Disclosed are a method and an apparatus for decoding a signal sent from a measurement-while-drilling tool. In order to decode the signal, a decoder implementation that is communicative according to a decoder implementation protocol and that is configured to decode the signal into a decoded signal is instantiated. The decoder implementation protocol is then conformed to a transmission protocol. The signal is sent to the decoder implementation according to the transmission protocol. Because the decoder implementation protocol has been conformed to the transmission protocol, the decoder implementation can receive the signal and can decode it. One way in which the decoder implementation protocol can be conformed to the transmission protocol is through the use of a translation layer between the module that sends the signal to be decoded and the decoder implementation.