Arduino to Codespaces Bridge

Develop on the Cloud, Deploy to the Edge.

Arduino to Codespaces Bridge enables a seamless workflow for developing Arduino projects inside GitHub Codespaces while interacting with physical hardware connected to your local computer.

🚀 Features

🌉 Cloud-to-Local Bridge (Main Feature)

The missing link for cloud development. This extension solves the primary challenge of using GitHub Codespaces for embedded development: connecting to local hardware.

• Remote Compilation: Code is compiled in the high-performance cloud environment.
• Local Flashing: The compiled binary is streamed securely to your local browser and flashed to the USB-connected Arduino via the Web Serial API.
• Zero Local Setup: You do not need to install Arduino IDE, drivers, or CLI tools on your local machine.

🤝 Collaborative Environment Sync

Perfect for teams and classrooms. The extension maintains a consistent development environment using arduino-requirements.txt.

• State Management: Defines exactly which libraries and board cores are required.
• Auto-Install: When a collaborator opens the Codespace, the bridge automatically installs the correct dependencies.
• Reproducibility: Eliminates "missing library" errors and version conflicts.

🎨 Optimized C/C++ Formatting

Includes a pre-configured Clang-Format style optimized for Arduino sketches.

• Auto-Formatting: Automatically formats your .ino and .cpp files on save.
• Standard Style: Enforces the official Arduino coding style guide for clean, readable code.

📝 Professional Serial Monitor

A full-featured terminal for viewing serial output. Supports:

• ANSI color codes
• Auto-scrolling
• Timestamping
• Multiple baud rates
• Line ending configuration (CR, LF, CRLF)

📊 Real-time Serial Plotter

Visualize sensor data instantly. Compatible with the standard Arduino Serial Plotter format.

• Multi-variable plotting
• Auto-scaling axes
• Freeze/Resume support
• CSV export

📋 Requirements

1. GitHub Codespaces: This extension is designed to run in a remote Codespace environment.
2. Web Browser: A browser that supports the Web Serial API (Chrome, Edge, Opera). Firefox and Safari are not currently supported.
3. Physical Hardware: An Arduino or compatible microcontroller connected via USB to your local machine.

🏃‍♂️ Quick Start

1. Open in Codespaces: Open your Arduino project repository in GitHub Codespaces.
2. Connect Hardware: Plug your Arduino into your local computer.
3. Open Bridge: Click the "Arduino to Codespaces Bridge" icon in the Activity Bar or Status Bar.
4. Connect Port: In the browser window that opens, click "Connect Port" and select your device.
5. Compile & Upload: Select your sketch and click "Compile & Upload".

⚙️ Configuration

arduino-requirements.txt

Create this file in your workspace root to define your environment. The extension will automatically install these dependencies.

# Board Platforms
platform arduino:avr 1.8.6
platform esp32:esp32 2.0.11

# Libraries
library ArduinoJson 6.21.3
library "Adafruit NeoPixel" 1.11.0

Extension Settings

🧩 Supported Hardware

The extension leverages arduino-cli, making it compatible with virtually any Arduino-compatible board that supports the Arduino framework.

Tested & Verified Boards

These boards have been explicitly tested with the Web Serial upload workflow:

• Arduino AVR Boards
  • Arduino Uno (R3)
  • Arduino Nano
  • Arduino Mega 2560
  • Arduino Leonardo
  • Arduino Micro
• Arduino Renesas Boards
  • Arduino Uno R4 WiFi
  • Arduino Uno R4 Minima
• Espressif
  • ESP32 Dev Module
  • ESP8266 NodeMCU (v1.0)
• Raspberry Pi
  • Raspberry Pi Pico
  • Raspberry Pi Pico W
• Teensy
  • Teensy 4.0 / 4.1 (Requires Teensy Loader)
• Seeed Studio
  • Seeed XIAO SAMD21
  • Seeed XIAO RP2040
• Generic / Clones
  • Unofficial boards using CH340/CH341 USB-to-Serial chips (Ensure drivers are installed on your local machine)

Note: While most boards work out-of-the-box, some specialized boards may require entering bootloader mode manually before uploading.

❓ Troubleshooting

"Browser doesn't show my device"

• Ensure you are using Chrome or Edge.
• Check your USB cable (some are power-only).
• On Linux, ensure your user has permission to access serial ports (dialout group).

"Compilation failed"

• Check the Output panel in VS Code for detailed error logs.
• Ensure your arduino-requirements.txt includes all necessary libraries.

"Bridge is offline"

• Run the command Arduino: Restart Bridge Server from the Command Palette.
• Check if port 3000 is being used by another process.

📄 License

GNU General Public License v3.0. See LICENSE for more information.