smp
Simple Management Protocol (SMP) for remotely managing MCU firmware
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, if you need to work with SMP protocol messages in Python. The library is actively maintained, has no known vulnerabilities, supports modern Python versions, and carries a permissive license. Install friction is low. The narrow scope (codec only, no transport) is intentional and appropriate—pair it with smpclient if you need full device communication.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires Python 3.9 or later; SMP itself handles only protocol serialization—transport (serial, BLE, UDP) requires smpclient library.
- Low install friction with a pure-Python wheel and four runtime dependencies.
- Active maintenance with a release 72 days ago and recent commits; supports Python 3.9 through 3.13.
License · maintenance · safety
Apache-2.0 (permissive) — Apache-2.0 permissive license allows use in most projects, including proprietary software, with minimal restrictions.
last release 2026-06-03 (72 days) · last repo commit 2026-07-20 · 22 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 304,287 downloads/mo, #7,806 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install smp
import smp
# Serialize/deserialize SMP messages using the library's codec functions
message = smp.encode(...) # encode SMP message
decoded = smp.decode(...) # decode SMP message- What specific SMP protocol version(s) this implementation targets or supports.
- Whether the library provides high-level message builders or only low-level codec functions.
- Performance characteristics or throughput limits for typical message sizes.
What it is and what it does
SMP is a Python implementation of the Simple Management Protocol, a specification for remotely managing MCU firmware. It handles the core serialization and deserialization logic needed to encode and decode SMP messages according to the protocol specification. The library depends on cbor2 for CBOR encoding, crcmod for checksum calculation, pydantic for data validation, and eval-type-backport for type support across Python versions.
The package is narrowly scoped to protocol codec functionality—it does not provide transport mechanisms (serial, Bluetooth, UDP). For end-to-end device communication, users typically pair it with smpclient (which adds transport layers) or smpmgr (a CLI tool). This separation of concerns makes smp lightweight and reusable in custom management applications.
Use it for
- Build custom firmware management tools that need to encode/decode SMP protocol messages for MCU communication.
- Integrate SMP protocol support into embedded device testing frameworks or CI/CD pipelines.
- Develop firmware update or diagnostic utilities that communicate with Zephyr-based or SMP-compatible embedded systems.
- Create protocol analyzers or packet inspectors for debugging SMP-based device management traffic.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, if you need to work with SMP protocol messages in Python.
The library is actively maintained, has no known vulnerabilities, supports modern Python versions, and carries a permissive license. Install friction is low. The narrow scope (codec only, no transport) is intentional and appropriate—pair it with smpclient if you need full device communication.
Install
smp on PyPI
Before you install
Low install friction with a pure-Python wheel and four runtime dependencies. Active maintenance with a release 72 days ago and recent commits; supports Python 3.9 through 3.13.
Requires Python 3.9 or later; SMP itself handles only protocol serialization—transport (serial, BLE, UDP) requires smpclient library.
License in practice
Apache-2.0 permissive license allows use in most projects, including proprietary software, with minimal restrictions.
Quickstart
pip install smp
import smp
# Serialize/deserialize SMP messages using the library's codec functions
message = smp.encode(...) # encode SMP message
decoded = smp.decode(...) # decode SMP messageVerify before relying
- What specific SMP protocol version(s) this implementation targets or supports.
- Whether the library provides high-level message builders or only low-level codec functions.
- Performance characteristics or throughput limits for typical message sizes.
Package facts
| License | Apache-2.0 permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.9 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 4 packagescbor2crcmodeval-type-backportpydantic |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 72 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 304,287 / month, #7,806 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | License :: OSI Approved :: Apache Software LicenseProgramming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9 |
Evidence: smp-4.1.0-py3-none-any.whl
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See also smpclient · smpmgr · u-msgpack-python · esphome · spsdk · avro-python3 · cbor · spsdk-mcu-link · lcm · foxglove-schemas-protobuf