ESP IDF
An MCP server for managing ESP-IDF workflows, enabling LLMs to build, flash, and test firmware for ESP32 and related microcontrollers. It provides tools for project creation, target configuration, and serial port management to simplify embedded devel
What is ESP IDF?
ESP IDF is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to mcp server for managing esp-idf workflows, enabling llms to build, flash, and test firmware for esp32 and related microcontrollers. it provides tools for project creation, target configuration, and se...
An MCP server for managing ESP-IDF workflows, enabling LLMs to build, flash, and test firmware for ESP32 and related microcontrollers. It provides tools for project creation, target configuration, and serial port management to simplify embedded devel
This server falls under the Developer Tools category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- An MCP server for managing ESP-IDF workflows, enabling LLMs
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
Manual Installation
npx espConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use ESP IDF
The ESP-MCP server enables AI assistants to manage full ESP-IDF firmware development workflows for ESP32 and related Espressif microcontrollers through natural language commands. It wraps the ESP-IDF toolchain (idf.py and pytest-embedded) and exposes seven tools for installing dependencies, creating projects, setting chip targets, building firmware, listing serial ports, flashing devices, and running hardware tests. Embedded developers use it to let Claude orchestrate the entire build-flash-test cycle, reducing context switching between the terminal and the IDE when developing IoT firmware.
Prerequisites
- ESP-IDF installed and configured (https://docs.espressif.com/projects/esp-idf/en/latest/esp32/get-started/)
- Python 3.10+ with pip or uv available
- Git to clone the esp-mcp repository
- An ESP32 or compatible Espressif device connected via USB serial (for flash/test tools)
- An MCP client such as Claude Desktop or Claude Code
Install ESP-IDF
If you have not already installed ESP-IDF, follow the official Espressif getting-started guide for your platform. The IDF_PATH environment variable should point to your ESP-IDF installation directory.
# Verify ESP-IDF is installed
echo $IDF_PATH
idf.py --versionClone the esp-mcp repository
Download the esp-mcp server source code from GitHub.
git clone https://github.com/horw/esp-mcp.git
cd esp-mcpInstall server dependencies
Install the Python dependencies required by the MCP server.
pip install -r requirements.txtAdd to your MCP client configuration
Register esp-mcp in your MCP client config. Pass IDF_PATH as an environment variable so the server can locate the ESP-IDF toolchain.
{
"mcpServers": {
"esp-mcp": {
"command": "python",
"args": ["/absolute/path/to/esp-mcp/server.py"],
"env": {
"IDF_PATH": "/path/to/esp-idf"
}
}
}
}Connect your ESP32 device and verify serial ports
Plug in your ESP32 board via USB. Ask Claude to list available serial ports using the list_esp_serial_ports tool to confirm the device is detected.
ESP IDF Examples
Client configuration
Example claude_desktop_config.json entry for the ESP-MCP server with IDF_PATH configured.
{
"mcpServers": {
"esp-mcp": {
"command": "python",
"args": ["/absolute/path/to/esp-mcp/server.py"],
"env": {
"IDF_PATH": "/home/user/esp/esp-idf"
}
}
}
}Prompts to try
Natural language requests that map to the seven ESP-MCP tools.
- "Create a new ESP-IDF project called blink_led in my ~/projects directory."
- "Set the target chip to esp32s3 for the blink_led project."
- "Build the blink_led project with incremental compilation."
- "List all connected ESP serial ports and tell me which one to use for flashing."
- "Flash the blink_led firmware to the device on /dev/ttyUSB0."
- "Run the pytest test suite for the blink_led project using pytest-embedded."Troubleshooting ESP IDF
build_esp_project fails with 'idf.py not found'
Ensure IDF_PATH is set correctly in the MCP server's env config and that ESP-IDF has been fully installed including the toolchain. Run '. $IDF_PATH/export.sh' (Linux/macOS) or the equivalent export.bat on Windows to activate the environment manually as a diagnostic step.
flash_esp_project fails with 'Permission denied' on the serial port
On Linux, add your user to the dialout group: 'sudo usermod -aG dialout $USER' and log out/in. On macOS, no special permissions are typically needed. Confirm the correct port with list_esp_serial_ports before flashing.
create_esp_project succeeds but subsequent build fails with CMake errors
After creating a project, always run setup_project_esp_target to configure the target chip (e.g., esp32, esp32c3, esp32s3) before building. Skipping this step leaves the target unconfigured and CMake cannot resolve hardware-specific components.
Frequently Asked Questions about ESP IDF
What is ESP IDF?
ESP IDF is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that mcp server for managing esp-idf workflows, enabling llms to build, flash, and test firmware for esp32 and related microcontrollers. it provides tools for project creation, target configuration, and serial port management to simplify embedded devel It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install ESP IDF?
Follow the installation instructions on the ESP IDF GitHub repository. Clone the repo, install dependencies, and add the server config to your AI client.
Which AI clients work with ESP IDF?
ESP IDF works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is ESP IDF free to use?
Yes, ESP IDF is open source and available under the MIT license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
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