mcesptool/README.md
Ryan Malloy ff138c492e Fix QEMU version detection and remove unsupported ESP32-S2
Sort glob results when auto-detecting QEMU binaries to reliably
pick the newest version. Previously filesystem ordering could select
an older build (8.2.0 instead of 9.0.0), missing ESP32-S3 support.

Remove ESP32-S2 from CHIP_MACHINES — the Espressif QEMU fork has
no esp32s2 machine type.
2026-01-28 16:59:24 -07:00

116 lines
3.4 KiB
Markdown

# MCP ESPTool Server
FastMCP server providing AI-powered ESP32/ESP8266 development workflows through natural language interfaces.
## Features
- **Chip Control**: Advanced ESP device detection, connection, and control
- **Flash Operations**: Comprehensive flash memory management with safety features
- **Security Management**: ESP security features including secure boot and flash encryption
- **Production Tools**: Factory programming and batch operations
- **Middleware System**: Universal CLI tool integration with bidirectional MCP communication
- **ESP-IDF Integration**: Host application support for hardware-free development
- **QEMU Emulation**: Virtual ESP32 devices for testing without physical hardware
## Quick Start
### Installation
```bash
# Install with uvx (recommended)
uvx mcp-esptool-server
# Or install in project
uv add mcp-esptool-server
```
### Claude Code Integration
```bash
# Add to Claude Code
claude mcp add mcp-esptool-server "uvx mcp-esptool-server"
```
### Development Setup
```bash
# Clone and setup
git clone <repository>
cd mcp-esptool
make dev
# Run development server
make run-debug
# Run tests
make test
```
## Architecture
The server implements a component-based architecture with middleware for CLI tool integration:
- **Components**: Specialized modules for different ESP development workflows
- **Middleware**: Universal pattern for intercepting and redirecting CLI tool output to MCP context
- **Configuration**: Environment-based configuration with auto-detection
- **Production Ready**: Docker support with development and production modes
## Components
- `ChipControl`: Device detection, connection management, reset operations
- `FlashManager`: Flash operations with verification and backup
- `PartitionManager`: Partition table management and OTA support
- `SecurityManager`: Security features and eFuse management
- `FirmwareBuilder`: ESP-IDF integration and binary operations
- `OTAManager`: Over-the-air update workflows
- `ProductionTools`: Factory programming and quality control
- `Diagnostics`: Memory dumps and performance profiling
- `QemuManager`: QEMU-based ESP32 emulation with download mode, efuse, and flash support
## QEMU Emulation
Run virtual ESP32 devices without physical hardware. Requires [Espressif's QEMU fork](https://github.com/espressif/qemu):
```bash
# Install via ESP-IDF tools
source /path/to/esp-idf/export.sh
python3 $IDF_PATH/tools/idf_tools.py install qemu-xtensa qemu-riscv32
```
The server auto-detects QEMU binaries from `~/.espressif/tools/`. Once available, five tools are exposed:
| Tool | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `esp_qemu_start` | Launch a virtual ESP device (supports esp32, esp32s3, esp32c3) |
| `esp_qemu_stop` | Stop a running instance |
| `esp_qemu_list` | List all running instances |
| `esp_qemu_status` | Detailed instance info |
| `esp_qemu_flash` | Write firmware to a virtual device's flash |
Virtual devices appear in `esp_scan_ports` alongside physical hardware, connected via `socket://localhost:<port>`.
## Configuration
Configure via environment variables or `.env` file:
```bash
ESPTOOL_PATH=esptool
ESP_DEFAULT_BAUD_RATE=460800
ESP_IDF_PATH=/path/to/esp-idf
MCP_ENABLE_PROGRESS=true
PRODUCTION_MODE=false
```
## Docker
```bash
# Development with hot reload
make docker-up
# Production deployment
DOCKER_TARGET=production make docker-up
```
## License
MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.