Getting Started with Firmware Development

Project Detection

Neural Inverse auto-detects firmware projects by scanning for build system configuration files:

When detected, the IDE extracts:

• MCU variant
• Build system type
• RTOS (if any)
• HAL/framework
• Board name

Creating a Firmware.inverse Manifest

For explicit configuration or when auto-detection isn't sufficient, create a Firmware.inverse file in your workspace root:

{
  "neuralInverseFirmware": true,
  "version": "1",
  "mcu": "STM32F407VGT6",
  "board": "STM32F4DISCOVERY",
  "rtos": "FreeRTOS",
  "buildSystem": "cmake",
  "hal": "stm32-hal",
  "compliance": ["misra-c-2012"],
  "datasheets": ["docs/stm32f407_rm.pdf"],
  "svd": "docs/STM32F407.svd"
}

Or use the agent tool:

> fw_init

This scans your project and generates the manifest automatically.

Opening the Firmware Console

Press Cmd+Alt+F (macOS) or Ctrl+Alt+F (Linux/Windows) to open the Firmware Environment window.

The console provides 13 tabs:

1. Dashboard — Session overview, MCU info
2. Pinout — Pin assignments and conflicts
3. Architecture — Peripheral schematic
4. HW Tools — Instrument status
5. Instruments — Logic Analyzer, Power Analyzer, Oscilloscope
6. Datasheets — PDF uploads and extraction status
7. Registers — Register map viewer with bit field layout
8. Serial — Serial monitor, RTT, ITM
9. Compliance — Framework violation status
10. Build — Build output and errors
11. RTOS — Thread inspection, heap analysis
12. HIL — Hardware-in-the-loop test runner
13. Closed-Loop — Autonomous optimization

MCU Selection

Search the built-in database of 361 MCUs:

> fw_search_mcu STM32F4

Or select from the Firmware console's idle screen. The MCU selection loads:

• SVD register maps (peripheral definitions, bit fields, access types)
• Memory layout (flash, RAM, CCM, ITCM, DTCM regions)
• Clock tree constraints
• Known silicon errata
• GPIO alternate function database
• Peripheral list

First Build

Once your project is configured:

> fw_build

This runs your build system's compile command (e.g., pio run, cmake --build, cargo build --target ...).

After building:

> fw_binary_size

Shows section breakdown (.text, .data, .bss) with Flash% and RAM% usage.

Flashing

Detect available flash tools:

> fw_detect_flash_tools

Then flash:

> fw_flash

Status Bar

The status bar shows:

• MCU family and variant
• Active compliance framework
• Datasheet count
• Peripheral count

Click to focus the Firmware Environment window.

Commands