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Practical workflows for setting up projects, interacting with hardware, writing firmware, debugging, and managing sessions. Each section includes example prompts you can adapt.

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Start a new project

1

Create or select a project

embedder
/project
SELECT PROJECT dialog with search box showing create new project button and previous projects list
Choose an existing project or create a new one.Embedder will prompt you to create a new project automatically if no project is associated with the directory you run it in, so note that running /project is not always needed.
2

Choose a platform

Select the platform you’re using from our catalog, or add your own.
SELECT PLATFORM dialog with search box showing nRF9xxx platforms from Nordic Semiconductor
To add your own platform, type the name of the platform and press the + Add "[platform name]" button. You will then be prompted to upload your documentation.
SELECT PLATFORM dialog showing menu to upload documentation in pdf form
3

Add peripherals

Select the peripherals you’re using from our catalog, or add your own.
SELECT PERIPHERALS dialog with search box showing components from Analog Devices, Nexperia, and Allegro MicroSystems
Select peripherals you’re using (I2C sensors, SPI displays, UART modules, etc.).You can add custom peripherals and upload their datasheets using the same process described for platforms in the previous step.Run /peripheral again anytime to add or modify your configuration.
4

Generate EMBEDDER.md

embedder
/init
Creates an EMBEDDER.md file with your projects context, configuration, and more.
For devices not included in the catalogue, upload your own documentation or datasheets via /peripheral or through the web console (/console) to improve the agent’s performance.

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Hardware interaction

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Use the serial monitor

The serial terminal is integrated directly into Embedder. The AI reads serial output automatically. Open the serial sidebar:
Embedder
/serial
Or use the keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+` (backtick) Auto-connect behavior: By default, Embedder auto-connects to your device after flashing To disable auto-connect, update your EMBEDDER.md or prompt:
Embedder
> don't auto-connect to serial after flashing
Filter serial output: Click [Filter] in the serial toolbar to filter output by regex pattern. Useful for isolating specific log messages or errors from noisy output.
Serial terminal filter showing regex pattern filtering output

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Firmware development

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Write peripheral drivers

Embedder has context from your datasheets and documentation. Ask it to look up pinouts, register maps, and driver implementation details when developing drivers.
Embedder
> write an I2C driver for the BME280 sensor on I2C1 (SDA=PB7, SCL=PB6).
> include functions for reading temperature, humidity, and pressure.
> use the existing HAL_I2C functions in our codebase.
Embedder
> create a UART driver for GPS module on UART2 at 9600 baud.
> implement a ring buffer for RX, parse NMEA sentences, and extract lat/long coordinates.
Embedder
> implement SPI driver for the SD card module on SPI1.
> include initialization, single block read/write, and proper CS pin handling on PA4.

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Build and flash

Embedder uses your project configuration to determine the required toolchains and dependencies.
1

Install dependencies

Embedder
> help me install the dependencies for this project
2

Build the project

Embedder
> build the project
3

Flash the firmware

Embedder
> flash the firmware to the device
4

Build, flash, and monitor

Embedder
> build and flash, then show me the serial output

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Work with HALs and SDKs

Ask about vendor-specific HALs and SDKs:
Embedder
> how do I configure the STM32 HAL for I2C?
Embedder
> show me how to use the ESP-IDF GPIO driver
Embedder
> what's the correct way to initialize DMA on this chip?

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Debug with serial output

Embedder reads serial output and can help analyze issues in real time.

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Analyze errors

Embedder
> what's causing this error in the serial output?
Embedder
> the device keeps resetting, analyze the crash dump
Embedder
> parse the debug logs and find the issue

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Trace execution

Embedder
> add debug prints to trace the initialization sequence
Embedder
> why isn't the interrupt handler being called?

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Plan mode vs Act mode

Embedder has two modes for different workflows.

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Act mode (default)

Full tool access. Embedder can read, write, and execute. Use for:
  • Writing and modifying code
  • Building and flashing firmware
  • Making changes to your project

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Plan mode

Read-only analysis. Embedder researches without making changes. Use for:
  • Planning complex refactors
  • Reviewing architecture before changes
  • Analyzing datasheets
Toggle between modes:
  • Keyboard: Shift+Tab
  • Commands: /plan or /act
Start in plan mode:
Embedder
> /plan
> analyze the power management implementation and suggest improvements
Plan mode is ideal for planning complex changes before implementation.

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Documentation and context

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Leverage uploaded documentation

Platforms and peripherals chosen from our catalog already have documentation uploaded. You can upload more documents via the web console which can be accessed using /console.
Web app showing a place to upload documentation for your project
Embedder will use them automatically:
Embedder
> what's the maximum I2C clock speed for this sensor?
Embedder
> show me the register map for the accelerometer
Embedder
> what are the power consumption specs in sleep mode?

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Hardware-aware assistance

Ask hardware-specific questions about your board:
Embedder
> what switch position on the stm32n6570-dk enables flash mode?
Embedder
> what's the pin mapping for the Arduino header?
Embedder
> can I use DMA with this UART peripheral?

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Bash mode

Bypass the AI agent and execute terminal commands directly using the ! prefix. 
!ls -la

!make clean

!git status
This runs the command in your terminal without AI interpretation. Useful for quick commands when you don’t need AI assistance.

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Serial send mode

Send messages directly to your MCU over serial using the ~ prefix.
embedder
~help
embedder
~reset
embedder
~get status
This sends the text directly to your device’s serial console. Use for:
  • Sending AT commands
  • Interacting with device CLI/REPL
  • Manual debugging commands

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Reference files and directories

Use @ to quickly include files or directories in your prompts.
1

Reference a file

Embedder
> explain the logic in @src/main.c
Embedder
> what does @drivers/i2c.h do?
2

Reference a directory

Embedder
> what's in @src/drivers/?
Embedder
> show me the structure of @lib/
3

Multiple references

Embedder
> compare @src/old_driver.c and @src/new_driver.c
File paths can be relative or absolute. Directory references show file listings, not contents.

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Session management

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Switch projects

Embedder
/project    # Switch to a different project

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Resume previous sessions

Embedder
/history    # Browse and resume past conversations

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Manage context

For long conversations:
Embedder
/compress   # Compress conversation to save context

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Quick reference

WorkflowCommand/Shortcut
New project setup/project → /peripheral → /init
Serial monitor/serial or Ctrl+`
Switch modeShift+Tab or /plan /act
Add peripheral/peripheral
Reference file@filename in prompt
Bash mode!command (e.g., !ls)
Serial send~message (e.g., ~help)
Undo last message/undo or Ctrl+Z
Rewind conversation/rewind or Ctrl+Z (2x)
Resume session/history
Compress context/compress
Web console/console
Get help/help
Last modified on March 5, 2026