.logtree.rootIndex(), True)
+
+    def plot_parameter(self, data):
+        ''' Return parameter to be plotted '''
+        arraynames = data.arrays.keys()
+        if self.default_parameter in arraynames:
+            return self.default_parameter
+        vv = [v for v in arraynames if v.endswith('default_parameter')]
+        if (len(vv) > 0):
+            return vv[0]
+        vv = [v for v in arraynames if v.endswith('amplitude')]
+        if (len(vv) > 0):
+            return vv[0]
+
+        if 'amplitude' in data.arrays.keys():
+            return 'amplitude'
+
+        try:
+            key = next(iter(data.arrays.keys()))
+            return key
+        except Exception:
+            return None
+
+    def logCallback(self, index):
+        ''' Function called when a log entry is selected '''
+        logging.info('logCallback!')
+        logging.debug('logCallback: index %s' % str(index))
+        self.__debug['last'] = index
+        pp = index.parent()
+        row = index.row()
+
+        tag = pp.child(row, 2).data()
+
+        # load data
+        if tag is not None:
+            print('logCallback! tag %s' % tag)
+            try:
+                logging.debug('load tag %s' % tag)
+                data = qcodes.load_data(tag)
+
+                self.qplot.clear()
+
+                infotxt = 'arrays: ' + ', '.join(list(data.arrays.keys()))
+                q = pp.child(row, 1).model()
+                q.setData(pp.child(row, 1), infotxt)
+
+                param_name = self.plot_parameter(data)
+
+                if param_name is not None:
+                    logging.info(
+                        'using parameter %s for plotting' % param_name)
+                    self.qplot.add(getattr(data, param_name))
+                else:
+                    logging.info('could not find parameter for DataSet')
+            except Exception as e:
+                print('logCallback! error ...')
+                print(e)
+                logging.warning(e)
+        pass
+
+
+#%% Run the GUI as a standalone program
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
+    parser.add_argument('-v', '--verbose', default=1, help="verbosity level")
+    parser.add_argument(
+        '-d', '--datadir', type=str, default=None, help="data directory")
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+    verbose = args.verbose
+    datadir = args.datadir
+
+    app = pg.mkQApp()
+
+    dataviewer = DataViewer(datadir=datadir)
+    dataviewer.setGeometry(1280, 60, 700, 800)
+    dataviewer.qplot.win.setMaximumHeight(400)
+    dataviewer.show()
+    self = dataviewer
+
+    app.exec()