Install Simplicity AI SDK for GitHub Copilot on macOS#

Install and configure the Simplicity AI SDK for GitHub Copilot in Visual Studio Code on macOS.

Prerequisites#

Before you begin, ensure that you have:

  • A supported version of macOS (ARM or x64)

  • Visual Studio Code with GitHub Copilot enabled

  • Access to the Simplicity AI SDK release that you are installing, such as Beta 1

Install the Silicon Labs Visual Studio Code Extension#

In Visual Studio Code, install the latest release of the Silicon Labs Visual Studio Code extension from the Extension Marketplace.

Download the Installer#

Download Simplicity Installer from the Simplicity Studio® website.

Run the Installer#

  1. In Finder, double-click the downloaded .dmg file.

  2. Drag the SimplicityInstaller icon to the Applications folder.

  3. In Finder, open the Applications folder, and then double-click SimplicityInstaller.

Full Install#

  1. Select Full Install.

  2. Select Install.

  3. Wait for the installation to finish. The time required depends on your network speed.

  4. When the installation is complete, close the installer. You do not need to open Simplicity Studio.

Note: The installer downloads the Simplicity AI SDK tools and skills, copies the skills into the Visual Studio Code global skills location, automatically configures mcp.json for Visual Studio Code, and appends the newly downloaded tools.

Advanced Install#

  1. Select Advanced Install.

  2. Select Install.

  3. Wait for the installation to finish. The time required depends on your network speed.

  4. When the installation is complete, close the installer. You do not need to open Simplicity Studio.

Verify the Simplicity AI SDK Installation in GitHub Copilot#

  1. Open Visual Studio Code.

  2. Open the GitHub Copilot chat window by selecting the Toggle Chat or Toggle Secondary Sidebar icon.

    Toggle Chat and Toggle Secondary Sidebar icons in Visual Studio CodeToggle Chat and Toggle Secondary Sidebar icons in Visual Studio Code

  3. Select Open Customizations (the gear icon) to open the Agent Customizations window.

    Gear / Open Customizations iconGear / Open Customizations icon

  4. Under Tools & MCP, confirm that the installed Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers appear.

    Agent Customizations showing Tools and MCP serversAgent Customizations showing Tools and MCP servers

    Note: If the MCP servers are not listed, repeat the installation steps and confirm that you installed the MCP servers with Simplicity Installer. If the servers appear, select the first Stopped server to continue.

  5. To start a server, select the gear icon again, and then select Start Server.

    Start Server in Agent CustomizationsStart Server in Agent Customizations

  6. Return to the MCP server list and check the server status:

    • Running indicates that the server started successfully.

    • Error indicates that the server failed to start.

    MCP server status Running or ErrorMCP server status Running or Error

  7. Repeat the preceding steps for each MCP server that you want to use.

Start Multiple Servers from User Configuration#

  1. Open the Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P).

  2. Type MCP.

  3. Select MCP: Open User Configuration.

    This opens the mcp.json file that configures Visual Studio Code MCP servers.

    MCP Open User Configuration in the Command PaletteMCP Open User Configuration in the Command Palette

  4. In mcp.json, select Start for each server that you want to use.

  5. Check the status of each server:

    • Running indicates that the server started successfully.

    • Error indicates that the server failed to start.

    Start control for an MCP server in mcp.jsonStart control for an MCP server in mcp.json

    MCP server status after startMCP server status after start

Reference: Installer-Generated MCP Entries#

The installer writes the MCP server entries to the Visual Studio Code MCP user configuration at ~/Library/Application Support/Code/User/mcp.json. Use the following sample to confirm your configuration or to restore an entry if automatic registration fails.

Replace <RootPath> with your home directory, such as /Users/<user>.

{
  "servers": {
    "silabs-ai-sdk-helpers": {
      "command": "<RootPath>/.silabs/slt/installs/archive/python-v3.10.4/python/bin/python3",
      "args": [
        "<RootPath>/.silabs/slt/installs/archive/ai_sdk_local_helpers/ai_sdk_local_helpers.py"
      ],
      "cwd": "<RootPath>/.silabs/slt/installs/archive/ai_sdk_local_helpers"
    },
    "silabs-build-tool": {
      "command": "<RootPath>/.silabs/slt/installs/archive/python-v3.10.4/python/bin/python3",
      "args": [
        "<RootPath>/.silabs/slt/installs/archive/build_tool_mcp/build-tool-mcp/build_tool_server.py"
      ],
      "cwd": "<RootPath>/.silabs/slt/installs/archive/build_tool_mcp/build-tool-mcp"
    },
    "silabs-gdb-mcp": {
      "command": "<RootPath>/.silabs/slt/installs/archive/python-v3.10.4/python/bin/python3",
      "args": [
        "<RootPath>/.silabs/slt/installs/archive/gdb_mcp/gdb-mcp/mcu_debug_tool.py"
      ],
      "cwd": "<RootPath>/.silabs/slt/installs/archive/gdb_mcp/gdb-mcp"
    },
    "silabs-knowledge-base": {
      "url": "https://mcp.silabs.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer <token>"
      },
      "cwd": "<RootPath>/.silabs"
    },
    "silabs-tool-locator": {
      "command": "<RootPath>/.silabs/slt/installs/archive/tool-locator-mcp/tool-locator-mcp",
      "cwd": "<RootPath>/.silabs/slt/installs/archive/tool-locator-mcp"
    }
  }
}

Note: The bundled Python version can change between releases. In ~/.silabs/slt/installs/archive, find the installed python-v<version> folder and use its name in the command paths.

Post-Installation Smoke Test#

Confirm that the Simplicity SDK is installed and that the GitHub Copilot agent can detect it.

  1. After all MCP servers are enabled, enter the following in agent chat:

    What SiSDK version do I have installed?

  2. Confirm that the response is similar to the following:

    Simplicity SDK: version 2026.6.1

Note: The chat prompt uses SiSDK as the literal query text. In documentation prose, refer to the product as Simplicity SDK.

Select Your Language Model#

Select your preferred large language model (LLM) in the chat interface.

Note: Do not use automatic model selection. Manually selecting an LLM typically provides better performance and more consistent results. Choose a capable model with a sufficient context window for the task.

Troubleshooting#

  • Verify that Simplicity SDK 2026.6.1 is installed with Simplicity Installer.

  • If the chat session does not use an expected MCP tool, confirm that the tool is enabled and has no errors.

  • If your chat session does not use MCP tools, confirm that GitHub Copilot is in Agent mode.

  • If a project does not start on your device after you build and flash it, verify that you are using the correct bootloader.

  • Confirm that workspace folder permissions allow you to create and modify files.

  • Confirm that the selected LLM has a sufficient context window for the task.

Related Topics#