Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between STM32CubeIDE and STM32CubeIDE for Visual Studio Code?

Answer: STM32CubeIDE for Visual Studio Code does not yet have all the features of STM32CubeIDE. Our goal is to catch up to STM32CubeIDE and accelerate beyond as we see the future in Visual Studio Code.

What are the benefits of STM32CubeIDE for Visual Studio Code in comparison to STM32CubeIDE?

Answer: Visual Studio Code, while not as advanced today in debugging as STM32CubeIDE, stands out for its modern design, lightweight nature, and flexible build system.

What is the difference between STM32CubeIDE for Visual Studio Code and the previous 2.x extension?

Answer: The STM32Cube extension for Visual Studio Code has undergone a significant architectural redesign compared to the previous 2.x version. This redesign enhances the platform’s updateability by replacing STM32CubeCLT with bundles and CMSIS-PACKs. Further details can be found in the changelog .

Can I use CMSIS-Packs?

Answer: STM32CubeMX2 only works with packs that contain STM32Cube‑specific metadata. While other CMSIS‑Packs can be installed, they are not visible in the configuration views and are not used for code generation. In practice, installing such packs has no effect inside STM32CubeMX2.

I get the error “Cannot activate the ‘STM32Cube Debug Core’ extension because it depends on an unknown ‘STMicroelectronics.st-cube-build-cmake’?

Answer: This is a known issue. Make a restart of Visual Studio Code. If the problem persists please let us know through the STM32 Community.

Is it possible to see and modify live values of variables as available in STM32CubeIDE?

Answer: Not at the first release. We are working on closing this feature gap as soon as possible.

Is there a “reset perspective” equivalent to Eclipse in order to return the window layout to the default?

Answer: No, there is no equivalent feature.

Is uart terminal integrated into STM32CubeIDE for Visual Studio Code?

Answer: Yes, this is the SERIAL MONITOR.

How do I update the extension? Do I install it over the old one?

Answer: Yes, it is recommended to uninstall the previous version first.

Is there a way to check what packs are installed?

Answer:

  • Windows: $HOME/AppData/Local/stm32cube/packs

  • Linux: $HOME/.local/share/stm32cube/packs

  • MacOS: $HOME/Library/Application Support/stm32cube/packs

What are the server connections used by STM32CubeIDE for Visual Studio Code in order to operate?

Answer:

  1. Server operated by ST to provide necessary bundles (ST utilities): https://developer.st.com/bundles . Access to this server is mandatory for the first install and to keep bundles up to date.

  2. Server operated by ST to provide necessary packs (ST data describes the products): https://developer.st.com/st-pack-server/ . Access to this server is mandatory for first install and to keep your set of ST product description data.

  3. Server operated by Adobe to collect anonymous telemetry data: https://stmicroelectronics.d3.sc.omtrdc.net/b/ss//6 . Access to this server is optional.