mpftp

MicroPython and CircuitPython board tools for VS Code and compatible derivatives

mpftp brings microcontroller board management directly into your modern code editor (VS Code, Google Antigravity IDE, Cursor, VSCodium):

• An In-Editor Alternative to Thonny: Edit board files, transfer files, install packages (mip / circup), and flash firmware without switching back and forth to external IDEs or standalone tools.
• Embedded Serial REPL: The interactive REPL opens directly inside your editor's Terminal panel, allowing you to test and inspect code live alongside your editor tabs and AI coding agents.
• Wi-Fi Fast MIP Transfers: Transferring wifi.py and creating secrets.py on Wi-Fi enabled boards enables on-board mip package installation directly over the network, which is significantly faster than serial file transfers.
• Connect over Wi-Fi: Once a board is set up over USB (mpftp shows you the boot.py change first), pick it by name from the Wi-Fi list and use the REPL and file transfer through WebREPL. See mpftp over Wi-Fi.
• Connect over Bluetooth (CLI and agents): -d ble://NAME reaches a board running pydevices' bledev, REPL and files, with no cable. See mpftp over Bluetooth.
• Visual Firmware Builder: Download official releases, or build custom firmware with micropython-pydevices' build_mp.py (its ports, boards, variants and modules, MicroPython or CircuitPython-compatible), and flash it from the UI or mpftp firmware build.
• Completely Optional: If you are already comfortable with command-line tools (mpremote, esptool, circup) or standalone IDEs, you can continue using them. mpftp is provided as an all-in-one in-editor workbench.
• No Editor Required: pip install --index-url https://test.pypi.org/simple/ --extra-index-url https://pypi.org/simple/ pydevices-mpftp && python -m mpftp opens mpftp in your browser: the same File Transfer panel as in VS Code, with the REPL and an editor beside it, installable as an app. See the browser interface.

Published as pydevices.mpftp under PyDevices.

Documentation

• Newcomer's guide — entrypoints, session ownership, architecture, and repository map
• User guide — getting started, File Transfer, REPL, Firmware workspace, autosize, troubleshooting
• Building firmware — targets, modules and options for mpftp firmware build
• Developers guide — architecture, discovery contract, packaging, contribution
• Agent guide — agent/CLI workflows: board ops, flash recovery, firmware builds
• Integrations — a Claude Code plugin whose skill teaches agents the CLI

Features

• Dual-Pane File Transfer: Local ↔ board file management (upload, download, mkdir, new file, delete, rename, drag-and-drop)
• Live In-Editor Editing: Open and edit files directly on the board with automatic save-back and optional SHA-256 verification
• Integrated Terminal REPL: Hardware serial REPL embedded right in the editor Terminal workspace
• Automatic Interpreter Detection: Connects over serial, automatically identifies MicroPython or CircuitPython, and sets the RTC to UTC if it isn't already set
• Package Installation: Install packages with mip (MicroPython) or circup (CircuitPython)
• Visual Firmware Workbench: Detect board hardware, download official MicroPython builds, or build and flash custom firmware with micropython-pydevices' build_mp.py
• AI Agent-Friendly: Local TCP RPC and agent CLI interface sharing the active editor session, with an agent guide and a Claude Code skill

Requirements

• VS Code or compatible derivative (such as Google Antigravity IDE, Cursor, VSCodium) (engine ^1.85.0)
• Python 3.9 or newer. The extension brings its own copy of mpremote and pyserial, so there is nothing to pip-install for serial, WebREPL, file transfer or the REPL.
  • WSL / Windows serial: a Windows Python (it sees the COM ports)
  • Native Linux: the system python3, or set mpftp.pythonPath
• For CircuitPython packages: circup on the same Python (pip install circup)

Install

Not yet on the VS Code Marketplace or Open VSX. Download the .vsix from the latest GitHub release and install it: Extensions: Install from VSIX… → mpftp-*.vsix.

Or build the .vsix from source:

cd extension && npm install && npm run package
# Extensions: Install from VSIX… → mpftp-*.vsix

Development (Cursor Remote-WSL):

./scripts/install-cursor-wsl.sh   # runs npm install/compile in extension/ itself
# Developer: Reload Window

Quick start

1. mpftp: Connect to Board — pick a port
2. Open File Transfer — move files; open REPL for the shell
3. Install Package — mip (MicroPython) or circup (CircuitPython) by detected interpreter
4. Firmware — Detect a board, then Download an official MicroPython image or Build your own

Build needs a micropython-pydevices checkout, which curl -fsSL https://pydevices.github.io/install.sh | sh clones; its build_mp.py fetches MicroPython and the port's toolchain on the first build. Building firmware says where mpftp looks for the checkout.

Commands (selection)

Command	Action
mpftp: Connect to Board	Port picker; interrupt + interpreter-aware clean
mpftp: Resume Last Device	Reconnect previous port
mpftp: Open File Transfer in Panel / Editor	Dual-pane UI
mpftp: Open REPL	ANSI terminal
mpftp: Build & Flash Firmware…	MicroPython firmware panel
mpftp: Interrupt / Soft Reset / Hard Reset	Board control
mpftp: Install Package	mip or circup by interpreter

Settings (selection)

Setting	Purpose
mpftp.workspacePath	Firmware workspace: where mpftp looks for micropython-pydevices and MicroPython
mpftp.pythonPath	Sidecar Python (empty on WSL → Windows python.exe)
mpftp.buildPythonPath	Native Python for builds
mpftp.verifyTransfers	SHA-256 after file transfer
mpftp.compileOnUpload	Compile .py to .mpy via mpy-cross on upload (MicroPython only)
mpftp.autoReconnectAfterReset	Reconnect after hard reset

Full list: VS Code Settings → search mpftp, or user guide.

Status and support

Development Status: Alpha (per pyproject.toml classifiers). Boards are driven over serial for both MicroPython and CircuitPython — the two behave differently enough that it's worth reading the MicroPython vs. CircuitPython boundary before relying on parity between them. Issues: github.com/PyDevices/mpftp/issues.

What's planned next is in ROADMAP.md.

License

MIT — see LICENSE.