Embroid
Embroid Basic · Always-on node

Keep your hardware bench online, controlled, and ready to run.

A compact hardware node with switched USB, power control, serial capture, GPIO triggers, local control surfaces, and optional cloud coordination — so your bench stays available even when your laptop is closed.

Request Basic accessCompare productsAlways-on hardware node
Embroid Basic hardware — front and back views of a compact node with orange bumpers, USB ports, and DC inlet.
What it is

A dedicated node that replaces the spare-PC bench setup.

Basic is a compact always-on hardware bridge for one bench. It takes the place of the repurposed laptop or shoebox PC that's currently hosting your USB hub, JTAG probe, and power switch. Front-panel indicators show power, network, lease status, and error state at a glance.

  • Hardware bridge for one bench — not a shared lab hub.
  • Boots straight into a local control experience. No account needed for core workflows.
  • Cloud relay, history, and team features are optional add-ons, not requirements.
What's included

Everything you need to run real hardware workflows

2 downstream USB-C ports
USB passthrough mode
Independently switched power
Low-voltage trigger output
3–4 GPIO lines
2 UART channels
Wi-Fi
Local web UI · MCP · CLI · REST
One active workflow at a time
Optional cloud onboarding
01

Replace the spare-PC bench setup

Leave Basic connected so the bench remains available without relying on a laptop that sleeps or reboots.

02

Control the physical layer

Switch USB, reset targets, cut power, control low-voltage outputs, capture serial, and trigger GPIO — all from one node.

03

Run one workflow at a time

A local job queue and one active lease keep access clear, predictable, and conflict-free.

04

Work locally or connected

Use local UI, CLI, MCP, and REST without an account — or enable cloud coordination for remote access and team workflows.

05

Scale to Pro when the lab grows

Move to Pro when you need more targets, more debug channels, scheduling, accessories, and richer observability.

Port map

A dedicated node for one bench.

Everything you need to drive a single bench from one small node — USB, power, serial, triggers, and status all on board.

USB
  • 2× downstream USB-C data
    Target devices, debug probes, or vendor adapters.
  • 1× upstream USB-C host passthrough
    Attach to a workstation when you want pure passthrough mode.
  • Switchable USB-C power out
    Drive or cut VBUS to a connected target.
Power & triggers
  • Barrel-jack DC input + switched DC output
    For targets with their own supply rails.
  • Low-voltage trigger / relay output
    Drive external relays, wireless mains accessories, or custom rigs.
  • 3–4 GPIO lines
    Reset, boot-mode, or custom signaling.
Serial & status
  • 2× UART channels
    Capture firmware logs from two interfaces concurrently.
  • Wi-Fi
    No Ethernet required — connect to bench wireless.
  • Status lights
    Power, network, lease/activity, error state visible from across the room.
Local-first operation

Works even when the cloud does not.

Local UI, CLI, MCP, REST, power control, job execution, logging, and recovery remain fully available without an Embroid account. Cloud connection adds remote relay, richer history, and team features — but it does not own the device.

  1. 01Local mode — reach the bench over your LAN, no account required.
  2. 02Connected mode — opt in to the cloud for remote access, team coordination, and synced history.
  3. 03Passthrough mode — attach Basic to a workstation and use it as a smart USB/power fixture.
# Local mode — same surface as Client
$ embroid devices list
$ embroid power cycle nrf52-04
$ embroid flash nrf52-04 ./firmware.bin
$ embroid serial tail nrf52-04
Duty cycle

The bench earns its keep around the clock.

The same Basic node serves agent-driven development during the day and fills idle hours with scheduled regression and release work — Embroid coordinates whose turn it is.

Active development

A human or agent holds a lease and drives the bench end-to-end.

  • Flash, run, observe, iterate
  • Local MCP for agent loops
  • Live serial and power streams
Always-on validation

Between active sessions, Basic runs scheduled and triggered workflows on the same hardware.

  • Nightly regression sequences
  • Release smoke tests on every tag
  • On-call field debug — wake the bench remotely
Scope

Basic is one bench, not a shared lab.

Basic runs one workflow at a time under a single active lease. It is designed for one-bench reliability, not multi-user coordination.

  • One active lease / workflow at a time — if the bench is in use, the next operator queues locally.
  • Two UART / debug channels and a modest GPIO count — enough for typical single-target work, not advanced parallel validation.
  • Wi-Fi only — use Pro if you need wired Gigabit Ethernet or WPA Enterprise on lab networks.
When to upgrade

When to upgrade to Pro.

Explore Pro
  • Multiple engineers need access to the same devices with scheduling, queueing, and resource locking.
  • You need more serial / debug channels to validate across several targets in parallel.
  • The lab network requires wired Gigabit Ethernet or WPA Enterprise authentication.
  • You need richer local history, evidence capture, and audit trails across jobs.
  • You want accessory expansion for thermal, camera, CAN / RS485, logic capture, or sensor workflows.
Related

Solutions built on Basic

Remote hardware access

Give remote teammates controlled access to one bench.

CI hardware testing

Run firmware validation against a dedicated always-on bench.

Factory and field triage

Capture reproducible evidence from a deployed bench.

Best for

Who Embroid Basic is designed for

  • One bench
  • Small teams
  • Remote debugging
  • Always-on hardware access
Embroid Basic

Ready to try Embroid Basic?

A compact hardware node with switched USB, power control, serial capture, GPIO triggers, local control surfaces, and optional cloud coordination — so your bench stays available even when your laptop is closed.

Request Basic accessCompare productsLogin →