Show HN: Modeloop – From visual algorithms to microcontroller C code | Hacker News Reader

Show HN: Modeloop – From visual algorithms to microcontroller C code

modeloop.app

46 pointslucamark30 comments

I wish that people would not use AI to generate copy or websites, at this point it induces an almost instinctual negative reaction: 'What Modelloop does -- in three movements' is a classical example of AI lingo. I don't have proof but I feel that the most recent models have gotten worse. The rhetorical devices they use are tiring and off-putting at this point.

Hi and thanks for the comment. Honestly, I spent most of my energy developing the code generation engine and the program interface instead of focusing on the landing page. I'll definitely redesign it and avoid AI-generated content.

Think of it this way: You are designing a complex and beautiful car and right before showing it to people you spraypaint it so it's not grey. It deserves better.

Totally agree with you! Just to be transparent—I like to be—this project was launched less than a month ago. It hasn't had an audience yet, which is why I haven't spent much time on the landing page.

For example, also the bouncing ball does not catch the real essense of Modeloop. Indeed, I will change it soon with a more control-oriented example :)

Edit: Changed the example on the landing page with a DC Motor controller

HN found the cursor bug faster than any QA team could. Cool idea though, who is the main user: students, makers, or embedded engineers?

Haha, you're absolutely right! I had some doubts about this mouse pointer style, but I never imagined it would be so hated. Lesson learned: keep stuffs simpler :)

Mostly unrelated, but what is going on with the "I specifically approve section ... of the terms and conditions" when you sign in without an account. Is this a new requirement somewhere?

Other than that, seems interesting! Simulink could always do with a competitor, although I'm always saying Simulink needs a text-based interface. Same signal flow programming model that supports scopes and continues time integrators, just with text instead of drag-and-drop.

To be legally binding and enforceable, they must be explicitly and individually approved by the user. Even when signing in as a guest/without an account, using the app creates a license agreement, so the clickwrap flow must legally capture this specific assent to protect the underlying engine's IP.

Regarding the needs a text-based interface, I totally agree with you! Most of the time you can create models directly within the terminal or with a simple script. That's why we actually provide a CLI that allows you to build and run models. You can initialize models, add blocks with parameters, connect ports, validate the graph, and trigger code generation all from the terminal. Nevertheless, we think the GUI is useful to review the model and inspect it graphically

Someone already mentioned the mouse cursor... is it supposed to be solved? Now I see... none, which is kind of pointless on desktop.

Yes Ale, different users commented and complained about the cursor pointer style. I fixed it :)

Hey, Embedded Dev here, i will suggest my team to use and i will test it out as well. but honestly i feel more than embedded developers it will be more useful for solution engineers who work with direct customers. Regardless i will my feedback here after testing it.

Uuh great! I will be honored to hear your feedback and that of your team. Just to clarify, the main users we see today are robotics, embedded, and control systems engineers. That said, I can also see it being useful for solution engineers working closely with customer-specific systems. I’d really value your feedback after you’ve tried it.

Please use the HN_PRO_2026 promo code to unlock more features :)

Does it support Imperial units?

I've seen slighly similar presentations in LabView and/or Matlab. How does your project compare to them?

First, thanks for the questions. Initially it can look like other model based design tools (like Simulink as you mentioned) but actually it is a vertical solution to deploy the algorithms into your embedded system.

Particularly, Modeloop allows developers to iterate on the design and test the solutions before putting on actual hardware.

In Modeloop there are basically two phases: 1) Mathematical verification: developers can insert contracts on the signals on the model design. These contracts specify the maximum and minimum range allowed for each variable. In the code generation phase, they are used to check that are no mathematical inconsistencies in the model. For example, code generation fails if you try to multiply inputs A ∈ [0,10] and B ∈ [0,20] and asserts C (C = A × B) ∈ [0,100]. 2) Testing: developers can not only perform model simulation with defined input profiles, but also they can make unit tests on subsystems - a container of different blocks . This makes the testing phase extremely rigorous.

On units: we do support metadata in the model, but I wouldn’t position it today as a full unit-aware workflow with automatic Imperial/SI conversion across the whole tool. If that part is important for your use case, I’m happy to understand more of it

If microcontroler a important for your project, I recommend to put a photo (or a graphic) of a microcontroler near the top of the front page. Otherwise it may be missed.

Hi from Argentina! 100% metric here, except for the water pipes and faucets. I still have nightmares about metric vs imperial screws when I was in a lab a few years ago. Anyway, I expect USA to be a big market for your project and they expect to see everything using the imperial system.

Good point! Today Modeloop mostly treats signals as numeric values with optional metadata.

