MicroPython Studio - VS Code Extension

Supporting MicroPython, CircuitPython & XBee - Local Private AI Assistant

[!IMPORTANT]

Major Migration (v1.0.0): A live, bytecode-level debugger for MicroPython on the Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W. Set breakpoints, step through code, inspect named locals, view the call stack, and use conditional breakpoints — all on a running board, over USB, with a VS Code UI. No JTAG. No sys.settrace. No print-debugging.

Major Migration (v0.9.0): We have transitioned from standard mpremote subprocesses to a custom, high-performance mps backend. This migration resolves critical serial port conflicts and "COM port busy" errors on dual-CDC devices like the Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W.

🐝 Now with full Digi XBee MicroPython support! Create projects, upload files, and run scripts on XBee3 modules — Zigbee, DigiMesh, Cellular, Wi-SUN, and BLU — all from VS Code.

A powerful IDE extension for MicroPython development with hardware integration, device management, and seamless workflow tools.

Features

Setup

Connection

Run

File Upload

Device File Explorer

Tools

Dashboard

🧠 Private & Local AI Assistance (v0.8.0+)

MicroPython Studio now features a state-of-the-art Private AI Assistant that runs entirely on your local machine.

• 100% Private: Your code never leaves your computer. No cloud processing, no data tracking.
• Context Aware: The AI automatically sees your active file content and understands your connected device (Port, Firmware, Config).
• Ollama Powered: Uses high-performance local LLMs like gemma4 (Google's latest), qwen2.5-coder, and more.
• MicroPython & CircuitPython Expert: Specialized in embedded Python development.

[!TIP] To get started, click the AI Assistant icon in the sidebar. The extension will automatically check for Ollama and help you set up the model.

Requirements

• VS Code: Version 1.75.0 or higher
• Python: 3.7+ installed and available in PATH
• Hardware: MicroPython-compatible device (ESP32, RP2040, STM32, etc.)
• USB Drivers: Appropriate drivers for your microcontroller

Extension Settings

The extension contributes the following settings:

• micropython-studio.autoConnect: Automatically connect to last used device
• micropython-studio.defaultDeviceType: Default microcontroller type
• micropython-studio.syncOnSave: Auto-sync files to device on save
• micropython-studio.venvPath: Custom path to Python virtual environment
• micropython-studio.terminalMode: Preferred terminal type (PowerShell, CMD, Bash)

Known Issues

• Windows Path Handling: Some commands require Git Bash for proper path conversion
• Device Recognition: Certain ESP32 variants may require manual driver installation

Release Notes

0.9.0 (mpremote to mps migration)

• New Features:
  • Major Migration: Successfully migrated all core operations from mpremote subprocesses to the dedicated MicroPython Studio (mps) backend. This provides sub-second responsiveness and absolute connection stability.
  • Advanced File Management: Added Rename, New Folder, and Upload to Specific Folder support in the Device File Explorer.
  • Professional Logging: Transitioned all terminal status logs to a clean, ASCII-only format for 100% compatibility with Windows terminals.
• Improved:
  • Stability: Eliminated the "I/O operation on closed file" and "COM port busy" crashes common with dual-CDC devices (RP2040/RP2350).
  • WebREPL Console: Redesigned for professional focus, removing redundant file-transfer panels in favor of the unified File Explorer.
  • CircuitPython Stability: Faster and more reliable file listings via local filesystem mapping when available.
• Fixed:
  • Resolved serial port race conditions between background telemetry and user commands.
  • Scrubbed all problematic Unicode emojis from backend processes to prevent encoding failures.

0.4.0 (Initial Public Release)

• Core Features:
  • Project creation wizard
  • Device detection and management
  • Basic code execution
  • Virtual environment setup
• Workspace Organization:
  • Dedicated device folder view
  • Visual workspace separation
• Initial Device Support:
  • ESP32 series
  • Raspberry Pi Pico (RP2040)
  • STM32 boards
  • XBee 3 Modules

0.5.0

• Fixed:
  • COM port access conflicts
  • Virtual environment setup on Windows
  • Path handling in Git Bash terminals
• Improved:
  • Device detection reliability
  • Error messaging for connection issues
  • Workspace loading performance

0.6.x

• New Features:

  • Circuitpython (partial support)
  • Bytecode conversion
  • Multiple device support
  • Circuitpython - (partial support)
  • Bytecode conversion - Done
  • Multiple device support - Done
  • WebREPL terminal - (partial support)
  • File upload and download - Done
  • Device file explorer - Done
  • Dashboard - Done
  • Library Install - Done
  • Pinout view - Done

• Enhanced:

  • File sync performance
  • IntelliSense

0.7.0

• Complete Support:
  • Full CircuitPython compatibility (USB & Web Workflow)
  • Enhanced Device Dashboard with live telemetry
  • Hardware Pinout Diagram (RP2, ESP32, STM32, SAMD, etc.)
  • High-performance File Upload/Download (Folder support)
  • Device File Explorer with Overwrite Protection
  • WebREPL Terminal for wireless debugging
  • Integrated Package Management (mip, circup)
  • Bytecode Compilation (.mpy)
• Enhanced:
  • File sync performance optimization
  • Improved IntelliSense for MicroPython modules
  • Unified command palette and status bar integration

0.7.1

• Added:
  • More detailed error messages and troubleshooting guides

0.7.2

• Added:
  • Support device upload/download
  • Improved error handling for file operations
  • onclick library support for file upload/download

0.7.3

• Added:
  • Clean Terminal UI: Automatic clearing of terminal command echo for a clean, professional execution experience.
  • Output Filtering: Silent mounting and suppression of absolute local paths from mpremote output.
  • Enable file manupulation (upload/download) via onclick library for WebREPL connections, providing a seamless wireless file management experience.

