MCP Arduino Server (mcp-arduino-server)
A FastMCP-powered bridge exposing arduino-cli functionality via the Model Context Protocol (MCP). Manage sketches, boards, libraries, files, plus generate WireViz schematics from YAML or natural language.
Requirements
- Python ≥3.10
- arduino-cli in
PATH - MCP SDK (
mcp[cli]) - WireViz (optional; for diagram generation)
- OPENAI_API_KEY (for AI‑powered WireViz)
- thefuzz[speedup] (optional; enables fuzzy local library search)
Installation
From PyPI:
pip install mcp-arduino-server
From source:
git clone https://github.com/Volt23/mcp-arduino-server.git
cd mcp-arduino-server
pip install .
Configuration
Environment variables override defaults:
| Variable | Default / Description |
|---|---|
| ARDUINO_CLI_PATH | auto-detected |
| WIREVIZ_PATH | auto-detected |
| MCP_SKETCH_DIR | ~/Documents/Arduino_MCP_Sketches/ |
| LOG_LEVEL | INFO |
| OPENAI_API_KEY | your OpenAI API key (required for AI‑powered WireViz) |
| OPENROUTER_API_KEY | optional alternative to OPENAI_API_KEY |
Quick Start
mcp-arduino-server
Server listens on STDIO for JSON-RPC MCP calls. Key methods:
Sketches
create_new_sketch(name)list_sketches()read_file(path)write_file(path, content[, board_fqbn])(auto-compiles & opens.ino)
Build & Deploy
verify_code(sketch, board_fqbn)upload_sketch(sketch, port, board_fqbn)
Libraries
lib_search(name[, limit])lib_install(name)list_library_examples(name)
Boards
list_boards()board_search(query)
File Ops
rename_file(src, dest)remove_file(path)(destructive; operations sandboxed to home & sketch directories)
WireViz Diagrams
generate_circuit_diagram_from_description(desc, sketch="", output_base="circuit")(AI‑powered; requiresOPENAI_API_KEY, opens PNG automatically)
MCP Client Configuration
To integrate with MCP clients (e.g., Claude Desktop), set your OpenAI API key in the environment (or alternatively OPENROUTER_API_KEY for OpenRouter):
{
"mcpServers": {
"arduino": {
"command": "/path/to/mcp-arduino-server",
"args": [],
"env": {
"WIREVIZ_PATH": "/path/to/wireviz",
"OPENAI_API_KEY": "<your-openai-api-key>"
}
}
}
}
Troubleshooting
- Set
LOG_LEVEL=DEBUGfor verbose logs. - Verify file and serial-port permissions.
- Install missing cores:
arduino-cli core install <spec>. - Run
arduino-clicommands manually to debug.
License
MIT




