platformio-core [feature] DFP (Device Family Pack) / atpack / CMSIS integration with PlatformIO

Hello,

I'm currently looking at DFP... atpack... CMSIS... (I'm totaly new to this topic)

For those who don't know much about these formats. Here's a quick summary (from my understanding)

DFP (Device Family Pack) are standardized packages containing device-specific information including register definitions, memory maps, peripheral descriptions, startup code, and linker scripts for microcontroller families. They're part of the CMSIS-Pack standard.
atpack: Microchip's (formerly Atmel's) specific implementation of device packs for their AVR, PIC and ARM microcontrollers. These contain similar device-specific data but in Microchip's format.
CMSIS (Cortex Microcontroller Software Interface Standard): ARM's hardware abstraction layer providing standardized APIs, device headers, and system startup code for Cortex-M processors. CMSIS-Pack is the packaging format for distributing device support.

I wonder if all of these very interesting data couldn't (shouldn't) be integrated into PlatformIO environment... especially the VS Code extension.

A lot of information could be get out of such files and it could help developers if they are well integrated with PlatformIO environment.

Let's have a look for example at a quite old MCU from Microchip ( PIC16F876A see #704 )

https://packs.download.microchip.com/ /Microchip.pidx (if you want to grab index automatically)

Microchip PIC16Fxxx Series Device Support (1.7.162) contains the following (rename .atpack with .zip and unzip it)

> tree /f
│   Microchip.PIC16Fxxx_DFP.pdsc
│   Microchip.PIC16Fxxx_DFP.sha1
│   package.content
│
├───edc
│       AC162052_AS_PIC16F630.PIC
│       AC162052_AS_PIC16F676.PIC
│       AC162053_AS_PIC16F627A.PIC
│       AC162053_AS_PIC16F628A.PIC
│       AC162053_AS_PIC16F648A.PIC
...
│       PIC16LF876.PIC
│       PIC16LF876A.PIC
│       PIC16LF877.PIC
│       PIC16LF877A.PIC
│       PIC16LF88.PIC
│
├───hwtools
│   ├───mplab
│   │       MPHeader.xml
│   │       PluginBoardSupport.xml
│   │
│   ├───persfr
│   │       pic16.persfr
│   │
│   └───sdm
│           sdmCompilers.xml
│           sdmDebuggerMap.xml
│           sdmICD3.xml
│           sdmICD4.xml
...
    │           16lf876.html
    │           16lf876a.html
    │           16lf877.html
    │           16lf877a.html
    │           16lf88.html
    │
    └───pic
        ├───dat
        │   │   20250326211330_en.msgs
        │   │
        │   ├───cfgdata
        │   │       16f505.cfgdata
        │   │       16f506.cfgdata
        │   │       16f526.cfgdata
...
        │   │       16lf877.cfgdata
        │   │       16lf877a.cfgdata
        │   │       16lf88.cfgdata
        │   │
        │   ├───cfgmap
        │   │       16f505.cfgmap
        │   │       16f506.cfgmap
        │   │       16f526.cfgmap
...
        │   │       16lf876.cfgmap
        │   │       16lf876a.cfgmap
        │   │       16lf877.cfgmap
        │   │       16lf877a.cfgmap
        │   │       16lf88.cfgmap
        │   │
        │   └───ini
        │           16f188ex.ini
        │           16f18nvm.ini
        │           16f505.ini
...
        │           16lf876.ini
        │           16lf876a.ini
        │           16lf877.ini
        │           16lf877a.ini
        │           16lf88.ini
        │
        └───include
            │   aspic.h
            │   caspic.h
            │   pic.h
            │   pic.inc
            │   pic_as_chip_select.inc
            │   pic_chip_select.h
            │
            └───proc
                    16f505.cgen.inc
                    16f506.cgen.inc
                    16f526.cgen.inc
...
                    pic16lf876.h
                    pic16lf876.inc
                    pic16lf876a.h
                    pic16lf876a.inc
                    pic16lf877.h
                    pic16lf877.inc
                    pic16lf877a.h
                    pic16lf877a.inc
                    pic16lf88.h
                    pic16lf88.inc

This kind of file is a Device Family Pack (DFP) for Microchip PIC16Fxxx microcontrollers. The Microchip.PIC16Fxxx_DFP.pdsc file describes the package contents and supported devices.

Key points:

Purpose: Provides device support for the PIC16Fxxx series (configuration files, hardware tool support, IDE/compiler prerequisites).
Supported tools: MPLAB X IDE, MPLAB X IPE, MPLAB XC8 compiler.
Devices: Lists many PIC16Fxxx microcontrollers (e.g., PIC16F505, PIC16F506, PIC16F526, etc.), each with references to device-specific files, hardware tool configurations, and documentation links.
Hardware tools: Includes support files for debugging, simulation, and programming (e.g., ICD3, ICD4, RealICE, simulator).
Release history: Documents changes and updates for each version.

Here is the role of each file extension found in the project, based on the pdsc file contents:

.sha1 (Checksum): SHA1 hash file Verifies pack integrity during installation. Ensures files haven't been corrupted or tampered with
package.content. Resource manifest file. Lists all files included in the pack. Maps resources to specific devices Organizes files by type (pic, hwtools, xc8, docs)
.pdsc: The Device Family Pack (DFP) description file itself. It defines the package structure, supported devices, tool requirements, and links to all other files. Example : Microchip.PIC16Fxxx_DFP.pdsc:
- Defines all supported devices (PIC16F505, PIC16F506, etc.)
- Specifies tool requirements and file locations
- Contains device processor information (core type, endianness, memory)
- Links to datasheets and product pages
.PIC: (Located in edc directory) Device configuration and description files for individual PIC16Fxxx microcontrollers. They contain information needed by development tools to support programming, debugging, and simulation for each device.
Device-specific .PIC files
- Electronic Device Configuration files
- Define memory maps, register layouts, configuration bits
- Specify device features and peripherals
Adapter .PIC files (e.g., edc/AC162059_AS_PIC16F505.PIC)
- Configuration for specific programming/debugging adapters
- Support various development boards and programmers
.xml: Hardware tool configuration files. Used by MPLAB tools to define headers, board support, compiler mappings, debugger maps, and simulator settings. Located in hwtools subdirectories:
- mplab
  - MPHeader.xml: MPLAB IDE integration header
  - PluginBoardSupport.xml: Development board support
- sdm
  - sdmCompilers.xml: Compiler definitions and mappings
  - sdmDebuggerMap.xml: Debugger hardware mapping
  - sdmICD3.xml: ICD3 debugger support
  - sdmICD4.xml: ICD4 debugger support
  - sdmICD5.xml: ICD5 debugger support
  - sdmICE4.xml: ICE4 emulator support
  - sdmRealICE.xml: RealICE debugger support
  - sdmRealICE4.xml: RealICE4 debugger support
  - sdmSimulator.xml: Simulator configuration
.persfr: Peripheral SFR (Special Function Register) mapping files. They describe the registers and peripherals for PIC16 devices, helping IDEs and debuggers display and interact with device features. Example pic16.persfr
- Special Function Register definitions
- Memory persistence configuration for debugging
- Variable watch and breakpoint support

These files together enable IDEs and toolchains (like MPLAB X and XC8) to recognize, configure, and work with the supported PIC16Fxxx microcontrollers but PlatformIO could probably also make use of these data (may I ask a lawyer ⚖️?)

Are there any plans about such an integration ? The very minimal integration could be to simply be able to browse datasheet when using a board. But I'm pretty sure many integration ideas could come up.

Kind regards

Sébastien

Related project could be

https://github.com/pyocd/cmsis-pack-manager
https://github.com/Open-CMSIS-Pack/cpackget
https://ctag.github.io/atpack/atpack.html provides an example of an atpack viewer (for ATMEL AVR) maybe that's something which could be integrated into https://github.com/platformio/platformio-vscode-ide

Jul 17 '25 18:07 s-celles

Hi,

I'm currently working on a React app (TypeScript) for viewing AtPack files maybe that's something which could be integrated into VS Code also next to PlatformIO extension (or inside it), isn't it?