arduino-mcp
Server Configuration
Describes the environment variables required to run the server.
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| ARDUINO_CLI_PATH | No | Path to the arduino-cli executable. If not set, the server will try to find arduino-cli on PATH or detect the Arduino IDE-bundled CLI. |
Instructions
Guidance the server publishes about itself, which clients place ahead of the tool catalog so the model reads it before choosing anything.
This server publishes no instructions, or was last inspected before Glama recorded them.
Capabilities
Features and capabilities supported by this server
Protocol revision2025-11-25
| Capability | Details |
|---|---|
| tools | {
"listChanged": true
} |
Tools
Functions exposed to the LLM to take actions
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| arduino_cli_versionA | Confirm arduino-cli is available and report its version. Call this first to verify the toolchain before compile/upload. |
| list_portsB | List serial ports detected by arduino-cli (USB adapters, Uno, Portenta, etc.). |
| board_listA | List connected boards with detected FQBN when possible. Alias-friendly companion to list_ports. |
| core_listA | List installed Arduino cores (platform packages), e.g. arduino:avr or arduino:mbed_portenta. |
| core_installA | Install an Arduino core/platform by id. Examples: arduino:avr (Uno), arduino:mbed_portenta (Portenta H7). |
| lib_searchC | Search the Arduino Library Manager by query string. |
| lib_installB | Install one or more Arduino libraries by name from Library Manager. |
| compileA | Compile a sketch for a board FQBN without uploading. Use arduino:avr:uno for Uno or arduino:mbed_portenta:envie_m7 for Portenta H7. |
| uploadA | Upload a sketch to a board on a serial port. Prefer compile first with libraries/buildPath, then pass the same buildPath as inputDir (upload does not accept --libraries). |
| serial_openA | Open a serial port exclusively for read/write. Default baud is 115200 (Ratchet UART). Close any previous session first. |
| serial_readA | Read buffered bytes from the open serial port. Buffer is capped (~64KB) to protect agent context. |
| serial_writeA | Write data to the open serial port. Use hex/base64 for binary UART frames (e.g. Ratchet Phase 2.7). |
| serial_closeB | Close the currently open serial port session. |
| serial_statusA | Report whether a serial session is open and how many bytes are buffered. |
| rattus_crc_self_testA | Verify host-side CRC-8/MAXIM matches firmware RattusUart (expect check vector 0xA1). |
| rattus_send_twistA | Phase 2.7 PC-masquerade: pack a CMD_TWIST frame (CRC-8/MAXIM) and write it to the open serial port (Uno USB). Requires serial_open first. |
| rattus_heartbeatC | Send CMD_TWIST heartbeats at ~20 Hz for durationMs (Phase 2.7 soak / link-up). Uses open serial port. |
Prompts
Interactive templates invoked by user choice
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
No prompts | |
Resources
Contextual data attached and managed by the client
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
No resources | |
TDQS
Scored across 17 tools
There is some overlap between list_ports and board_list, both of which enumerate connected hardware, and between rattus_send_twist and rattus_heartbeat, which both send CMD_TWIST frames. The descriptions clarify their differences (single frame vs. continuous heartbeat, port enumeration vs. FQBN detection), but an agent could still confuse them without careful reading.
Most tool names follow a noun_verb pattern (core_install, lib_search, serial_open), but there are clear deviations: list_ports is verb_noun, compile and upload are bare verbs, and the rattus_* tools use a project-specific prefix. All names use snake_case consistently, but the inconsistent verb placement and mixture of styles make the set only mildly predictable.
With 17 tools, the server sits slightly above the typical 3-15 tool range, but the scope of Arduino development (port detection, core/library management, compile/upload, serial communication, and protocol-specific utilities) justifies the count. A couple of tools, like board_list and rattus_crc_self_test, are arguably redundant or niche, but overall the count is reasonable for the domain.
The tool set covers the main lifecycle of an Arduino project: board discovery, core installation, library search/install, compiling, uploading, and serial monitor functionality. Missing operations such as uninstalling or updating cores/libraries are minor gaps that don't significantly hinder the primary workflow, so the surface is fairly complete.