VS Code Copilot Integration

Goal: Query your industrial data from within VS Code.

---

Prerequisites

• VS Code with GitHub Copilot extension
• Copilot Chat enabled
• OpenIndustrial workspace with warm queries
• API key with appropriate scopes

---

Step 1: Install MCP Extension

1. Open VS Code Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X)
2. Search for "MCP Tools"
3. Install the official MCP extension
4. Reload VS Code

---

Step 2: Configure MCP Server

1. Open VS Code settings (Ctrl+,)
2. Search for "MCP"
3. Click "Edit in settings.json"
4. Add your OpenIndustrial server:

{
  "mcp.servers": {
    "open-industrial": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@openindustrial/mcp-server",
        "--workspace", "YOUR_WORKSPACE_ID",
        "--token", "YOUR_API_TOKEN"
      ]
    }
  }
}

---

Step 3: Verify Connection

1. Open Copilot Chat (Ctrl+Shift+I)
2. Type: @mcp list tools
3. You should see your warm queries listed

---

Step 4: Query Your Data

In Copilot Chat, use the @mcp prefix:

@mcp What's the average temperature from the last hour?

Copilot will:

1. Identify the relevant warm query tool
2. Execute it with parameters
3. Return results in the chat

---

Use Cases for Developers

Debugging with Real Data

@mcp Show me the last 10 error events from device T-07

Get real error data while debugging device communication code.

Writing Documentation

@mcp What fields does the production-metrics query return?

Document your data schemas based on actual query shapes.

Code Generation

@mcp What's the structure of device telemetry?
I need to write a TypeScript interface for it.

Generate type definitions from real data structures.

---

Example Workflow

1. Query current state:

   @mcp What's the current status of Line 2?
   

2. Understand the data:

   @mcp What metrics are available for production lines?
   

3. Generate code:

   Based on those metrics, write a function that calculates OEE
   

4. Validate against real data:

   @mcp Run the OEE calculation for Line 2 last shift
   

---

Multi-Tool Queries

Copilot can combine multiple MCP tools:

@mcp Compare temperature readings from sensors T-01 and T-07
and tell me if there's a significant difference

---

Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution
Tools not appearing	Reload VS Code, check extension is active
@mcp not recognized	Ensure MCP extension is installed
Authentication errors	Verify token in settings.json
Slow first query	MCP server initializing; subsequent queries faster

---

Security

• Store tokens in VS Code settings (local to your machine)
• Use environment variables for shared team configs
• Create dedicated token for VS Code usage
• Review audit logs periodically

---

Next Steps

If you want to...	Go to...
Connect Claude Desktop	Claude Desktop →
Build custom client	Custom Clients →
Understand MCP protocol	MCP Overview →