Specifying SVD Files - Marus/cortex-debug GitHub Wiki

The Cortex-Debug Extension uses System View Description (SVD) files to display information about the selected part, including the Cortex Peripherals view.

There are two options for specifying an SVD file:

1. Obtain the SVD file from your device manufacturer. For instance, with ST, using instructions at this link. Then in your launch.json, specify the location of the file using something like "svdFile": "./STM32F103.svd". Other vendors may ship SVD files when you install their SW or device pack.
2. Find and install the appropriate Cortex Debug Device Support Pack by searching "Cortex Debug Device Support Pack" in the Visual Studio Marketplace. Then in your launch.json, specify the device using "device": "STM32F103xx" or similar.

When using an external gdb server in your launch configuration, the device setting is not really used for anything else. Therefore getting the svd file direct from the MCU vendor and using svdFile to specify is recommended.

Background: https://github.com/Marus/cortex-debug/issues/288