Test firmware in simulation before using hardware

Simantic lets agents run firmware against virtual devboards, with a reviewer checking results before any real board is needed.

Done with Custom agent· Intermediate· Oct 2026

What they did
Simantic gives agents programmable virtual devboards that can be launched from the terminal with a single API call. Behind that is a simulation engine the founders rebuilt in Rust after a Renode-based wrapper turned out to be too slow and too imprecise. A firmware reviewer agent uses the simulation output as evidence for design choices, and CI checks every commit against a simulated microcontroller.
How it went
The founders say checks that once took hours on physical devboards now finish in seconds. One early satellite startup used it to try firmware on hardware it did not have, at roughly 1% of the usual cost and time. Support is still limited to certain STM32, ESP32, and RP2040 models.
Tips
Confirm your chip is supported before trying to rely on the workflow. This is most useful when you need fast firmware validation without a board on your desk.

Try it yourself with Claude Code

I’m working on firmware for [board or microcontroller] and want to validate it without physical hardware. Set up a simulation workflow for my repo at [repo path], run the firmware in a virtual board environment, and check it against [specific behavior to verify]. Use the simulation results to review likely firmware issues such as timing bugs, register mistakes, or unsafe assumptions. If anything would require a destructive or irreversible action, stop and ask for my approval before proceeding. Finish with a clear pass/fail report and a short list of findings, and tell me whether my chip is supported before you start.

Fill in the [brackets]. Agents can make mistakes, so review anything before it is sent, paid or deleted.

Read the original on news.ycombinator.com ↗

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