diff --git a/tools/pioasm/main.cpp b/tools/pioasm/main.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e7ff686
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/pioasm/main.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2020 Raspberry Pi (Trading) Ltd.
+ *
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
+ */
+
+#include <iostream>
+#include "pio_assembler.h"
+
+#define DEFAULT_OUTPUT_FORMAT "c-sdk"
+
+void usage() {
+    std::cerr << "usage: pioasm <options> <input> (<output>)\n\n";
+    std::cerr << "Assemble file of PIO program(s) for use in applications.\n";
+    std::cerr << "   <input>             the input filename\n";
+    std::cerr << "   <output>            the output filename (or filename prefix if the output format produces multiple outputs).\n";
+    std::cerr << "                       if not specified, a single output will be written to stdout\n";
+    std::cerr << "\n";
+    std::cerr << "options:\n";
+    std::cerr << "  -o <output_format>   select output_format (default '" << DEFAULT_OUTPUT_FORMAT << "'); available options are:\n";
+    for(const auto& f : output_format::all()) {
+        std::cerr << "                           " << f->name << std::endl;
+        std::cerr << "                               " << f->get_description() << std::endl;
+    }
+    std::cerr << "  -p <output_param>    add a parameter to be passed to the output format generator" << std::endl;
+    std::cerr << "  -?, --help           print this help and exit\n";
+}
+
+int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
+    int res = 0;
+    pio_assembler pioasm;
+    std::string format(DEFAULT_OUTPUT_FORMAT);
+    const char *input = nullptr;
+    const char *output = nullptr;
+    std::vector<std::string> options;
+    int i = 1;
+    for (; !res && i < argc; i++) {
+        if (argv[i][0] != '-') break;
+        if (argv[i] == std::string("-o")) {
+            if (++i < argc) {
+                format = argv[i];
+            } else {
+                std::cerr << "error: -o requires format value" << std::endl;
+                res = 1;
+            }
+        } else if (argv[i] == std::string("-p")) {
+            if (++i < argc) {
+                options.emplace_back(argv[i]);
+            } else {
+                std::cerr << "error: -p requires parameter value" << std::endl;
+                res = 1;
+            }
+        } else if (argv[i] == std::string("-?") || argv[i] == std::string("--help")) {
+            usage();
+            return 1;
+        } else {
+            std::cerr << "error: unknown option " << argv[i] << std::endl;
+            res = 1;
+        }
+    }
+    if (!res) {
+        if (i != argc) {
+            input = argv[i++];
+        } else {
+            std::cerr << "error: expected input filename\n";
+            res = 1;
+        }
+    }
+    if (!res) {
+        if (i != argc) {
+            output = argv[i++];
+        } else {
+            output = "-";
+        }
+    }
+    if (!res && i != argc) {
+        std::cerr << "unexpected command line argument " << argv[i] << std::endl;
+        res = 1;
+    }
+    std::shared_ptr<output_format> oformat;
+    if (!res) {
+        const auto& e = std::find_if(output_format::all().begin(), output_format::all().end(),
+                                     [&](const std::shared_ptr<output_format> &f) {
+                                         return f->name == format;
+                                     });
+        if (e == output_format::all().end()) {
+            std::cerr << "error: unknown output format '" << format << "'" << std::endl;
+            res = 1;
+        } else {
+            oformat = *e;
+        }
+    }
+    if (res) {
+        std::cerr << std::endl;
+        usage();
+    } else {
+        res = pioasm.generate(oformat, input, output, options);
+    }
+    return res;
+}
\ No newline at end of file