{"slug": "webinar-recap-agentic-debugging-of-embedded-systems-with-clion-and-trace32-r", "title": "Webinar Recap: Agentic Debugging of Embedded Systems With CLion and TRACE32®", "summary": "JetBrains and Lauterbach released a CLion integration that lets AI agents start and control embedded debug sessions on TRACE32 hardware, demonstrated in a joint webinar. The setup requires CLion 2026.2.4 or later, TRACE32 PowerView 09.2026, and TRACE32 Debug Adapter 0.1.2 or later, with CLion communicating over the Debug Adapter Protocol via Lauterbach's t32debugadapter tool. CLion exposes its debugger to agents through a built-in Model Context Protocol server supporting SSE, stdio, and Streamable HTTP transports, and router mode in CLion 2026.2 and later keeps debugger tool descriptions out of the agent context until needed to reduce token usage.", "body_md": "[News](https://blog.jetbrains.com/clion/category/news/)\n\n# Webinar Recap: Agentic Debugging of Embedded Systems With CLion and TRACE32®\n\nCLion can now debug embedded targets through TRACE32 and let AI agents start and control debug sessions. JetBrains and Lauterbach presented the integration in a joint webinar, and this post recaps the session.\n\nYou can also watch the [demo](#demo-debugging-a-four-core-aurix-board) presented at the webinar and browse the [slides](https://resources.jetbrains.com/storage/products/clion/docs/CLion_Goldcast_Agentic_Debugging_of_Embedded_Systems_with_CLion_and_TRACE32.pdf).\n\n## How CLion and TRACE32 work together\n\nMoving from editing source code to investigating behavior on a target usually means switching between tools. The integration brings three capabilities into one workflow:\n\n- Develop and debug in a single environment.\n- Control TRACE32 hardware debugging from CLion.\n- Give AI agents access to live debugger data to inspect program state and find root causes.\n\n[TRACE32](https://www.lauterbach.com/) is Lauterbach’s debug and trace toolset. It supports more than 150 CPU architectures and over 15,000 chips, and the same software covers the product lifecycle from virtual targets to real hardware. For hardware debugging, Lauterbach offers the [PowerDebug System](https://www.lauterbach.com/products/debugger/powerdebug-system).\n\nCLion communicates with TRACE32 via the [Debug Adapter Protocol (DAP)](https://www.jetbrains.com/help/clion/dap-support.html). Lauterbach provides a tool called `t32debugadapter` that exposes the DAP interface and connects to TRACE32 through its Remote API. TRACE32 then handles the connection to the target, whether it’s real silicon, an emulator, or a simulator.\n\nTo use the integration, you need:\n\n- [CLion 2026.2.4 or later](https://www.jetbrains.com/clion/download/)\n- [TRACE32 PowerView 09.2026](https://www.lauterbach.com/products/software/trace32-powerview)\n- TRACE32 Debug Adapter 0.1.2 or later\n\nIn CLion, go to *Settings | Debugger | Debug Profiles* and select the dedicated TRACE32 profile.\n\nThere, enter the path to the debug adapter executable, the PRACTICE script paths, and any auxiliary options.\n\n## Giving AI agents access to the debugger\n\n[JetBrains Air](https://www.jetbrains.com/air/ides/) gives you one place to run agents and verify their work in CLion. You can start multiple agent sessions, run them in parallel, follow their progress, and review their changes, whether the agents run locally or in the cloud. Agents get the same IDE context you use, such as symbols, types, and dependencies.\n\nCLion exposes its debugger to agents through the built-in Model Context Protocol (MCP) server, which supports SSE, stdio, and Streamable HTTP transports. Because the debugger is connected to TRACE32, an agent can investigate what happens on the actual target. The agent controls the standard CLion debugger, so you can follow the session in the *Debug* tool window and take over at any point.\n\nSkills tell agents when and how to use these tools. CLion includes a generic debugger skill, `clion-debugger`, plus skills for hard fault debugging on Arm Cortex-M devices and for RTOS state exploration. \n\nYou can install skills for supported agents from the IDE, configure them manually for other agents, or write custom skills for your project or target hardware. In CLion 2026.2 and later, [router mode](https://www.jetbrains.com/help/clion/agentic-debugging.html#router-mode) keeps the debugger tool descriptions out of the agent context until they’re needed, reducing token usage.