0.8.0 (Modernized AI Update)

• New Features:
  • Premium AI Assistance: Completely redesigned UI with glassmorphism and modern aesthetics.
  • Conversation Memory: Switched to multi-turn chat history (supports Ollama's api/chat).
  • Deep Context Sensitivity: AI now automatically detects active file content and hardware environment (Port, Firmware, device.cfg).
  • High-Performance Communication: Refactored backend to use stdin data streams for large chat histories.
  • History Persistence: Chat sessions are saved and restored across VS Code reloads.
• Improved:
  • Enhanced connection status reporting for local LLMs.
  • Modern typography (Inter) and Markdown/Syntax highlighting integration.

0.8.1 (AI Context & Stability)

• Enhanced AI Context Awareness: Improved situational awareness by dynamically detecting project root and connected device configuration.
• Interactive AI Code Actions: Added "Insert", "Run", "New File", and "Copy" buttons directly in the AI Chat window for a seamless coding workflow.
• Structured Prompt Engineering: Improved AI response quality through structured context injection ([device], [filePath]).
• Stable WebREPL: Resolved connection stability issues by enforcing mandatory WebSocket frame masking (RFC 6455).
• Robust Boot Configuration: New boot.py template with improved Wi-Fi connectivity and a dedicated USB-detection window to prevent lockouts.
• UI Polishing: Refined the AI Assistant interface with better markdown rendering and transition effects.

0.8.2 (Private AI & Gemma 4)

• New: Private AI now supports Gemma 4 (gemma4:e2b) — Google's latest model, optimized for low-resource laptops (8GB RAM).
• Improved: AI response speed — tuned Ollama parameters (num_ctx 2048, num_predict 512, num_thread 4) for faster local inference.
• Improved: AI prompts refined — concise code-first responses with short explanations, no lengthy prose.
• Improved: Greeting/non-code queries now receive a proper reply instead of being silently passed.
• Milestone: 🎉 200+ downloads on VS Code Marketplace — thank you to all users!

0.8.4 (AI Model Hotfix)

• Fixed: Resolved a bug where AI code generation would abruptly stop halfway through. Increased the num_predict token limit from 512 to 2048 and num_ctx to 4096 in both MicroPython and CircuitPython models to allow for complete, longer code responses.
• Improved: Renamed AI models from mycoder to micro_ai (micro_ai-mpy and micro_ai-cpy) for better branding. Added automatic model re-installation logic so updates apply seamlessly.

0.8.6 (XBee MicroPython Support)

• New: Full Digi XBee MicroPython support — create, upload, and run on XBee3 modules (Zigbee, DigiMesh, Cellular, Wi-SUN, BLU).
• Fixed: XBee file upload — resolved EEXIST errors caused by XBee's restricted flash filesystem. Small files now upload in a single raw-REPL call; larger files use a robust delete-then-write strategy with flash-flush delays.
• Fixed: XBee uploads now bypass mpremote cp entirely (XBee lacks os.stat), going straight to reliable serial transport.
• Fixed: COM port labels — FTDI and CP210x chips no longer incorrectly labeled as "ESP32". Now shows actual chip type (FTDI Serial, CP210x Serial, CH340 Serial, etc.).
• Improved: XBee project creation — dedicated board picker with all XBee3 variants, auto-configured stubs, and /flash filesystem routing.

Working with MicroPython Studio

Getting Started

1. Install the extension
2. Connect your MicroPython device via USB
3. Set up the development environment: Ctrl+Shift+P > MicroPython: Setup Development Environment
4. Create a new project: Ctrl+Shift+P > MicroPython: Create New Project
5. Update your device port: Ctrl+Shift+P > MicroPython: Update Device Port
6. Start coding and use MicroPython: Run Script on Device to execute

Key Commands

Acknowledgements

MicroPython Studio is open source (MIT License) and builds on the following open source projects:

A special thanks to AI development tools. This project has been a work in progress for approximately three years, and many complex implementation hurdles seemed insurmountable. AI tools provided the critical support and breakthroughs needed to finally bring these concepts to life and complete the project.

All bundled files retain their original license headers.

For More Information

• MicroPython Documentation
• Extension GitHub Repository
• Contributing Guide
• Code of Conduct
• Submit Issues
• MicroPython Community Forum

Support & Contact

Have a question, found a bug, or need help getting started?

• Email: niwantha33@gmail.com
• GitHub Issues: github.com/niwantha33/micropython-studio/issues

Enjoy developing with MicroPython, CircuitPython and XBee! 🚀

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License — see LICENSE.md for full details.

XBee MicroPython typehints and libraries are sourced from Digi International's xbee-micropython repository, also under the MIT License. All third-party dependencies retain their original licenses as listed in the Acknowledgements section above.