Installation

From the VS Code Marketplace

1. Open VS Code
2. Go to the Extensions view (Cmd+Shift+X on macOS, Ctrl+Shift+X on Windows/Linux)
3. Search for “LogScope”
4. Click Install

Or install directly from the VS Code Marketplace.

From the Command Line

code --install-extension novelbits.novelbits-logscope

After Installation

LogScope adds a new icon to the VS Code Activity Bar (left sidebar). Click it to open the LogScope sidebar, where you can connect to a device and start viewing logs.

The first time you open LogScope, you’ll see a welcome view with:

• Connect Device button to start the guided connection flow
• Open Log Viewer to open the log viewer panel
• Get Started Guide to walk through the basics

Requirements

• J-Link RTT transport:
  • SEGGER J-Link Software and Documentation Pack — required so LogScope can discover and talk to your debug probe via libjlinkarm. Install from segger.com/downloads/jlink. The macOS installer places it under /Applications/SEGGER/JLink_V*/; the Windows installer under C:\Program Files\SEGGER\JLink_V*\.
  • Python 3 — LogScope automatically installs the required pylink-square package on first connect.
  • nrfutil 8.x (optional) — used for Nordic device auto-detection and reset commands. See the Nordic-only section below for the correct install steps.
• Serial UART transport: Requires Python 3. LogScope uses a Python helper for serial port communication.
• Drivers: No additional drivers needed beyond what your debug probe requires.

Nordic DK boards: install nrfutil 8.x

For Nordic DK boards, installing nrfutil 8.x enables automatic device discovery (LogScope can identify your nRF chip by part number without you typing the J-Link device name) and the in-app “Reset Device” action.

Two install steps are required:

1. Download nrfutil 8.x from nordicsemi.com/Products/Development-tools/nrf-util/download and add it to your PATH.
2. Install the device subcommand: nrfutil install device

Verify with nrfutil device device-info (note: that’s device twice, the subcommand bundle and the action). If that command works, LogScope’s Nordic auto-detect will pick up your board automatically.

Do not install the legacy nrfutil 6.x. The old pip install nrfutil package and the now-deprecated nRF Command Line Tools bundle ship nrfutil 6.x, which has a different command structure (nrfutil device-info without the second device) and is not compatible with LogScope’s auto-detect. If you’ve already installed it, you can remove it with pip uninstall nrfutil.

What if I don’t install nrfutil?

LogScope still works without nrfutil. The connect flow falls back to a CPUID-based core detection (Cortex-M33, Cortex-M4, etc.) which is fine for generic boards but may fail to find RTT on chips whose memory map differs from the generic core defaults (some custom Nordic boards, certain STM32 variants). If you hit a “Memory read failed” error on connect, set the exact J-Link device name in VS Code settings (logscope.jlink.device, e.g., NRF54L15_M33) and reconnect.