---
title: "Captured source: External Busybar Firmware Github"
description: "Captured source: External Busybar Firmware Github Original ticket source file: external-busybar-firmware-github.md. !Banner with the '▶ BUSY Bar' logo on the left, the text 'Official Firmware Reposi…"
doc_version: 1
last_updated: 2026-10-17
canonical_url: "http://parc.yolo.scapegoat.dev/note/research/2026/08/03/busybar-communication-sources/external-busybar-firmware-github"
---

# Captured source: External Busybar Firmware Github

Captured source: External Busybar Firmware Github Original ticket source file: external-busybar-firmware-github.md. !Banner with the '▶ BUSY Bar' logo on the left, the text 'Official Firmware Reposi…

## Content

# Captured source: External Busybar Firmware Github

Original ticket source file: `external-busybar-firmware-github.md`.

![Banner with the '▶ BUSY Bar' logo on the left, the text 'Official Firmware Repository' beneath it, and a BUSY Bar
device on the right.](https://github.com/busy-app/busybar-firmware/raw/dev/.github/assets/dark_theme_banner.png)

## BUSY Bar Firmware

## Cloning

Ensure there is enough free disk space and clone the source code:

```
git clone --recursive https://github.com/busy-app/busybar-firmware.git
```

## VS Code integration

Run the following to generate the project configuration in the `.vscode` folder:

```
./fbt vscode_dist
```

Then open the workspace file (`.vscode/fbt.code-workspace`) in VS Code (File > Open Workspace from File...) and pick a
build task from the `Ctrl+Shift+B` menu. See the [Build System
documentation](https://github.com/busy-app/busybar-firmware/blob/dev/documentation/Build%20System.dox.md) for
additional options, such as selecting a language server.

## Building

To build the firmware, run:

```
./fbt
```

The build output is placed in the `dist/` folder. See the [Build System
documentation](https://github.com/busy-app/busybar-firmware/blob/dev/documentation/Build%20System.dox.md) for hardware
target selection and other build options.

## Flashing

### Using USB

With the device connected via USB and its virtual ethernet interface initialised, the firmware can be flashed with:

```
./fbt flash_usb
```

The `INTERCOM_FORCE_VERSION` variable may be used to override the intercom (Si917) version check when it differs from
the build — see the [Build System
documentation](https://github.com/busy-app/busybar-firmware/blob/dev/documentation/Build%20System.dox.md) for details.

### Using an in-circuit debugger (Main firmware only)

The SWD interface is not accessible on an assembled device — it has to be partially disassembled and the BSB debug
board attached. Connect an ST-Link or a CMSIS-DAP compatible debugger to the SWD pins on the debug board and run:

```
./fbt flash
```

### Resource provisioning

Resource files are required for correct firmware operation. They are included by default when flashing with `./fbt
flash_usb`, so this step is only needed when the firmware was flashed separately (e.g. via a debugger).

To build and upload the resources, run

```
./fbt resources_upload
```

while the device is connected via USB and its virtual ethernet interface is initialised.

## Project structure

- `applications` - Applications and services used in firmware
- `assets` - Assets used by applications and services
- `documentation` - Documentation generation system configs and input files
- `fbt_layers` - Build system layers
- `lib` - Custom and third-party libraries, drivers and tools
- `site_scons` - Build system configuration and modules
- `scripts` - Supplementary scripts and various python libraries
- `targets` - Firmware targets: platform specific code

Also, see `ReadMe.md` files inside those directories for further details.

## Documentation

The developer documentation is authored as Doxygen sources in the
[documentation](https://github.com/busy-app/busybar-firmware/blob/dev/documentation) folder. Render and view it by
running `./fbt doxy`.

### Documentation sources

The sources are `.dox.md` files, which are best read in the rendered Doxygen output. They can also be browsed directly:

- [Quick Start](https://github.com/busy-app/busybar-firmware/blob/dev/documentation/Quick%20Start.dox.md)
- [Concepts](https://github.com/busy-app/busybar-firmware/blob/dev/documentation/Concepts.dox.md)
- [Hardware](https://github.com/busy-app/busybar-firmware/blob/dev/documentation/Hardware.dox.md)
- [Firmware](https://github.com/busy-app/busybar-firmware/blob/dev/documentation/Firmware.dox.md)
- [Build System](https://github.com/busy-app/busybar-firmware/blob/dev/documentation/Build%20System.dox.md)
- [Contributing](https://github.com/busy-app/busybar-firmware/blob/dev/documentation/Contributing.dox.md)

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