McuBuddy 0.5.0

AI-native debugging and observability for embedded boards

McuBuddy

Languages: English | 中文

Let AI do more than analyze firmware code: connect to real MCUs, operate debugging tools, and collect board-level evidence.

McuBuddy is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for MCU board-level debugging. It exposes debug probes, Keil MDK projects, ELF/DWARF symbols, CPU and memory state, SVD peripheral registers, UART/RTT logs, FreeRTOS state, Flash operations, and GDB servers as structured tools that AI assistants can call.

It is designed for firmware development, board bring-up, fault isolation, debugging automation, and AI-assisted validation.

[!IMPORTANT] This project is still in Alpha. Humans remain responsible for goals, wiring, and risk decisions; AI calls tools, organizes evidence, and advances the debugging process. Before resets, execution control, memory writes, or Flash operations, confirm the target, impact, and recovery plan.

Documentation: Quickstart · Tool Reference · Support Matrix · Architecture

✨ Key Features

• Real-hardware debugging: Discover and connect to ST-Link, J-Link, CMSIS-DAP, and other probes; control target execution; and inspect registers, memory, breakpoints, and watchpoints.
• Keil project workflow: Discover .uvprojx / .uvproj files, select a target, invoke UV4 builds or downloads, and feed the generated AXF/ELF into the debugging workflow.
• Source-level fault diagnosis: Use ELF/DWARF data to resolve addresses to functions, source lines, local variables, and call stacks when investigating HardFaults, startup failures, stack overflows, and memory corruption.
• Peripheral and RTOS inspection: Decode peripheral registers through CMSIS-SVD and inspect FreeRTOS tasks, task contexts, and stack usage.
• Logs and runtime observability: Read UART, RTT, and selected J-Link SWO logs, and manage pyOCD/J-Link GDB server lifecycles.
• Safety boundaries: Classify tools as read-only, execution-changing, runtime-writing, or persistently destructive, with explicit confirmation for high-risk operations.
• Evidence-driven results: Return structured target, state, and validation evidence so AI can continue an investigation instead of guessing code changes from symptoms alone.

🏗️ How It Works

flowchart LR
    AI["AI Client<br/>Codex / Claude Code"] --> MCP["McuBuddy<br/>MCP Server"]
    MCP --> EB["Execution Boundary<br/>Serialized Session"]
    EB --> TOOLS["Debugging Tools<br/>Diagnostics / Symbols / SVD / RTOS / Logs"]
    TOOLS --> KEIL["Keil UV4<br/>Build / Optional Download"]
    TOOLS --> PROBE["Probe Backends<br/>pyOCD / J-Link / probe-rs"]
    KEIL --> IMAGE["AXF / ELF / HEX / BIN"]
    IMAGE --> TOOLS
    PROBE --> BOARD["Real MCU Board"]

Component	Responsibility
AI clients such as Codex and Claude Code	Understand the problem, select tools, interpret results, and propose the next checks
MCP	Standard tool-calling protocol between the AI client and McuBuddy
McuBuddy	Manage debug sessions, invoke backends, enforce safety checks, and return structured results
Keil MDK / UV4	Build and link Keil projects, with optional configured firmware download
pyOCD, J-Link, and experimental probe-rs	Connect to probes and access target registers, memory, breakpoints, and Flash
ELF/AXF, DWARF, and SVD	Provide symbols, source locations, variables, call stacks, and peripheral-register semantics

MCP is not a protocol for invoking Keil. The AI calls McuBuddy through MCP; McuBuddy then uses Keil UV4, pyOCD, J-Link, or another internal backend as required by the task.

🚀 Quick Start

1. Prerequisites

Basic requirements:

• Python 3.10 or later;
• a powered MCU development board;
• a correctly connected ST-Link, J-Link, or CMSIS-DAP probe;
• the target chip name;
• preferably, an ELF/AXF image containing debug information.

Windows and an installed Keil MDK / UV4 are required only for Keil build or download features.

2. Installation

pip install McuBuddy

Install the optional dependency when using the J-Link Python backend:

pip install "McuBuddy[jlink]"

For development from source:

git clone https://github.com/cunjun/McuBuddy.git
cd McuBuddy
pip install -e ".[dev]"

3. Configure an MCP Client

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "McuBuddy": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": ["-m", "McuBuddy"]
    }
  }
}

For a Windows source checkout, explicitly configure the virtual-environment Python executable and working directory. See the Windows MCP Configuration Example, then restart the AI client.

4. Run a First Read-Only Check

After connecting the probe and powering the board, tell the AI:

Use McuBuddy to inspect the current debugging environment, discover connected probes,
and perform a first read-only check of the board without writing Flash.
Before starting, tell me what information is still missing.

