Connecting a Device

Guided Connect Flow

Click Connect Device in the sidebar (or run LogScope: Connect Device from the command palette). LogScope walks you through three steps:

Step 1: Select Transport

J-Link RTT - Real-Time Transfer via a J-Link debug probe. Recommended for development boards with built-in J-Link (all Nordic DKs). Non-intrusive, doesn’t use a UART peripheral.
Serial UART - USB CDC ACM or UART bridge. Works with any board that has a serial connection.

Step 2: Select Parser

Zephyr - For firmware using Zephyr’s LOG_INF/LOG_ERR/LOG_WRN macros. Parses timestamps, severity, module name, and message.
nRF5 SDK - For firmware using NRF_LOG_INFO/NRF_LOG_ERROR macros. Parses severity, module, and message (no device timestamps).
Raw - For any firmware. Displays output as-is with no parsing. Useful for printf-style debugging.

Step 3: Select Device

LogScope scans for available devices:

RTT: Lists all connected J-Link probes with serial numbers and target chip names
UART: Lists all serial ports with manufacturer info and port numbers

Select your device and LogScope connects automatically.

Reconnecting

After your first connection, LogScope remembers your device. The sidebar shows your last connection settings with a Reconnect button for one-click reconnection.

Auto-Connect

Enable logscope.autoConnect in VS Code settings to automatically connect to your last device when VS Code starts.

Changing Settings

Click Change Settings in the sidebar to modify:

Transport (RTT or UART)
Device (rescan for devices)
Baud Rate (UART only)
Parser (Zephyr, nRF5 SDK, or Raw)

Multiple Devices

If you have multiple J-Link probes or serial ports connected, LogScope lists all of them during device selection. Each device is identified by its serial number (RTT) or port path (UART).