How do I install the Hardware skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add sipeed/hardware in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

What does the Hardware skill do?

Read and control I2C and SPI peripherals on Sipeed boards (LicheeRV Nano, MaixCAM, NanoKVM). It is listed under Coding & Dev Tools on SkillMD.

Is Hardware safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. Capability flags: docs only. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Hardware?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Hardware free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

Who published Hardware?

sipeed (@sipeed) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Hardware by sipeed — Agent Skill

Name: Hardware
Rating: 4.2 (5 reviews)
Author: sipeed

File contents

Hardware (I2C / SPI)

Use the i2c and spi tools to interact with sensors, displays, and other peripherals connected to the board.

Quick Start

# 1. Find available buses
i2c detect

# 2. Scan for connected devices
i2c scan  (bus: "1")

# 3. Read from a sensor (e.g. AHT20 temperature/humidity)
i2c read  (bus: "1", address: 0x38, register: 0xAC, length: 6)

# 4. SPI devices
spi list
spi read  (device: "2.0", length: 4)

Before You Start — Pinmux Setup

Most I2C/SPI pins are shared with WiFi on Sipeed boards. You must configure pinmux before use.

See references/board-pinout.md for board-specific commands.

Common steps:

Stop WiFi if using shared pins: /etc/init.d/S30wifi stop
Load i2c-dev module: modprobe i2c-dev
Configure pinmux with devmem (board-specific)
Verify with i2c detect and i2c scan

Safety

Write operations require confirm: true — always confirm with the user first
I2C addresses are validated to 7-bit range (0x03-0x77)
SPI modes are validated (0-3 only)
Maximum per-transaction: 256 bytes (I2C), 4096 bytes (SPI)

Common Devices

See references/common-devices.md for register maps and usage of popular sensors: AHT20, BME280, SSD1306 OLED, MPU6050 IMU, DS3231 RTC, INA219 power monitor, PCA9685 PWM, and more.

Troubleshooting

Problem	Solution
No I2C buses found	`modprobe i2c-dev` and check device tree
Permission denied	Run as root or add user to `i2c` group
No devices on scan	Check wiring, pull-up resistors (4.7k typical), and pinmux
Bus number changed	I2C adapter numbers can shift between boots; use `i2c detect` to find current assignment
WiFi stopped working	I2C-1/SPI-2 share pins with WiFi SDIO; can't use both simultaneously
`devmem` not found	Download separately or use `busybox devmem`
SPI transfer returns all zeros	Check MISO wiring and device power
SPI transfer returns all 0xFF	Device not responding; check CS pin and clock polarity (mode)

---name: hardwaredescription: Read and control I2C and SPI peripherals on Sipeed boards (LicheeRV Nano, MaixCAM, NanoKVM).---# Hardware (I2C / SPI)Use the `i2c` and `spi` tools to interact with sensors, displays, and other peripherals connected to the board.## Quick Start```# 1. Find available busesi2c detect# 2. Scan for connected devicesi2c scan (bus: "1")# 3. Read from a sensor (e.g. AHT20 temperature/humidity)i2c read (bus: "1", address: 0x38, register: 0xAC, length: 6)# 4. SPI devicesspi listspi read (device: "2.0", length: 4)```## Before You Start — Pinmux SetupMost I2C/SPI pins are shared with WiFi on Sipeed boards. You must configure pinmux before use.See `references/board-pinout.md` for board-specific commands.**Common steps:**1. Stop WiFi if using shared pins: `/etc/init.d/S30wifi stop`2. Load i2c-dev module: `modprobe i2c-dev`3. Configure pinmux with `devmem` (board-specific)4. Verify with `i2c detect` and `i2c scan`## Safety- **Write operations** require `confirm: true` — always confirm with the user first- I2C addresses are validated to 7-bit range (0x03-0x77)- SPI modes are validated (0-3 only)- Maximum per-transaction: 256 bytes (I2C), 4096 bytes (SPI)## Common DevicesSee `references/common-devices.md` for register maps and usage of popular sensors:AHT20, BME280, SSD1306 OLED, MPU6050 IMU, DS3231 RTC, INA219 power monitor, PCA9685 PWM, and more.## Troubleshooting| Problem | Solution ||---------|----------|| No I2C buses found | `modprobe i2c-dev` and check device tree || Permission denied | Run as root or add user to `i2c` group || No devices on scan | Check wiring, pull-up resistors (4.7k typical), and pinmux || Bus number changed | I2C adapter numbers can shift between boots; use `i2c detect` to find current assignment || WiFi stopped working | I2C-1/SPI-2 share pins with WiFi SDIO; can't use both simultaneously || `devmem` not found | Download separately or use `busybox devmem` || SPI transfer returns all zeros | Check MISO wiring and device power || SPI transfer returns all 0xFF | Device not responding; check CS pin and clock polarity (mode) |

Frequently asked questions

Hardware