\n\nThe choice of agent is yours. CLion supports agents that use the Agent Client Protocol (ACP), including Junie, Claude Code, Codex, and OpenCode, as well as any compatible internal agent your company builds.\n\nYou can use your existing agent subscriptions or API keys. Junie Lite provides a free AI model through JetBrains infrastructure, and the current offer terms are valid through December 31, 2026.\n\n## Demo: Debugging a four-core AURIX board\n\nFor the demo, we used a 4-core Infineon AURIX™ TC387QP with HighTec TriCore GCC, a CMake project, and a Lauterbach LA-3504 PowerDebug E50 probe. Claude Code converted the project from an AURIX Development Studio project to CMake. The PRACTICE setup and upload scripts were adapted from the TRACE32 examples with minor adjustments. In the demo, the agent starts a debug session via TRACE32 and inspects registers and memory across all four cores. The agent uses the same debugger you do, so you can follow along, pause the session, or take over.\n\n## Key Q&A\n\n### Licensing\n\nThe integration adds no cost on the TRACE32 side. You need the same licenses you would use with PowerView directly. Which licenses those are depends on your target and interface, and you get them from Lauterbach. The skills and MCP tools are included in CLion, which is free for non-commercial use. Commercial use requires a trial or a paid license.\n\n### Scope and limits\n\nThe integration is at an early stage, and a few things are not available yet:\n\n- Instruction and data trace.\n- A trace viewer in CLion.\n- Real-time variable updates, which we are adding probe by probe.\n- T32 commands issued directly from CLion.\n\nFor T32 commands, you can use PowerView in the same debug session as a workaround. PowerView does not need to be visible and can run in the background. HSM cores should work whenever TRACE32 can debug them. The debug adapter is an open interface, while the skills are specific to CLion.\n\n### Documentation and other questions\n\nIn our experience, an agent such as Claude Code parses PDFs well, so you can point it at a folder with target datasheets without extra tooling. Generating a software bill of materials is up to your build system.\n\n## Try it yourself\n\nTo set up the integration, follow Lauterbach’s article [*How to Use CLion as Front-End for TRACE32*](https://support.lauterbach.com/kb/articles/how-to-use-clion-as-front-end-for-trace32). To try agents in CLion, download the [2026.3 version](https://www.jetbrains.com/clion/download/) and learn more in the [Air documentation](https://www.jetbrains.com/help/air/air-in-ides-overview.html). \n\nIf you want to evaluate CLion for your team, use the CLion trial version or [request a demo](https://www.jetbrains.com/clion/get-in-touch/).\n\n#### Subscribe to CLion Blog updates", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/webinar-recap-agentic-debugging-of-embedded-systems-with-clion-and-trace32-r", "canonical_source": "https://blog.jetbrains.com/clion/2026/11/webinar-recap-trace32/", "published_at": "2026-11-12 10:16:24+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-11-12 12:24:56.162010+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["ai-agents", "agent-protocols", "developer-tools", "ai-tools"], "entities": ["JetBrains", "Lauterbach", "CLion", "TRACE32", "JetBrains Air", "Junie", "Claude Code", "Codex"], "also_reported_by": [], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/webinar-recap-agentic-debugging-of-embedded-systems-with-clion-and-trace32-r", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/webinar-recap-agentic-debugging-of-embedded-systems-with-clion-and-trace32-r.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/webinar-recap-agentic-debugging-of-embedded-systems-with-clion-and-trace32-r.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/webinar-recap-agentic-debugging-of-embedded-systems-with-clion-and-trace32-r.jsonld"}}