Start here

EmbeddedCI has two parts. The BenchPod runs your tests on real hardware — flashing, power, UART, sensor emulation, and analog capture, driven from pytest or CI. EmbeddedCI Build is the cloud build pipeline that turns your source into firmware or images. Pick the track you need; most teams use both.

Already have a BenchPod?

Start here: plug it in over USB, install the CLI, find it with one command, and run your first test. About fifteen minutes from box to passing test.

Sent a pod that was already set up for you? Activate your account from the email you were given, and it will be waiting on your BenchPod page — the same guide covers it, with a couple of steps you get to skip.

Set up your BenchPod

Don't have one yet?

HIL tests run on real hardware, so you need a physical BenchPod wired to your board. Tell us what you're testing and we'll follow up with availability and pricing.

Request a BenchPod

BenchPod (hardware-in-the-loop)

Test firmware on a real board — locally or over the cloud from CI. This is our main product.

EmbeddedCI Build

Optional

A separate cloud pipeline that turns source into a reproducible firmware or Linux build. Independent of the BenchPod.

Quickstart: a HIL test

The fastest path is the pytest library: install it, wire one board to a pod, and point a test at it.

pip install "embeddedci[pytest]"     # Python 3.10+

# point a test at a pod on your LAN, a pod on USB, or a cloud device:
pytest --benchpod-connection=192.168.1.213 --benchpod-firmware=build/app.elf

The board's I/O voltage is set once in conftest.py rather than on the command line — see the pytest docs. Without a connection the hardware fixtures skip, so the suite stays green on runners with no pod. For a guided walkthrough, see the article Your First HIL Test in 15 Minutes.

New to hardware CI?

The Resources hub explains the concepts — what a BenchPod is, recording and replaying analog signals, running CI from GitHub Actions, and a DIY HIL series if you'd rather build your own rig.