Motorcortex

A Visual Studio Code extension that streamlines Motorcortex development and deployment workflows for Target devices.

For the documentation, please visit the VsCode Motorcortex Extension Documentation.

Features

Motorcortex Control & Status

Start / Stop / Restart Motorcortex remotely via SSH.
Dedicated sidebar view showing Motorcortex status.
Status bar connection indicator with live updates.

Python Client & Packaging

Create Python MCX Client App: scaffold a ready-to-run Python client application from a local or Git-based template.
Automatic virtual environment creation and dependency installation.
One-click Build Debian Package integrated into the client workflow for easy Target deployment.

C++ Control Development

Create C++ MCX Control App: scaffold a complete C++ control application from template.
Create C++ MCX Control Module: quickly generate C++ module files (header and/or source) with proper Motorcortex structure.
Convenient buttons to build, run and debug C++ control applications.

Motorcortex Websites

Easy access to Motorcortex official websites and documentation via sidebar links:
- Portal
- GRID
- Cockpit
- Desk Tool

Requirements

Visual Studio Code
Python 3.8+ (for client scaffold and packaging tasks)
SSH access to Target devices for remote control and deployment
Git (optional, for cloning templates)

Extension Settings

Below are the available configuration options for the Motorcortex VS Code extension. These settings can be added to your settings.json or configured via the VS Code settings UI.

Setting	Type	Default	Description
`motorcortex.targetIp`	string	`192.168.2.100`	IP address of the Motorcortex Target device.
`motorcortex.targetUsername`	string	`admin`	SSH username for the Motorcortex Target device.
`motorcortex.statusCheckInterval`	number	`10000`	Interval in milliseconds between status checks (default: 10000ms/10s). Increase this if you experience SSH connection issues.
`motorcortex.enableStatusPolling`	boolean	`true`	Enable automatic status polling of the Motorcortex service. Disable if you prefer manual status checks only.
`motorcortex.private_key_path`	string	`~/.ssh/id_rsa_motorcortex`	Path to the private SSH key used for authenticating with the Motorcortex Target device.
`motorcortex.cpp.executable_name`	string	`motorcortex_control_app`	Name of the executable for the remote C++ Motorcortex Control Application.
`motorcortex.cpp.crossRemoteToolchain.remote_path`	string	`/home/admin/motorcortex_remote`	Remote path on the Motorcortex Target device where the cross-remote toolchain will be set up.
`motorcortex.cpp.default_args`	string	`-c ../../config/config.json -s`	Default arguments to pass to the C++ Motorcortex Control Application when running.
`motorcortex.cpp.additional_cmake_args`	string	(empty)	Additional CMake arguments to pass during configuration (e.g., `-DCUSTOM_FLAG=ON -DANOTHER_OPTION=value`).
`motorcortex.cpp.cmake_toolchain_path`	string	`corei7-64-mcx-linux-toolchain.cmake`	Path to the CMake toolchain file for cross-compiling C++ Motorcortex Control Applications.
`motorcortex.cpp.mcx_packaging_install_prefix`	string	`/usr/local`	Path prefix for installing MCX Packaging on the Motorcortex Target device.
`motorcortex.cpp.toolchain_base_path`	string	`~/.local/motorcortex-toolchains`	Base directory where multiple toolchains are installed. Each toolchain should be in its own subfolder (e.g., `~/.local/motorcortex-toolchains/mcx-sdk-2025-03-01`).
`motorcortex.cpp.environment_setup_path`	string	(empty)	Path to the SDK environment setup script (e.g., `/opt/mcx-rtos/sdk-name/environment-setup-corei7-64-mcx-linux`). This is auto-detected during toolchain setup and used in build tasks to source the SDK environment.
`motorcortex.python.executable`	string	`python3`	Python executable to use for installing dependencies (e.g., python3, python, or path to specific interpreter).
`motorcortex.python.venv_path`	string	`.venv`	Path to the Python virtual environment relative to the workspace root.
`motorcortex.python.requirements_file`	string	`requirements.txt`	Path to the requirements file relative to the workspace root.
`motorcortex.python.useLocalDeploying`	string	(empty)	Path to the local deploying folder in the workspace to use instead of the extension's built-in deploying resources. The folder should contain: makeDeb.py, template.service.in, default_package_config.json, and optionally Dockerfile. Leave empty to use extension resources.

Getting Started

Install the extension from the VS Code Marketplace
Configure your Target IP in settings: motorcortex.targetIp
Use the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P) or the Motorcortex sidebar to access commands

Available Commands

To view the available commands provided by the Motorcortex extension, you can open the Command Palette in VS Code by pressing Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+P (Mac). Then, type Motorcortex to filter the commands related to the Motorcortex extension.

Usage

Status & Service Control

Open the Motorcortex sidebar to view service health and connection state.
Use the status bar indicator for quick connection health and click to refresh.
Control services via the sidebar entries or the Command Palette commands.

Creating and Packaging a Python MCX Client App

Run Motorcortex: Create Python MCX Client App from the Command Palette.
Choose the folder and name for your new client application.
The extension will create a virtual environment and install dependencies.
Use Motorcortex: Build Debian Package to produce a deployable .deb for Target devices.

Creating C++ MCX Control Applications and Modules

Full Control App: Run Motorcortex: Create C++ MCX Control App to scaffold a complete C++ control application with all necessary configuration files.
Individual Modules:
- Use Motorcortex: Create C++ MCX Control Module from the Command Palette or sidebar
- Or right-click any folder or C++ file in the Explorer and select "Create Motorcortex control module"
- Provide a module name (e.g., "MyMotor", "Sensor")
- Choose to generate both header and source files, or header only
- Files are created with proper Motorcortex module structure and your custom name

Quick Links

Official Website: Motorcortex.io
GitHub: VsCode Motorcortex Extension Repository

Support

For issues or feature requests, open an issue at the GitHub repository above.

Enjoy developing with Motorcortex!

Known issues

Docker installed via SNAP may cause issues with building Debian packages. If you encounter problems, consider reinstalling Docker using the official installation method from Docker's website.

Motorcortex

Vectioneer

Motorcortex

Features

Motorcortex Control & Status

Python Client & Packaging

C++ Control Development

Motorcortex Websites

Requirements

Extension Settings

Getting Started

Available Commands

Usage

Status & Service Control

Creating and Packaging a Python MCX Client App

Creating C++ MCX Control Applications and Modules

Quick Links

Support

Known issues