Zephyr Tools for VS Code

Circuit Dojo designed Zephyr Tools to make getting started with Zephyr a snap. This extension simplifies working with the Zephyr RTOS by providing project management, build automation, flashing, monitoring, and hardware integration capabilities.

Features

Core Functionality

• Multi-platform support - Works on Windows, macOS, and Linux
• Automated setup - Install Zephyr dependencies, SDK, and toolchains with one command
• Project management - Create new projects, initialize repositories, and manage existing ones
• Build system integration - Build, build pristine, and clean your projects
• Hardware support - Flash devices, monitor serial output, and manage hardware configurations
• Debugging - Create debug configurations and launch debugging sessions

Project Management

• Create new Zephyr projects from templates (vanilla Zephyr, nRF Connect SDK, NFED)
• Initialize local and remote repositories
• Change board targets and project configurations
• Support for custom Zephyr modules
• Sysbuild support for complex applications

Build Features

• Standard and pristine builds
• Clean build artifacts
• Build status in VS Code status bar
• Build output in dedicated output channel
• Support for CMake and Ninja build systems

Hardware Integration

• Multiple flash methods:
  • Standard West flash
  • probe-rs for cross-platform flashing
  • newtmgr for MCUboot operations
• Serial monitoring:
  • Configurable baud rates
  • Save logs to file
  • Toggle logging on/off
• Hardware detection:
  • Auto-detect serial ports
  • Multi-probe support with selection UI
  • probe-rs chip detection

Developer Tools

• Open Zephyr-configured terminal
• View and manage build assets in sidebar
• Environment path management
• Python virtual environment per workspace
• VS Code task integration for long-running operations

UI Features

• Custom sidebar with project information and build assets
• Status bar items showing current board and project
• Command palette integration with 25+ commands
• Webview for enhanced project management

Recommended Extensions

For the best development experience with Zephyr Tools, we recommend installing these VS Code extensions:

• C/C++ Extension Pack (ms-vscode.cpptools) - Provides IntelliSense, debugging, and code browsing for C/C++ code
• nRF DeviceTree (nordic-semiconductor.nrf-devicetree) - Syntax highlighting and IntelliSense for DeviceTree files
• nRF Kconfig (nordic-semiconductor.nrf-kconfig) - Syntax highlighting and IntelliSense for Kconfig files
• Probe-rs Debugger (probe-rs.probe-rs-debugger) - Debug embedded applications using probe-rs

These extensions will be automatically suggested when you open a workspace with Zephyr Tools. You can install them individually from the Extensions marketplace or all at once when prompted.

Requirements

Mac

Requires git and python3 to be installed. The easiest way to do that is with Homebrew.

> brew install git python3

Windows

Requires git and python to be installed.

• Download and install git from here: https://git-scm.com/download/win
• Download and install python from here: https://www.python.org/ftp/python/3.9.9/python-3.9.9-amd64.exe

Linux

Requires git and python to be installed.

Use your distro's package manager of choice to install.

For example on Ubuntu:

sudo apt install git python3 python3-pip python3-venv

Getting Started

1. Install the extension from the VS Code marketplace
2. Run setup: Open Command Palette (Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+P) and run Zephyr Tools: Setup
3. Create a project: Run Zephyr Tools: Create Project or initialize an existing repository with Zephyr Tools: Init Repo
4. Build your project: Run Zephyr Tools: Build or click the build button in the status bar
5. Flash and monitor: Run Zephyr Tools: Flash and Monitor to deploy and debug your application

Configuration

Zephyr Tools provides several configuration options accessible through VS Code settings:

Path Configuration

• zephyr-tools.paths.toolsDirectory - Custom path to Zephyr tools directory (default: ~/.zephyr-tools/)
• zephyr-tools.paths.pythonExecutable - Custom Python executable path
• zephyr-tools.paths.zephyrBase - Custom ZEPHYR_BASE path
• zephyr-tools.paths.westExecutable - Custom West executable path

Hardware Configuration

• zephyr-tools.probeRs.chipName - Chip name for probe-rs operations
• zephyr-tools.probeRs.probeId - Specific probe ID to use
• zephyr-tools.probeRs.preverify - Verify memory before flashing
• zephyr-tools.probeRs.verify - Verify memory after flashing

Serial Configuration

• zephyr-tools.serial.port - Default serial port for monitoring
• zephyr-tools.serial.saveLogsToFile - Enable saving serial logs to file
• zephyr-tools.newtmgr.baudRate - Baud rate for newtmgr connections

Project Structure

Zephyr Tools projects use the following structure:

your-project/
├── .zephyr-tools/
│   └── project.json    # Project configuration
├── .venv/              # Python virtual environment
├── target/             # Build artifacts
│   └── build/
│       └── <board>/    # Board-specific build output
├── CMakeLists.txt      # Project CMake configuration
├── prj.conf            # Kconfig configuration
└── src/                # Source code
    └── main.c

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. Setup fails: Ensure you have git and python3 installed as per the requirements
2. Build errors: Check that your board is supported and project configuration is correct
3. Flash failures: Verify your hardware is connected and the correct runner is selected
4. Serial monitor issues: Check port permissions and that no other application is using the port

Logs and Debugging

• View extension logs in the Output panel under "Zephyr Tools"
• Build output appears in "Zephyr Tools - Build"
• Serial output appears in "Zephyr Tools - Serial"

Support

For issues, feature requests, or contributions, please visit the GitHub repository.