The recommended sequence is to check the environment and target first, then configure the probe and read the minimum target state:

doctor()
list_connected_probes()
match_chip_name("py32f030x8")
configure_probe(target="py32f030x8", backend="pyocd")
board_smoke_test(disconnect_after=True)

board_smoke_test does not write Flash, but it may halt the target by default to capture a stable context, so it is still execution-changing. If the device must not be halted, instruct the AI to perform only non-intrusive probe and environment checks.

💬 Examples for AI Assistants

The following prompts can be given directly to an AI assistant connected to McuBuddy.

Inspect the Probe and Board

List the connected debug probes, confirm that the target chip matches, and perform a read-only
check of the board. Do not reset the target, write memory, or erase or program Flash.
If you identify a risk, stop and explain it first.

Diagnose a HardFault

Halt the target and read PC, LR, SP, and the fault registers. Resolve the call stack using the
current AXF/ELF, identify the most likely source location of the HardFault, and list the evidence
that supports the conclusion.

Build a Keil Project and Continue Debugging

Find the Keil project and targets under the project directory. First tell me which project,
target, and UV4.exe you plan to use. After confirmation, build the project and load the generated
AXF without downloading firmware, then use the probe to run to main.

Inspect Peripheral Configuration

Load an SVD that matches the target chip and inspect the RCC, GPIOA, and UART peripheral state.
Check whether the clock, pin multiplexing, and interrupt configuration are consistent, and explain
any abnormal fields.

Investigate a FreeRTOS Stall

Read the FreeRTOS task list, current task contexts, and stack usage. Identify blocked tasks,
abnormal states, or stack risks without modifying the target state.

For more evidence-driven prompts and decision sequences, see the AI Playbook and AI Examples.

🧰 Capabilities and Backend Support

Capability Categories

Category	Main Capabilities
Probes and targets	Probe discovery, target matching, connect/disconnect, halt/resume, reset, and stepping
CPU and memory	Core/FPU/fault registers, memory access, stopped context, Flash comparison, and verification
Breakpoints and execution	Hardware/software breakpoints, watchpoints, run-to-function/source, and Step Over/Out
Symbols and source	ELF/AXF, DWARF, disassembly, functions, variables, source mapping, and call stacks
Peripherals and RTOS	CMSIS-SVD, peripheral fields, FreeRTOS tasks, task contexts, and stack checks
Logs and services	UART, RTT, selected SWO, and pyOCD/J-Link GDB servers
Projects and diagnostics	Keil project discovery, build/download, HardFault, startup, clock, interrupt, and peripheral diagnosis

For complete tool names, parameters, and return values, see the Tool Reference.

Backend Support Status

Path	Current Role	Main Capabilities
pyOCD + ST-Link/CMSIS-DAP	Primary backend	Control, memory, Flash, source debugging, RTT, RTOS, and GDB server
J-Link	Primary backend	Control, memory, Flash, source debugging, native RTT, DWT, and GDB server
probe-rs sidecar	Experimental	Discovery, connection, core control, registers, memory, and hardware breakpoints
Keil UV4 (Windows)	Build/download backend	Project discovery, target configuration, build, logs, and optional download

Primary validation coverage includes:

• STM32L496VETx + ST-Link / pyOCD;
• STM32F103C8 + J-Link;
• built-in target preflight profiles for STM32F103ZE and PY32F030X8.

“Implemented in code” does not mean “validated on every board.” Use the Support Matrix and list_validation_records() as the source of truth.

🔄 Keil MDK / UV4 Workflow

Keil provides project build, linking, and optional firmware download. McuBuddy does not replace the Keil compiler or parse and rewrite project build rules. It discovers projects, selects targets, invokes UV4, reads logs and output files, and feeds the results into automated debugging.

Discover the Keil project
  → Configure UV4, the target, and logs
  → Invoke the Keil build
  → Load the generated AXF/ELF
  → Connect through pyOCD/J-Link and diagnose the board
  → Download through Keil after user confirmation
  → Reconnect and verify Flash

1. Discover and Configure a Project

discover_keil_projects(root=r"E:\work_code\app")

configure_keil_project(
    project_path=r"E:\work_code\app\MDK-ARM\Project.uvprojx",
    uv4_path=r"C:\Keil_v5\UV4\UV4.exe",
    target_name="Debug",
)

The user or AI should review automatic discovery results. When a directory contains multiple projects, targets, or output files, explicitly specify project_path, target_name, and elf_path.

