Nifty Tools for PlatformIO: Build, Upload & Monitor

Build, upload and monitor PlatformIO projects with the PlatformIO Core CLI: environment tasks, errors in Problems, serial monitor, platformio.ini IntelliSense, libraries and compile_commands.json.

Maintained. No sign-in. No telemetry. Works in VS Code, Cursor, Windsurf, VSCodium and other editors that use Open VSX.

An independent, lightweight companion for PlatformIO Core, the open-source pio command line tool. It runs the pio you already have; it doesn't install or bundle PlatformIO.

Features

The Project Tasks view with each environment's Build, Upload, Monitor and Test tasks, and a build's memory report in the terminal

A compile error from the build shown in Problems, with the whole misspelled name underlined

Completing the board in platformio.ini: ESP32 boards with their names, MCU, clock and memory

Searching the PlatformIO registry for a DHT sensor library to install

The serial monitor in a terminal, showing the board's output at 115200 baud

Project Tasks. Every [env:…] in platformio.ini gets Build, Upload, Monitor, Upload Filesystem Image, Test, Clean and Update IntelliSense. Native environments (platform = native) only show what makes sense without a board. They're real VS Code tasks, so they also appear in Run Task and can go in tasks.json:
```
{ "type": "nifty-platformio", "target": "build", "env": "esp32dev" }
```
Status bar. The active environment (click to switch) and Build, Upload and Serial Monitor buttons. Also Ctrl+Alt+B, Ctrl+Alt+U and Ctrl+Alt+S (Cmd on macOS); see Keyboard shortcuts.
Errors in Problems. gcc errors and warnings from the build land in the Problems panel with the whole identifier underlined, including files in libraries. Failed Unity tests from pio test are shown at their assertion.
Serial monitor (pio device monitor) in a terminal, with the port and speed from monitor_port and monitor_speed. With several boards connected it asks which port, and remembers. An upload closes the monitor, which holds the port, and opens it again when the upload is done.
platformio.ini support. Highlighting; completion of sections, options (with their docs), platforms, frameworks, boards (narrowed to the environment's platform, with name, MCU and memory), monitor filters, extends and ${section.option} references; hovers; warnings for unknown options, boards, sections and environments with did-you-mean quick fixes; and Go to Definition for extends, default_envs and references.
Libraries. Search the PlatformIO registry and install a library into the project: into all environments or one of them (it's added to that lib_deps). The Libraries view lists each environment's dependencies and installed versions.
IntelliSense for C/C++. Update IntelliSense runs pio run -t compiledb, which writes compile_commands.json for clangd, and adds a "PlatformIO" configuration to .vscode/c_cpp_properties.json for Microsoft's C/C++ extension (include paths, macros and the compiler from pio project metadata; your other configurations are kept). When you switch environments or change lib_deps afterwards, a notification offers to update it (once per change).
New Project runs pio project init for the board you pick.

IntelliSense tips

C/C++ extension (ms-vscode.cpptools): select the "PlatformIO" configuration in the status bar if it isn't already.
clangd: clangd finds compile_commands.json in the project folder. For cross-compilers (ESP32, AVR, ARM…) let it ask the compiler for its system headers with "clangd.arguments": ["--query-driver=**/.platformio/packages/toolchain-*/bin/*"].
Turn off nifty.platformio.cppProperties if you only use clangd.

Keyboard shortcuts

Ctrl+Alt+B (Build), Ctrl+Alt+U (Upload) and Ctrl+Alt+S (Serial Monitor) work only in workspaces with a platformio.ini, and not while a terminal has focus. There they take over VS Code's own Ctrl+Alt+B (toggle the secondary side bar). To change them, open Keyboard Shortcuts (Ctrl+K Ctrl+S), search for nifty.platformio, and pick other keys or remove them.

Requirements

PlatformIO Core 6 or newer. pio is found in this order: the nifty.platformio.pioPath setting, the PATH, PlatformIO's own environment (~/.platformio/penv, or PLATFORMIO_CORE_DIR), then python -m platformio. If you've used PlatformIO IDE before, its ~/.platformio install is picked up.

Commands

Command	What it does
`Nifty Tools for PlatformIO: Build`	`pio run` for the active environment (Ctrl+Alt+B)
`Nifty Tools for PlatformIO: Upload`	Build and upload (Ctrl+Alt+U)
`Nifty Tools for PlatformIO: Open Serial Monitor`	`pio device monitor` in a terminal (Ctrl+Alt+S)
`Nifty Tools for PlatformIO: Upload Filesystem Image`	Build and upload the `data` folder (`-t uploadfs`)
`Nifty Tools for PlatformIO: Test`	`pio test` for the active environment
`Nifty Tools for PlatformIO: Clean`	Remove the environment's build output
`Nifty Tools for PlatformIO: Select Environment…`	Choose the environment for the commands and status bar
`Nifty Tools for PlatformIO: Select Serial Port…`	Choose the port for upload and the monitor (or automatic)
`Nifty Tools for PlatformIO: Install Library…`	Search the registry and install a library
`Nifty Tools for PlatformIO: Update IntelliSense (compile_commands.json)`	Write `compile_commands.json` and `c_cpp_properties.json`
`Nifty Tools for PlatformIO: New Project…`	Create a project for a board
`Nifty Tools for PlatformIO: Refresh Board List`	Read the boards from `pio boards` again (cached for a week)
`Nifty Tools for PlatformIO: Open platformio.ini`	Open the project's configuration

Settings

Setting	Default	What it does
`nifty.platformio.pioPath`		Path to `pio`, if it isn't found automatically
`nifty.platformio.monitorSpeed`	`115200`	Serial monitor baud rate when `platformio.ini` sets no `monitor_speed`
`nifty.platformio.runArguments`	`[]`	Extra arguments for `pio run`, e.g. `["-v"]`
`nifty.platformio.cppProperties`	`true`	Update IntelliSense also writes `.vscode/c_cpp_properties.json`

PlatformIO is a trademark of PlatformIO Labs. This extension is an independent project that works with the open-source PlatformIO Core; it isn't affiliated with or endorsed by PlatformIO Labs, and it isn't PlatformIO IDE.

Install

VS Code: search for "Nifty Tools for PlatformIO" in the Extensions view, or install from the Visual Studio Marketplace.
Cursor, Windsurf, VSCodium, Kiro, Antigravity: install from Open VSX.

Privacy

This extension collects no telemetry and needs no account. It talks to nothing itself; PlatformIO Core downloads platforms and libraries when you build or install them.

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