Installation and Configuration#

The Simplicity Studio VS Code extension lets developers build, flash, and debug projects in the Visual Studio Code environment while continuing to leverage Simplicity Studio (version 5 or 6) for project configuration and creation.

This hybrid workflow provides the best of both tools: Use Simplicity Studio to set up your project and VS Code for daily development.

Note: If you have an earlier version of the Simplicity Studio extension installed in VS Code, uninstall it following the steps below before proceeding to ensure a clean installation. Otherwise, continue with the download and installation steps below.

Uninstall the VS Code Extension#

In the Extension search bar, type "Simplicity Studio" to locate the extension and click the Uninstall button.

Uninstall buttonUninstall button

Optional: To ensure there are no leftover settings from a previous installation that could cause issues, you can clear the Silabs settings in the settings.json file by following the steps below.

  1. Press Ctrl+Shift+P to open the Command Palette, and then type and select Preferences: Open User Settings (JSON).

    Preferences Open User SettingsPreferences Open User Settings

  2. Find and remove the extension settings, and then save the changes.

    Delete settingsDelete settings

  3. Close and restart VS Code.

Download and Install VS Code#

Download the latest version of the VS Code application at https://code.visualstudio.com/download and follow the installation instructions provided there.

Install the Simplicity Studio VS Code Extension#

Install the Simplicity Studio VS Code Extension directly from the Extensions view in VS Code following the steps below:

  1. Open VS Code.

  2. Click the Extensions icon on the left navigation bar. A list of installed extensions displays in the EXTENSIONS panel at the right of the navigation bar.

    Extensions iconExtensions icon

  3. In the Search field at the top of the EXTENSIONS panel, type simplicity.

    The Search field at the top of the Extensions panel in VS CodeThe Search field at the top of the Extensions panel in VS Code

    The extensions display in the search results below the panel.

    The Search field for the Extensions panel in VS Code with the simplicity keyword entered. The Simplicity Studio for VS Code extension displays in the results below the Search fieldThe Search field for the Extensions panel in VS Code with the simplicity keyword entered. The Simplicity Studio for VS Code extension displays in the results below the Search field

  4. At the bottom right of the Simplicity Studio for VS Code extension panel, click the Install button.

    The Install button on the bottom right corner of the Simplicity Studio for VS Code extension panelThe Install button on the bottom right corner of the Simplicity Studio for VS Code extension panel

    A status bar briefly displays at the top left of your screen while the extension is installed. When the installation is completed, the status bar disappears from the screen.

Configure the Simplicity Studio VS Code Extension#

After you install the extension, you need to set the Feature Select and Tool Suite Path.

Set the Feature Select#

Follow these steps to set the feature select:

  1. In the EXTENSIONS MARKETPLACE panel, click Simplicity Studio for VS Code extension. The extension displays in a tab on the right of your screen.

    The Simplicity Studio for VS Code extension selected in the Extensions Marketplace panel on the left of the screen and the extension displayed in a tab on the right of the screenThe Simplicity Studio for VS Code extension selected in the Extensions Marketplace panel on the left of the screen and the extension displayed in a tab on the right of the screen

  2. In the extension tab, click the Settings (cog) icon and select Settings from the pop-up menu.

    The Settings icon, shaped like a cog, with a menu displayed where the Settings option is selectedThe Settings icon, shaped like a cog, with a menu displayed where the Settings option is selected

  3. On the left side of the User tab:

    • Expand the Extensions tree.

    • Expand Simplicity Studio for VS Code.

    • Click General.

    The General option in the expanded Simplicity Studio for VS Code branch of the Extensions tree of the User tabThe General option in the expanded Simplicity Studio for VS Code branch of the Extensions tree of the User tab

  4. On the right side of the Extensions tree, scroll down to Silabs: Feature Select and select the version of Simplicity Studio you want to use from the dropdown list. In the example below, Simplicity Studio v6 is selected.

    Simplicity Studio version 6 selected in the dropdown list under the Silabs Feature Select item on the right side of the Extensions tree on the User tabSimplicity Studio version 6 selected in the dropdown list under the Silabs Feature Select item on the right side of the Extensions tree on the User tab

  5. Click Restart to apply the Feature Select change.

    Click RestartClick Restart

    After a few seconds, you should see a white dot in the bottom right corner, indicating that the extension is connected to Studio v6. If you don’t see the dot, or if it’s red, it means VS Code can’t locate Studio. In that case, retry Step 4 or close and restart VS Code.

    Connected Simplicity StudioConnected Simplicity Studio

  6. Verify the path for the Simplicity Studio Tool Suite was set correctly under the Simplicity Studio Configurations. Note that this path should be automatically set after the restart in step 5.

    Simplicity Studio v6 ConfigurationsSimplicity Studio v6 Configurations

On the right side of the Extensions tree, in the field under Silabs: Tool Suite Installation Path, verify that the path is where Simplicity Studio is installed on your machine. For example, for Simplicity Studio v6 (Beta), the paths are below:

  • Windows: c:\Users\<username>.silabs\slt\installs\archive\v6-base-v6.0.0-130\SimplicityStudio-6

  • macOS: /Users/<username>/.silabs/slt/installs/archive/v6-base-v6.0.0-130/SimplicityStudio-6.app

  • Linux: /home/<username>/.silabs/slt/installs/archive/v6-base-v6.0.0-130/SimplicityStudio-6

A path where Simplicity Studio is installed on a Windows machine in the Silabs Tool Suite Installation Path area on the right side of the Extensions tree on the User tabA path where Simplicity Studio is installed on a Windows machine in the Silabs Tool Suite Installation Path area on the right side of the Extensions tree on the User tab

Now VS Code is ready to open your projects generated from Simplicity Studio. For more information on how to start a project, go to either: