Arduino NANO: Setup VS Code + Debug

o set up VS Code Platform IO and conda environment for debugging Arduino NANO, follow these steps:

1. Install Visual Studio Code: If you don’t already have it, download and install Visual Studio Code.
2. Install Platform IO: Open Visual Studio Code and install the Platform IO extension by clicking on the Extensions tab on the left-hand side of the window and searching for “Platform IO IDE”.
3. Create a conda environment: If you haven’t already, install Anaconda or Miniconda. Then, create a new conda environment with Python 3 by running the following command in your terminal or Anaconda Prompt:

conda create --name arduino python=3

Activate the environment by running the following command:

conda activate arduino

4. Install required packages: Install the necessary packages by running the following commands in your activated conda environment:

conda install -c conda-forge arduino
conda install -c conda-forge pyserial
conda install -c anaconda pylint

5. Configure VS Code: Configure VS Code to use the conda environment you just created by opening the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P or Cmd+Shift+P on Mac) and typing “Python: Select Interpreter”. Choose the interpreter that corresponds to the environment you just created.
6. Create a new project in Platform IO: Create a new Platform IO project by opening the Platform IO Home tab in VS Code and clicking on “New Project”. Choose your Arduino board and enter a project name.
7. Write your code: Write your Arduino code in the main.cpp file created by Platform IO.
8. Set up debugging: To set up debugging, add the following code to your main.cpp file:

c++Copy code
#if defined(ARDUINO_ARCH_AVR)
#include <avr/io.h>
#endif

void setup() {
  #if defined(ARDUINO_ARCH_AVR)
  init();
  #endif
  Serial.begin(9600);
  while(!Serial);
  // Your setup code here
}

void loop() {
  // Your loop code here
}

Then, click on the Debug tab in VS Code and click on “create a launch.json file”. Choose the “Arduino” environment and select your board. You can then start debugging by clicking on the “Start Debugging” button.

That’s it! You should now be able to debug your Arduino NANO code in VS Code using Platform IO and your conda environment.