2. Build and Load the AXF

build_project(timeout_seconds=120)
configure_elf(elf_path=r"E:\work_code\app\MDK-ARM\Objects\Project.axf")
elf_load(path=r"E:\work_code\app\MDK-ARM\Objects\Project.axf")

Once the AXF is loaded, the AI can reliably resolve PC, LR, and memory addresses to functions, source lines, local variables, and call stacks.

3. Connect the Probe and Continue Debugging

configure_probe(target="py32f030x8", backend="pyocd")
probe_connect(target="py32f030x8")
probe_halt()
read_stopped_context()
run_to_function("main")

If Keil, J-Link Commander, a GDB server, or another debugger already owns the probe, close that session first; otherwise pyOCD or J-Link may fail to connect.

4. Download and Verify

flash_firmware invokes the configured Keil UV4 download flow and modifies target Flash, so it requires explicit confirmation:

flash_firmware(timeout_seconds=120, confirm=True)
compare_elf_to_flash()

Before downloading, confirm the project, target, firmware output, chip model, and recovery plan. For the complete new-project workflow, see the Generic Board Workflow.

🔍 Common Debugging Workflows

Board Does Not Start or Enters HardFault

probe_halt()
read_stopped_context(include_fault_registers=True)
diagnose_hardfault()
backtrace()

Peripheral Produces No Output

svd_load(svd_path=r"C:\path\Device.svd")
svd_read_peripheral(peripheral="RCC")
svd_read_peripheral(peripheral="GPIOA")
diagnose_peripheral_stuck(peripheral="UART")

FreeRTOS Stalls

list_rtos_tasks()
rtos_task_context(task_name="WorkerTask")
read_stack_usage()

Run to a Source Location

run_to_function("main")
run_to_source(file="main.c", line=120)
source_step()
step_over()

🛡️ Safety Model

McuBuddy provides machine-readable safety classifications through list_tool_safety().

Category	Examples	Default Requirement
Read-only	Target matching, register/memory reads, symbol resolution, logs, diagnostics	No confirmation required
Execution-changing	halt, resume, reset, continue, stepping	Does not write Flash, but changes execution state
Runtime-state write	Memory/register writes, breakpoints, watchpoints, SVD field writes	Explicit confirmation
Persistent destructive operation	Flash erase/program, Keil firmware download	Explicit confirmation
Host process	Keil build, GDB server start/stop	Starts or stops a local process

Safety principles:

1. For an unknown target, match the chip and probe first; do not guess addresses.
2. Read evidence before halting, resetting, or writing.
3. Before a Flash operation, confirm the target, scope, image, and recovery method.
4. For motors, relays, power switches, and other actuators, prefer breakpoints and low-energy tests.

🔒 Sessions and Concurrency

• Operations that share probe, Keil, ELF/SVD, log, and runtime configuration are serialized within the same Session.
• Different sessions can run concurrently when they control unrelated boards.
• Stateless queries such as target matching and tool safety information can run alongside session operations.
• Cancellation cannot forcibly terminate a call that has entered a synchronous SDK. The server waits for the worker thread to finish before releasing the session lock.

This prevents one request from switching backends, disconnecting the probe, or changing shared state while another probe operation is still running.

📦 mcubug Skill

The repository includes skills/mcubug, which guides Codex and Claude Code to use these tools in an “evidence first, judgment second” sequence instead of treating MCP tools as an unordered command list.

Install for Codex:

python .\skills\mcubug\scripts\install_skill.py --target codex --overwrite

Install for Claude Code:

python .\skills\mcubug\scripts\install_skill.py --target cc --overwrite

Restart the client or open a new session after installation. See mcubug Skill for Codex and Claude Code for details.

⚠️ Current Limitations

• Keil build and download currently target Windows + Keil UV4.
• The probe-rs sidecar remains experimental and does not yet cover Flash, RTT, SWO, or an official binary release.
• RTOS inspection depends on FreeRTOS symbols and an ELF/AXF that match the target firmware.
• SVD files are not bundled automatically for every chip and usually come from a CMSIS-Pack or the chip vendor.
• SWO text capture depends on chip configuration, probe capabilities, pin multiplexing, and board wiring.
• Device patches and connection strategies remain lightweight mechanisms rather than a complete board plugin system.

📚 Documentation

• First-time setup: Quickstart
• Any board and Keil project: Generic Board Workflow
• MCP session walkthrough: MCP Usage Example
• AI debugging decision order: AI Playbook
• Common scenarios: AI Examples
• Complete tool index: Tool Reference
• Backend and hardware validation: Support Matrix
• Project design: Architecture
• Skill installation and maintenance: mcubug Skill
• Planned work: v0.6 Roadmap

🧪 Local Development

pip install -e ".[dev]"
pytest
ruff check src tests

See the Docs Index for repository layout and documentation ownership.

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See LICENSE for details.

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