A modern environment for your IBM i systems. With or without AI.

Discover

/ Introduction

Modern technologies have changed developer expectations.

IBM i runs the core of the enterprise through its reliability.

Between the two, a shared experience is missing.

You keep your software architectures. We modernize the experience of your IBM i teams. With or without AI.

Carbon400 in Visual Studio Code

VS Code Carbon/400
ORDERS.RPGLE 
01**free
02ctl-opt dftactgrp(*no) actgrp(*caller);
03dcl-s customerId char(10) inz('C400012');
04dcl-s orderStatus varchar(24);
05dcl-s orderTotal packed(11:2);
06dcl-ds OrderRow qualified;
07  id int(10);
08  status varchar(24);
09  total packed(11:2);
10end-ds;
11exec sql set option commit = *none;
12exec sql
13  select status, total
14    into :orderStatus, :orderTotal
15    from orders
16   where customer = :customerId
17   fetch first 1 row only;
18if sqlcode = 0;
19  dsply ('Order ' + orderStatus);
20else;
21  dsply ('Customer not found');
22endif;
23exec sql
24  declare c1 cursor for
25    select id, status, total
26      from orders
27     where customer = :customerId
28     order by created_at desc;
29exec sql open c1;
30dow sqlcode = 0;
31  exec sql fetch next from c1 into :OrderRow;
32  if sqlcode <> 0;
33    leave;
34  endif;
35  monitor;
36    callp publishOrder(OrderRow);
37  on-error;
38    dsply ('Publish failed');
39  endmon;
40enddo;
41exec sql close c1;
42*inlr = *on;
43return;
TN5250 / 24 x 80
MAIN IBM i Main Menu System: PROD400
Select one of the following:
1.User tasks 2.Office tasks 3.General system tasks 4.Files, libraries, and folders 5.Programming 6.Communications 7.Define or change the system 8.Problem handling 9.Display a menu 10.Information Assistant options 11.IBM i Access tasks 90.Sign off
Selection or command
===> GO CARBON400
F3=Exit F4=Prompt F9=Retrieve F12=Cancel F13=Information Assistant
F23=Set initial menu
MA 20/059
× 0 △ 0 main IBM i: PROD400 CCSID 37
RPGLE UTF-8 Spaces: 2

/ Environment

Several roles, one environment.

A shared native Rust core behind the whole experience. Direct and lightweight, it talks to your IBM i infrastructure without an intermediary. Developers use it in their IDE, while the rest of your teams use a standalone app, available as desktop or self-hosted web. Cross-platform compatible (Windows, Linux, macOS), with one-click workstation installation.

  • 5250 Emulator Native 5250, Multi-session, TLS/mTLS, EBCDIC/CCSID, ACS/HOD import A native 5250 protocol, encrypted with TLS 1.2/1.3, with optional mTLS (PKCS#11/#12). Open as many sessions as needed, side by side or detached from the IDE; themes, shortcuts, hotspots and colorblind mode are configured per profile. Import HOD from ACS and switch from one IBM i to another in one click. Preview
  • IFS/QSYS Explorer IFS files, QSYS objects, Source members, SSH/SFTP All of IBM i in one tree: IFS, QSYS objects and source members. Edit, compare, search inside content, manage objects and members, with native SSH/SFTP. Preview
  • DDS Studio Drag & drop, Live preview, Outline, DDS validation Create and edit your 5250 screens with drag and drop: attributes and indicators in a panel, DDS code generated and updated in real time, live preview on every change. The pre-compile checker reports DDS collisions and errors before anything is sent to IBM i, inline in code and on the preview. From the outline, select a format or field to highlight it on both sides, even when hidden by an indicator (ghost preview). SDA is removed from IBM i 7.6: screen design continues here, and has never been simpler. Preview
  • Db2 for i Client Native Rust, TLS, SQL autocomplete, Schema Browser, Visual Explain A native Db2 client, connected directly to the IBM i Host Server. Nothing to install on the system side, TLS support, configurable port. Run queries from the editor or the Db2 panel: autocomplete, scripts, parameterized queries. Results grid: sort, filters, CSV/JSON/INSERT export, content previews (XML, JSON, PDF...), comparison. Schema Browser, DDL and INSERT generation, QSYS2 system queries and Visual Explain. Preview
  • IBM i Languages Syntax highlighting, Advanced outline, IntelliSense All your IBM i languages in one editor (RPG, CL, DDS, COBOL...). Syntax highlighting across all languages, with an Okabe-Ito colorblind-friendly palette. IntelliSense for RPGLE, CL, DDS and SQL: contextual completion, snippets and documentation. A complete, detailed source outline: the full structure of a member (procedures, subroutines, fields...), plus a keyboard shortcut to jump to any symbol. Preview

Join the ecosystem.

Two paths depending on your context: try the beta or frame a guided pilot with the Carbon/400 team.

You want to try it.

Public beta. Terminal and DSPF available immediately. Db2 and MCP on request. No commitment, no sales call.

Join the beta

You are equipping an IBM i team.

A 30-day pilot with a Carbon/400 engineer: 5 to 10 developers, test LPAR, written summary.

Schedule a pilot
/ AI & MCP

“We do not just give AI context: we give it a real, visible, controlled IBM i environment.”

/ AI & MCP

One shared environment for humans and AI

Carbon/400 gives AI structured access to a real IBM i environment: visible 5250 screen, system feedback and authorized actions. The assistant observes, acts inside the defined scope and leaves a verifiable trace.

/ AI & MCP

Granular isolation scoped for AI

MCP configuration exposes granular rights: documentation, observation, mutation, visible session, profiles, libraries, autonomy and execution strategy. Each level opens precise tools to the model, without turning IBM i access into a global or implicit permission.

Documentation

Documentation and reasoning, with no access to your code or infrastructure.

Understand before acting: AI explains, documents and prepares scenarios without touching the system.

Observation

Read-only access to your systems to guide diagnosis in a precise context.

See without changing: AI reads profiles, connections and the 5250 screen to guide diagnosis.

Mutation

Authorized actions inside a controlled scope, with execution, verification and audit.

Act under control: AI navigates, executes and verifies every action in a traceable frame.

Configured privileges, preserved approval

MCP can be configured with privileges usable by AI, but that configuration remains a user decision. Even when an assistant helps generate the configuration, adding or changing an MCP server still goes through client and user approval. The LLM cannot modify its own rights alone to create privilege escalation.

About.

We are a small team with a strong product culture, shaped by varied projects across a wide range of technologies.

After working in the IBM i ecosystem, we chose to put our modern development experience to work for this historic architecture: enrich the environment without distorting it, and give IBM i teams tools that are more direct, more readable and more pleasant to use.

Ben & Theo Carbon/400