A configurable probe takes advantage of inter-dependent probe control elements that pass data control signals from one controelement to the other for controlling data extraction. The control elements operate in parallel on one word at a time, based upon a state established by one of the control elements. The data to be considered is established by timing offsets dependant upon packet header lengths, and a function to be performed on the data is controlled by individual control units based upon template information individual to each control element. The probe is agnostic about protocols. It operates on stream of packet words and executes its functions according to defined templates. It is the host that controls the probe and determines what protocol header to parse and how. The controlling host instructs the probe via defined templates that act as state machine definitions what to do and when.