A hardware bridge lets you work in Embedder while the board and probe remain on another machine. Install the required device drivers and flash or debug tools on the machine with the hardware.
Install a persistent bridge
On a Linux or macOS hardware host, run:
The command installs and starts the bridge service. Once it connects, read its setup code on the hardware host:
If you installed with --state-dir, read setup-code from that directory instead. If the file is not present yet, check the service log: /usr/local/var/log/embedder-bridge.log on macOS, or sudo journalctl -u embedder-bridge -n 50 on Linux. Confirm the host can connect to Embedder, then try reading the code again.
In the Embedder app, select the intended team and open Bridges. You must be an owner or admin of the team that will own the bridge. Choose Add bridge, enter the Setup code and a Name, choose Owner team if offered, then choose Claim bridge. Wait for the bridge to come online before selecting it in chat.
If Bridges is unavailable or Add bridge is missing, ask your administrator to check feature availability and your team role.
The service stays available after you close the terminal. Check that the host remains powered, connected, and able to access the board.
For macOS J-Link/SEGGER workflows, keep a console user logged in and install the required tools for that user. Check probe access with embedder bridge doctor after a reboot or login change.
Use a temporary bridge
For a temporary connection on the same network, run this on a Linux or macOS hardware host:
On your workstation, discover it:
On the hardware host, generate a pairing code. With the default installation paths:
If you use a custom installation, substitute its executable and configuration paths. On the workstation, use the code within two minutes:
Replace the address and code. If network discovery is unavailable, pair directly with host:port.
Before using the connection, compare the fingerprint printed after pairing with the host’s status:
Check the connection
Diagnostics check the connection, visible serial ports, and required tools. Resolve missing tools or device permissions on the hardware host.
In chat, run /bridge and choose the intended bridge. Confirm its ports and target before asking Embedder to flash or debug.
Stop or remove a temporary connection
On the hardware host, stop a bridge started with bridge start:
On the workstation, forget a saved pairing:
For an installed service, use the host’s service controls. Removing a workstation pairing does not stop the bridge service.
Troubleshoot
- Discovery finds nothing: check the network and try a direct address for a LAN bridge.
- Pairing fails: generate a fresh code on the host and retry before it expires.
- The fingerprint changed: verify the change on the hardware host before pairing again.
- Serial or probes are missing: check USB cables, target power, host drivers, and device permissions.
- Flashing tools are missing: install the project’s required flasher or GDB server on the bridge host.
- A command is rejected: check the bridge’s allowed executables with the host administrator.
See CLI reference for command options.
Continue with probe-rs for bridge flashing and bounded RTT capture, or the J-Link and OpenOCD guides for debugging. Last modified on September 19, 2026
