9.1. General

9.1.1. What is the difference between CCStudio™ for VS Code and CCStudio™ IDE?

CCStudio IDE is TI's primary development environment for TI processors. It is built upon TI's proprietary debug stack and is more feature rich.

CCStudio for VS Code is intended for users who wish to use stock VS Code and then add extensions from different vendors. It uses OpenOCD & GDB/LLDB as the debug stack. It is currently more feature limited than CCStudio IDE, however it does have StartHub/Resource Explorer, SysConfig integrated. It also includes enhanced Memory and Disassembly views. The build environment is also different, consisting of CMake and Ninja in VS Code.

Device support in the 1.0.0 release is limited to MSPM0, MSPM33, AM13xx, CC23xx, CC27xx and CC35xx. Device support will continue to grow as will the feature set. The goal is to have feature parity across both environments.

9.1.2. Does CCStudio for VS Code install SysConfig or any compilers by default?

Unlike CCStudio IDE, CCStudio for VS Code does NOT come with any compilers or SysConfig versions. It is assumed that the required (version of the) tools are installed in the default "ti" directory (ex: C:ti). Hence ensure that the necessary tools are installed and available.

With StartHub and Resource Explorer, the user can install the SDK from within CCStudio for VS Code. The SDK's should check for and install required dependencies such as the correct versions of the compiler and SysConfig. However this is not guaranteed. Hence if you wish to try installing from StartHub, please ensure all dependencies are resolved after the SDK is installed.

9.1.3. I want to restart CCStudio for VS Code with a fresh environment. How do I do this?

CCStudio for VS Code installs dependent tools and caches many files inside the user's home folder. Clearing out this content can be helpful to resolve instability issues. All the content is in the CCSVSC folder that can be found in:

  • Windows: <user-home>\AppData\Local\Texas Instruments\CCSVSC

  • Linux: <user-home>/.config/Texas Instruments/CCSVSC

  • macOS: <user-home>/Library/Application Support/Texas Instruments/CCSVSC

Deleting this folder causes CCStudio for VS Code to recreate it and re-download/install all the necessary dependent tools the next time it starts, the same as a first-time install. See Installation and Setup for what to expect during this process.

Note that deleting the folder does not remove the various CCStudio related VS Code extensions, only the additional dependent tools.

9.2. AI Integration

9.2.1. What should I know about data privacy when using AI agents with CCStudio for VS Code?

CCStudio for VS Code processes your code and queries locally. When you send queries to an AI agent, the data handling depends on your configuration:

  • Third-Party Providers: Your queries and code are transmitted to the third-party AI model provider you have configured (such as Anthropic, OpenAI, or others). Texas Instruments does not act as an intermediary in these communications.

  • Locally Hosted Models: If you configure a locally hosted AI model, your queries and code remain on your local network and are not sent to external providers, providing enhanced data privacy.

For comprehensive details about data flow, privacy considerations, and information about locally hosted models, please refer to the Data Privacy and Information Handling section in the AI Coding Assistants chapter.

9.2.2. Does CCStudio for VS Code provide free AI model access, or do I need my own?

You must have existing access to an AI model — whether through a subscription, API key, or other means. Texas Instruments does not provide any AI model access, API keys, subscriptions, or credentials for any providers.

9.2.3. Do I need to have git installed?

Yes. Git is required for supported AI agents to manage the local repository that it uses to store the conversation history and other relevant data. If Git is not installed, the agent will not be able to function properly. Please install Git and make sure it is added to your system's PATH environment variable.

9.3. Projects

9.3.1. When I try to open my SysConfig (.syscfg) file, I get an incompatibility warning with a recommendation to update my SysConfig version. Is my current version not supported?

Your current version is still supported for building the project — this warning only affects opening the file in the SysConfig GUI editor.

If the version of SysConfig used by the project is earlier than v1.29.0, the below prompt may appear when attempting to open the SysConfig (.syscfg) file in the SysConfig GUI editor:

_images/ccsvsc_project-sysconfig-warning_01.png

If you choose Yes, the project will be migrated, and if necessary (i.e. you do not have SysConfig v1.29.0 or higher on your system) the required version will be automatically downloaded and installed. If you choose No, your project will not be migrated, and you will see a secondary dialog with further information on downloading standalone SysConfig to view your .syscfg files in a GUI editor.

_images/ccsvsc_project-sysconfig-warning_02.png

As noted in the warnings, an upgrade is needed only to view the .syscfg file in the GUI editor. It does not impact building of the project.