How to configure Chrome to work with the Web Serial API?

Configuring the Google Chrome browser to work with the Web Serial API unlocks unique possibilities for direct interaction between web pages and hardware devices connected via a serial port. This technology blurs the line between traditional desktop programs and modern websites, allowing you-to control microcontrollers, evaluation boards, and peripherals directly from the browser window.

To activate this feature, you need to use the hidden developer menu. Type the service command chrome://flags in the Chrome address bar and press Enter to open the page with all available experimental browser flags.

At the top of the page, find the search bar and enter the query Web Serial. The search results will display the required system flag Web Serial API, for which you will need to manually change the status from Disabled to Enabled.

Like most modern powerful web security technologies, the Web Serial API requires strict adherence to secure connection rules. Your web application or local test server must run over the HTTPS protocol; otherwise, the browser will programmatically block attempts to access input/output ports.

In practice, this software interface is actively used by developers and engineers to create convenient IoT-style development environments. You can write code for Arduino, ESP32, or other microcontrollers in the browser, flash them, and monitor incoming logs through the serial port without installing bulky software.

To implement the connection in the page code, an asynchronous method of requesting a port and subsequently opening a connection with specified data transfer rate parameters is used. In this case, the user sees a standard system device selection dialog, which guarantees complete control over hardware access.