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PIO Agent

Build, flash, monitor, and diagnose PlatformIO firmware projects through policy-controlled CLI and MCP workflows.

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Install PIO Agent

Pick your client, then add it in one click or paste the config.

STDIONode.js
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
claude_desktop_config.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "pio-agent": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "platformio-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Settings → Developer → Edit Config, merge this into mcpServers, then fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop.

Automated check passed— started and listed 72 tools correctly (19d ago).

Overview

PIO Agent MCP server exposes PlatformIO firmware workflows to coding agents through MCP, a CLI, and an optional local dashboard. It supports board and device discovery, project setup, builds, uploads, serial monitoring, diagnostics, task polling, and embedded safety checks. Policy profiles can allow, deny, or require approval for operations such as firmware flashing, while audit logs and redaction protect exposed activity. Reach for it when an agent needs controlled access to PlatformIO projects and connected embedded hardware.

Use cases

  • Build PlatformIO firmware from an agent workflow
  • Discover connected boards and resolve a target
  • Flash firmware only after approval
  • Monitor serial output for expected boot messages
  • Diagnose build, upload, or serial failures

Key features

  • PlatformIO board and device discovery
  • Firmware build, flash, and serial monitoring
  • Structured diagnostics and verification
  • Policy profiles with approval gates
  • GPIO safety audits and board reports
  • CLI, MCP, and optional dashboard adapters

Tools72

What PIO Agent lets your agent do. Expand a tool for its parameters.

Verified live~12.8k tokens of context

Security & health

What it can reach and how reliably it runs — from our own checks, not the maintainer’s claims.

ActiveLast checked 1d ago

Recent health check succeeded.

15/15 checks healthy over the last 44d

What it can do

From the 72 tools this server returned when we ran it; 72 declare their own safety hints.

Runs commands · 7Can delete or modify data · 21Handles credentials · 2Makes network requests · 29Read-only tools · 47
Network at startup3 connections
Files written at startup2
Install scriptsNone
npm provenanceSigned build
Package age172 days
Maintainers1

Observed 2026-10-24 in an isolated sandbox. A description of reach, not a security audit.

Supply-chain signal

No high-severity advisories surfaced by our automated scan.

Critical 0High 0Medium 0Low 0

Scanned 14d ago via OSV.dev · platformio-mcp (npm)

Adoption & maintenance

Factual signals from GitHub, npm, and our automated checks — not a rating.

GitHub stars54Stargazers on the source repository.
npm downloads1.3kPackage downloads in the last 30 days.
Last commit4d agoMost recent push to the default branch.
Availability100%Our rolling endpoint + install checks that succeeded.
Install checkPassedOur sandbox started it and listed its tools.
Tools exposed72Callable tools this server registers over MCP.
Directory activity9 viewsConfig copies, upvotes, and views on AllMCPs.

How PIO Agent works

What PIO Agent MCP server does

The PIO Agent MCP server connects agent workflows to PlatformIO projects and supported embedded hardware. It covers board and device discovery, project initialization, configuration inspection, firmware builds, uploads, serial monitoring, and background task management. The same project operations are available through the platformio-mcp and pio-agent command-line interfaces, while an optional dashboard provides visibility into commands, logs, locks, and safety state.

Agent-focused operations include project validation, structured build diagnosis, board-aware GPIO safety audits, board report generation, target resolution, flash-and-monitor verification, bounded serial health checks, policy inspection, task cancellation, and task history. Reports can be stored in .pio-mcp-workspace/, including the latest agent and board reports.

How it works

The PIO Agent MCP server uses PlatformIO as its first backend and can run as an MCP process for compatible hosts. A manual configuration starts the server with npx -y platformio-mcp serve; each connecting session runs its own server process. The CLI is an alternative that executes commands on demand without leaving a server running between invocations.

Commands accept project, board, environment, port, timeout, filtering, and expectation options where applicable. Adding --json produces machine-readable output. Background work can be inspected with task-status commands, and monitoring workflows can check expected output or reject known failure patterns.

Operations pass through policy evaluation. Actions may be allowed, denied, or held for approval. Project-level profiles are configured in .pio-mcp-policy.json, with options including read-only, build-only, monitor-only, flash-requires-approval, lab-runner, and lab-admin. Risky upload and reset paths remain subject to approval rules, and approvals can be listed, accepted, or denied from the CLI.

Setup and configuration

Install Node.js 20 or newer and the PlatformIO Core CLI. The recommended package is platformio-mcp, which also installs the platformio-mcp and pio-agent executable names. For example, pio-agent devices lists available devices, and pio-agent build --project-dir . --json builds a project with JSON output.

The MCP adapter can be added to Claude with the documented claude mcp add command or configured manually with an mcpServers entry that invokes npx -y platformio-mcp serve. The project also provides installation commands for Cline, Claude, VS Code, and Codex, plus a Codex plugin installation path. The optional dashboard starts with npx platformio-mcp dashboard --serve.

Tools and capabilities

The PIO Agent MCP server supports:

  • Discovering boards and connected devices.
  • Initializing projects and inspecting PlatformIO configuration.
  • Building, uploading, monitoring, and polling background tasks.
  • Producing structured diagnostics for build, upload, and serial failures.
  • Validating project readiness and resolving exact project, environment, and device targets.
  • Auditing GPIO safety and generating board intelligence reports.
  • Verifying flash and monitor results with expected and rejected serial patterns.
  • Reviewing policy, approval, task history, and monitoring health.
  • Auditing actions and redacting secrets from exposed log streams.

Limitations and notes

PlatformIO is currently the first backend, so workflows depend on PlatformIO-supported projects and hardware. Flashing and other risky operations may not run immediately when policy requires human approval. The lab_runner profile requires an explicit, expiring unattended-lab policy. MCP sessions started through the host configuration remain separate processes; the CLI avoids that persistent-session model. Physical-board validation is handled separately from the documented automated release checks.

Read the full README View source on GitHub

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Frequently Asked Questions about PIO Agent

PIO Agent is an MCP server that connects coding agents to PlatformIO projects and supported embedded hardware. Its main tools cover board and device discovery, project validation, builds, firmware flashing, serial monitoring, diagnostics, GPIO safety audits, target resolution, and task management. Policy controls can require approval for risky operations.

Install it with `npm install -g platformio-mcp`, then use the `pio-agent` or `platformio-mcp` CLI.

Yes, PIO Agent can upload firmware, but policy may require explicit approval before flashing or reset-related operations. Use the `flash` command or the flash-monitor verification workflow with a project directory, port selection, and optional serial expectations.

Set the project policy profile to `flash_requires_approval` in `.pio-mcp-policy.json`. Pending approvals can then be inspected with the CLI, and an approval can be accepted or denied using its approval ID.

It documents MCP configuration and installation paths for Claude, Cline, VS Code, and Codex, with a standard MCP server command available for compatible hosts.

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