# encode

`station__helix__encode` · external (needs EXECUTION_BACKEND_URL configured) · domain `helix` · pv-relevance `non-pv`

Encode a concept through all 5 helix turns. Given a concept name and its primitives, returns the encoding at each altitude: what symbols compose it (turn 0), how conservation constrains it (turn 1), which laws govern it (turn 2), how it changes (turn 3), and whether it serves mutualism (turn 4).

> **Note:** This tool routes through an external execution backend. If `EXECUTION_BACKEND_URL` is unset on the server, calls return JSON-RPC error `-32603 "Tool execution backend not configured"`. Tools with `backend: native` execute in-process and are always callable.

## Agent metadata

- `idempotent`: unknown
- `read_only`: unknown
- `expected_latency_ms`: unknown (not yet contract-tested)
- `cost_tokens_estimate`: unknown

## Input schema

- `concept` *string* (required) — The concept to encode (e.g., 'signal detection', 'drug safety', 'team coordination')
- `primitives` *array* (required) — T1 primitives composing this concept (e.g., ['ν', '∂', 'ς', 'κ'])
- `boundary` *number* (required) — ∂ score for this concept [0,1]
- `state` *number* (required) — ς score for this concept [0,1]
- `void` *number* (required) — ∅ score for this concept [0,1]

## Example call

```json
POST /api/mcp
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "id": 1,
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "name": "station__helix__encode",
    "arguments": {
      "concept": "",
      "primitives": [],
      "boundary": 0,
      "state": 0,
      "void": 0
    }
  }
}
```

## Related

- [/tools](/tools) — all 3062 tools
- [/tools/helix__encode](/tools/helix__encode) — HTML page
- [/tools/helix__encode/json](/tools/helix__encode/json) — JSON form (agent-friendly)
- [/api/mcp](/api/mcp) — endpoint
- [/AGENTS.md](/AGENTS.md) — agent guide