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open-source microcontroller IDE

Moussa1492 
Hi everyone,

I’m building an open-source desktop IDE for microcontroller learning and prototyping, mainly focused on Arduino and STM32.

The goal is not to replace professional tools like STM32CubeIDE, PlatformIO, Keil or IAR, but to provide a simpler learning-oriented workflow for students, technicians and training centers.

Current / planned features:
- Arduino and STM32 project creation
- Build / upload workflow
- Serial monitor and serial plotter
- STM32 debug with GDB/OpenOCD
- Register / memory / stack views
- Basic SVD peripheral view
- Static analysis with cppcheck / MISRA-light
- Coverage reports
- Crash / HardFault reporting
- Power profiling demo via UART/SWO-style events
- QEMU/Renode simulation experiments

I’m looking for honest feedback:
1. Would such a tool be useful for education or training?
2. Which feature would be most valuable?
3. What would make you trust or not trust this kind of tool?
4. Would it be better as a VS Code extension, standalone IDE, or educational toolkit?
5. What pain points do you have with current embedded IDEs?

I’m not trying to promote a paid product here. I’m trying to validate whether this project should continue as an open-source educational tool or pivot toward a smaller specialized utility.

Thanks for any critical feedback.
  • in reply to BigG

    Yes, I agree. I’m realizing that the first step should be identifying where learners actually get blocked, not deciding features first.

    Maybe the real problem is not writing code, but understanding how everything fits together: build system, linker script, startup code, MCU configuration, registers, debugger, RTOS concepts, and hardware feedback.

    AI may or may not be the right answer, but I’m thinking of it more as an explanation layer over real tools, not something that hides the complexity.

    I’ll look more closely at where current tools expose or hide these concepts. Zephyr is a good example to study because it exposes more of the embedded system structure.

    Thanks, this helps me narrow the problem.

  • in reply to BigG

    Yes, I agree. I’m realizing that the first step should be identifying where learners actually get blocked, not deciding features first.

    Maybe the real problem is not writing code, but understanding how everything fits together: build system, linker script, startup code, MCU configuration, registers, debugger, RTOS concepts, and hardware feedback.

    AI may or may not be the right answer, but I’m thinking of it more as an explanation layer over real tools, not something that hides the complexity.

    I’ll look more closely at where current tools expose or hide these concepts. Zephyr is a good example to study because it exposes more of the embedded system structure.

    Thanks, this helps me narrow the problem.

  • in reply to SensoredHacker0

    The responses on this page are not in chronological order, so it's easy to misunderstand when the OP mentioned AI (i.e. he mentioned it after my response).

    Anyway, as far as I understand so far, the OP has not identified an issue, but is asking if issue(s) exists, that perhaps AI (or otherwise) may be used to solve.

       is this a school project?  Normally one is motivated to solve a problem they've seen themselves or has been brought to their attention, hence odd that you've not identified any substantial problem so far, unless I've missed it, which is definitely possible. 

    As you're aware, AI is already used to gain help with coding and with debug and troubleshooting, in some parts within IDEs, and also with chat sessions. It wouldn't be surprising if many people already routinely get debugging and error message help with AI, especially beginners.

  • I wish the Arduino-IDE verion 2 had an version for arm64

  • in reply to SensoredHacker0

    what do you mean by arduino IDE version 2

  • I think that offering a local school with the lab could help

  • If I have time I would like to help test your IDE.

    I suffer from ADD issues, so it would be good for me to see if your approach can help.

  • in reply to DAB

    image

    tthis is the intrface 
    now i am finishing it
    iI  made it in 9 sprint ( actually in sprint 6) 

    Sprint Theme
    Sprint 1 Core IDE foundation: Qt UI, editor, project explorer, file management
    Sprint 2 Build/upload support: Arduino/AVR, STM32, Makefile/toolchain integration
    Sprint 3 Simulation and test scenarios: QEMU/Renode, UART scenarios, automated tests
    Sprint 4 Productivity tools: Git, diff viewer, serial plotter, UI/workspace improvements
    Sprint 5 Measurements, coverage, OTA/DFU, static analysis, crash reporting
    Sprint 6 Advanced debugging: tracepoints, SWO/ITM, reverse debug, live registers history
    Sprint 7 Board/toolchain catalog, profiles, plugin structure, multi-board architecture
    Sprint 8 AI assistance: explain compiler errors, debug logs, code suggestions, guided help
    Sprint 9 Stabilization, packaging, documentation, QA, public release preparation