Integrate Embedder directly into your VS Code workflow
Embedder in VS Code with chat, code editor, and serial console
The Embedder VS Code extension provides a graphical interface for Embedder directly in your IDE. This is the recommended way to to use Embedder in VS Code and for Windows users.With the extension, you get all the core functionality of the CLI: a serial monitor, review and edit plans, @ mentioning files, sending serial commands, accessing conversation history, open multiple conversations in separate tabs, and more.
Once installed, you can use Embedder natively in your IDE.
1
Open the Embedder panel
The quickest way to open Embedder is to click the icon from the Activity Bar on the left side of your screen.Another way to open Embedder is through the Command Palette. Use Cmd+Shift+P (Mac) or Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux), type “Embedder”, and select “New Chat Tab”.
2
Send a prompt
Ask Embedder to help with your code or files, whether that’s explaining how something works, debugging an issue, or making changes. See common workflows for more examples of things you can do with Embedder.
3
Configure project
Choose an existing project or create a new one
Select the platform you’re using from our catalog, or add your own
Select the peripherals you’re using from our catalog, or add your own
Generate EMBEDDER.md with /init
See common workflows for more information on project configuration.
4
Review the changes
When Embedder wants to edit a file, it shows a comparison of the proposed changes, then asks for permission. You can accept, reject, or tell Embedder what to do instead.
Embedder shows the proposed changes and asks for permission
Open the Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P on Mac or Ctrl+Shift+P on Windows/Linux) and type “Embedder” to see all available VS Code commands for the Embedder extension.
These are VS Code commands for controlling the extension. Not all built-in Embedder commands are available in the extension.
The VS Code extension supports checkpoints, which track Embedder’s file edits and let you rewind to a previous state. Click the rewind button on any message, or use the /undo or /rewind commands, to choose from three options:
Fork conversation from here — Start a new conversation branch from this message while keeping all code changes intact.
Rewind code to here — Revert file changes back to this point in the conversation while keeping the full conversation history.
Fork conversation and rewind code — Start a new conversation branch and revert file changes to this point.
Embedder can interact with your serial console directly. It can read serial output history to diagnose issues, send commands to your device, monitor for specific patterns, and help debug communication problems.The built-in serial console lets you communicate with embedded devices directly from VS Code. Open it from the bottom panel or as a full editor tab with the embedder.openSerialInEditor command.
The serial console with code editor and device output side by side
Embedder auto-detects available serial ports and displays metadata like manufacturer, vendor/product ID, and serial number. Ports refresh automatically when devices are plugged in or unplugged.
Select from common baud rates manually, or let Embedder auto-detect the correct baud rate. Auto-detection shows a confidence level so you know how reliable the result is.
Open multiple serial connections simultaneously. Each tab maintains its own port selection, baud rate, connection state, output history (up to 50,000 lines), filter pattern, and timestamp settings.
Embedder automatically detects connected J-Link probes and supports RTT for non-intrusive debugging output. Select your target device from a picker with search and filter, with suggested devices based on your project context. Supports both SWD and JTAG interfaces.
