Install and Setup¶

Everything you need to go from a blank terminal to a working nsx command — in about five minutes.

Required Tools¶

NSX generates CMake projects that cross-compile for Arm Cortex-M targets. Make sure the following are available on your PATH:

Tool	Version	Purpose
Python	3.10+	Runs the NSX CLI and module resolver
uv	latest	Fast Python dependency management
CMake	3.24+	Build-system generator
Ninja	any	Parallel build backend
Arm GNU Toolchain	13.x+	`arm-none-eabi-gcc` cross-compiler
SEGGER J-Link	7.x+	Flash firmware and stream SWO output

Tip

On macOS you can install most of these with Homebrew:

brew install python uv cmake ninja
brew install --cask gcc-arm-embedded segger-jlink

If you just want the nsx CLI as a standalone tool:

pipx install git+https://github.com/AmbiqAI/neuralspotx.git

This gives you:

Verify the install:

nsx --help
nsx doctor

nsx doctor checks your local toolchain — it will flag anything that's missing or misconfigured before you try to build.

Clone the repo and let uv handle the environment:

git clone https://github.com/AmbiqAI/neuralspotx.git
cd neuralspotx
uv sync

Activate the environment so nsx is available directly:

source .venv/bin/activate
nsx --help

Or, if you prefer not to activate, prefix every command with uv run:

uv run nsx doctor

Regardless of install method, run the built-in environment check:

nsx doctor

A clean run means Python, CMake, Ninja, the Arm toolchain, and J-Link are all reachable. Any missing tool is called out with a clear error message.

Working on the documentation site? Install the docs dependencies:

cd <nsx-repo>
uv sync --group docs
uv run --group docs zensical serve

Environment is ready — time to build your first app.