SPSDK Plugins

SPSDK allows users to install additional plugins that integrate with and extend SPSDK's core functionality. These plugins enable specialized features while keeping the core codebase clean and focused.

Overview

The SPSDK plugins repository contains various extension modules that enhance SPSDK capabilities through a modular architecture. Each plugin follows standardized interfaces and provides specific functionality like debug probe support, cryptographic operations.

Repository: https://github.com/nxp-mcuxpresso/spsdk_plugins
PyPI Packages: All plugins are available on PyPI License: BSD-3-Clause

Available Plugins

Plugin	Description	Installation	License
PyOCD	Debug probe support via PyOCD	pip install spsdk-pyocd	BSD-3-Clause
J-Link	Debug probe support using PyLink library	pip install spsdk-jlink	BSD-3-Clause
MCU-Link	Support for NXP MCU-Link debug probes	Included with SPSDK by default	BSD-3-Clause
PE Micro	PE Micro debugger probe integration	pip install spsdk-pemicro	BSD-3-Clause
Lauterbach	Lauterbach debug probe support	pip install spsdk-lauterbach	BSD-3-Clause
PKCS11	PKCS#11 signature provider	pip install spsdk-pkcs11	BSD-3-Clause
PQC	Post-Quantum Cryptography support	pip install spsdk-pqc	BSD-3-Clause
Keyfactor	Keyfactor integration	pip install spsdk-keyfactor	BSD-3-Clause
PyLint Plugins	SPSDK-specific coding rules for PyLint	pip install spsdk-pylint-plugins	BSD-3-Clause
Offline Signature Provider	Offline signature provider	pip install spsdk-offline-signature-provider	BSD-3-Clause

Quick Start

1. Install SPSDK if not already installed:

pip install spsdk

2. Install desired plugin:

pip install spsdk-<plugin-name>

3. Verify installation:

nxpdebugmbox --help  # For debug probes

Installation Verification

After installing a plugin, you can verify it's properly integrated:

• For debug probes: nxpdebugmbox --help (check available interfaces)
• For signature providers: Use SignatureProvider.get_all_signature_providers() method in your code
• For PyLint plugins: ensure they appear in your PyLint configuration

New Plugin Implementation

Plugins installed in the Python environment are automatically discovered through entry points. SPSDK uses Python's entry points mechanism to detect and load plugins at runtime. The recommended approach is to use cookiecutter templates which provide a standardized structure and boilerplate code for new plugins.

Supported Plugin Types

Plugin Type	Entrypoint	Template Name	Base Class
Signature Provider	spsdk.sp	cookiecutter-spsdk-sp-plugin.zip	spsdk.crypto.signature_provider.SignatureProvider
Mboot Device Interface	spsdk.device.interface	cookiecutter-spsdk-device-interface-plugin.zip	spsdk.mboot.protocol.base.MbootProtocolBase
SDP Device Interface	spsdk.device.interface	cookiecutter-spsdk-device-interface-plugin.zip	spsdk.sdp.protocol.base.SDPProtocolBase
WPC Service	spsdk.wpc.service	cookiecutter-spsdk-wpc-service-plugin.zip	spsdk.wpc.utils.WPCCertificateService
Debug Probe	spsdk.debug_probe	cookiecutter-spsdk-debug-probe-plugin.zip	spsdk.debuggers.debug_probe.DebugProbeCoreSightOnly

Development Setup

1. Install development tools:

pip install cookiecutter

2. Choose the appropriate template based on your plugin type from the table above:

cookiecutter <spsdk_root>/examples/plugins/templates/<plugin_template>.zip

3. Follow the interactive prompts to configure your plugin such as:

   • Package name
   • Author information
   • Plugin description
   • Dependencies
   • Python version support

4. Implement your plugin functionality:

   • Modify the generated code skeleton
   • Add your custom implementation
   • Override required methods from the base class
   • Add any additional features needed

5. Install your plugin:

pip install -e <my_project_path>

Best Practices

• Follow the base class interface for your plugin type
• Follow SPSDK coding standards