Semihosting is a useful technology for communication between the host and the target. It allows for the use of standard I/O functions like printf() and the ability to read and write data on the host through the debug connection. This feature is particularly great for unit testing. To use semihosting with the Raspberry Pi Pico (RP2040), the pico_stdio_semihosting library must be linked to the application. The initialization code and configuration settings are provided in the article. The Cortex-Debug extension supports semihosting and specific launch settings are required. However, it is important to note that standard I/O semihosting can be intrusive. The article recommends using the McuSemihosting library for faster performance and additional features.
https://mcuoneclipse.com/2023/10/14/semihosting-with-vs-code-on-rp2040/