I probably wouldn’t want Modeloop to automatically convert between SI and Imperial units inside the model, because that can make the behavior less explicit.

What I do think is useful is documenting that a certain signal represents speed in mph, temperature in degC, pressure in psi, etc. So the value stays exactly what the model defines, but the user and generated artifacts have clearer semantics about what each signal represents.

Please don't change my mouse cursor. It is unexpected; disorienting; it is unnecessary; there were probably more pressing areas to focus attention; if the project is successful at some point, you will wind up having to work on it again; and until then you will spend mental energy responding to or ignoring complaints about it.

Good luck.

Hi brudgers, thanks for the feedback. I had the same concern, so I will change it in the next few hours. Do you want to share other feedbacks about the product itself?

I don’t have meaningful product feedback because it is not a product for me…it is not in a category of software I am likely to use.

ookay, got it! It'll be used by control system engineers and embedded developers. It is likely you're not in these categories

To me, the degree of emphasis on developing a unique visual style should probably be commensurate with the norms of those professions.

But that’s just my opinion.

Makes sense. By the way, the Modeloop UI is clean and standard

woah that's awesome

can you explain what or how you used to make the onboarding flows? I like the simple UX intro, shows you what you can do, simple next and highlights the active screen

what do you call that type of UX and hows it made?

First of all thanks for trying the product and sharing your feedback! Really glad you liked the onboarding :)

I think the closest term is probably contextual onboarding or guided onboarding. This onboarding system is created around concrete real-world examples so users don't feel disoriented. The user starts from a working model and then the UI highlights the next meaningful step.

Technically it is a pretty minimal implementation without using external libraries - I generally avoid the use of libraries when possible. Given an example model, define a sequence of expected actions, store the current onboarding step in app state, and render a hint/highlight near the next control until the user completes that action. Then just optimize the transitions timing and appearance

nice one, thanks for that. The product definetly looks slick, but that onboarding style you made makes it feel premium for sure - I have seen that on many platforms in the past and always wondered, would love to be able to emulate that for my own projects as well.

Good luck with the dev and keep going hard.

For sure! Thanks again for noticing it and good luck with your projects as well :)

Hi Developers, I'm Luca, the creator of Modeloop. I've spent the last 18 months building, from scratch, a model-based design tool and today I'm finally opening the Open Beta.

Modeloop is a tool designed to generate code and deploy on embedded systems. The core idea behind this product is to create a vertical solution to design, test and iterate on the model faster, leveraging the modern software practices like Git. For this reason, Modeloop avoids vendor lock-in by saving model data as readable JSON rather than proprietary formats, making model reviews significantly easier. At its core, Modeloop is conceived with a developer-first mindset, focusing on delivering an optimal user experience. This approach comes from my personal experience working in the robotics and automotive industries where I've experienced firsthand the frustration of fighting with tool configurations. The software we use should be built to accelerate innovation, not spend all day setting the right parameters to make the tool work. This is why it is engineered to prioritize developer happiness by automating the complex under-the-hood operations, resulting in a cleaner UI/UX. There is still a lot to do, though.

Modeloop supports a comprehensive library of standard blocks and also Finite State Machines (FSM) for advanced diagram modeling. Within the engine, a mathematical consistency checker runs automatically, blocking code generation if any defined contracts in the model exhibit mathematical inconsistencies.

Furthermore, Modeloop features an integrated test harness that allows developers to test their models directly within the UI, supporting MIL (Model-in-the-Loop), SIL (Software-in-the-Loop), and PIL (Processor-in-the-Loop) simulations. This built-in Testing & Validation suite accelerates the production of testing and code generation artifacts—proving that verifying model logic isn't a separate project, but an intrinsic part of the design process that speeds up the V-model workflow.

As a solo-founder project, I don't yet have all the libraries or certifications of the industry giants. There are surely some edge-case code generation bugs I haven't hunted down yet. But the core engine is solid, fast and, honestly, a joy to use. There's a lot left to polish — my roadmap for the coming months is packed with improvements. Maybe too many, haha.

But… yes, the tool is in Beta. And I'd be thrilled to hear your feedback and take your criticism, however brutal it may be — in fact, I invite you to technically tear my design choices apart.

I'll be here in the comments all day to respond, but if you'd rather, you can DM me on Instagram (@_lucamark) or via mail (lucamarkdev@modeloop.app).

Enjoy, Luca Marchionna

P.s.: For the HN community, I've prepared a promo code to unlock functionalities through the Pro Plan. Once registered, please insert the promo code HN_PRO_2026 .

stop fucking with my scroll and mouse pointer (overriding mouse sensitivity is crazy)

Got it! I fixed the mouse pointer. Is there anything else you want to share?

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