Run and debug microcontroller firmware in VS Code without the board. Emulica
builds your firmware locally and simulates it in the cloud: you get UART
logs, a live timeline of peripheral activity, bus and register inspection,
and recordings you can replay.
Getting started
Sign in. Open the Emulica Emulator view in the Activity Bar and
click Continue to Emulica. Sign in at app.emulica.dev with Google and
create an API key, then paste it into VS Code with Paste an API key
(or run Emulica Emulator: Set API Key).
Set up your tools. After you sign in, the setup step downloads the
ready-to-run example projects from GitHub (about 65 MB) and checks for
the build tools they need (Arm GNU Toolchain, GNU Make, and ESP-IDF for
ESP32 examples), installing what it can for you. The examples update
automatically when a new set is published.
Pick a project and run it. Choose an example from the sidebar or the
project button in the status bar, then click ▶ Run. The Simulation
Timeline opens and starts the simulation.
Features
Example projects for STM32, ESP32, TI and NXP parts, ready to build and
run.
Simulation Timeline: run, pause and stop; watch peripheral events,
logs, bus frames and register snapshots live; record a session and
download it. The layout adapts to narrow editors beside chat side bars,
with tabbed inspectors, a resizable divider and an optional Focus
Timeline mode.
Your own firmware: browse to any firmware folder, or add a whole folder
of projects with Emulica Emulator: Add Project Folder.
Generate from Demo: start a new project from an existing example with
the help of Claude Code or Codex (uses your own local sign-in to those
tools).
Requirements
Windows 10 or 11 (x64).
An Emulica account and API key (free tier available at app.emulica.dev).
Build tools for the examples you run. The setup step lists and installs
them; run Emulica Emulator: Check Required Tools at any time.
Commands
Command
What it does
Emulica Emulator: Open Assistant
Opens the sidebar
Emulica Emulator: Open Simulation Timeline
Opens the live simulation view
Emulica Emulator: Switch Project
Picks the project to build and run
Emulica Emulator: Run / Pause / Stop Simulation
Controls the current simulation
Emulica Emulator: Toggle Recording
Starts or stops recording the session
Emulica Emulator: Set API Key / Clear API Key
Signs in or out
Emulica Emulator: Update Examples
Checks for and downloads new examples
Emulica Emulator: Check Required Tools
Re-runs the build-tool check
Settings
emulicaEmulator.serverUrl: the simulation server. Defaults to the hosted
service; change it only if you run your own server.
emulicaEmulator.additionalProjectRoots: extra folders to look for
projects in, laid out as examples/<vendor>/<mcu>/<project>.
