Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Build Fails: “West not found”

Solution 1: Ensure Python virtual environment is set up:

onsemi: West: Setup Python Environment

Solution 2: To set path to West manually, add the path to virtual environment containing West:

Go to File → Preferences → Settings (or press Ctrl+,)
Search for: onsemi.venv.path
Set the value to the absolute path of your Python virtual environment folder (e.g., C:/workspace/zephyr/.venv)
Close the settings

Fig. 14 Setting the virtual environment path in VS Code settings

IntelliSense Not Working

Solution 1: Refresh IntelliSense configuration:

onsemi: IntelliSense: Refresh configuration

Solution 2: Try switching provider:

onsemi: IntelliSense: Switch Provider

Debugging Fails: “No Active ELF File”

Solution: Ensure your project is built and ELF file is detected:

Build your project: onsemi: Project: Build
Check status bar for active ELF indicator
If not shown, manually select: onsemi: Project: Select Active ELF
Or rescan: onsemi: Project: Rescan ELFs

Debug Configuration Not Found

Solution: Create a debug configuration using the Debug Configuration panel or manually create a launch.json file in the .vscode folder with a valid configuration.

Board Not Found

Solution: Update West workspace to fetch latest board definitions:

onsemi: West: Update Workspace

Toolchain Not Detected

Solution: Configure using the Configure Settings Panel UI (onsemi Studio Activity Bar → Configuration → Configuration Settings) or manually edit .vscode/settings.json:

{
  "onsemi.toolchain": "C:/path/to/toolchain"
}

Output Shows Certificate Errors

Solution: Configure custom certificate path:

{
  "onsemi.certificatePath": "C:/certs/corporate-ca.crt"
}

Or (not recommended):

{
  "onsemi.allowInsecureTls": true
}

J-Link GDB Server Not Found

Solution:

Verify J-Link software is installed
Add J-Link installation directory to system PATH
Or manually specify the path in Debug Configuration → Target Tab

Long Path Errors on Windows

Solution:

Enable “Copy Sample” option when importing applications
This copies the sample to a shorter path
Or enable long path support in Windows 10/11

West Commands Fail After Renaming Workspace

Solution:

If you manually rename the directory containing the .venv folder, West commands will fail because the virtual environment contains hard-coded paths.

To fix this:

Press Ctrl+Shift+P to open the Command Palette
Run: onsemi: West: Set Repository Path and select your renamed workspace
Run: onsemi: West: Setup Python Environment to recreate the .venv folder
Run: onsemi: West: Install Python Packages to install dependencies

Warning

Avoid renaming directories manually after setting up the workspace. If you must move or rename the workspace, use the commands above to recreate the virtual environment.