Programming with MicroPython

Book on Kindle

• Book website
  • errata, examples, updates, etc.

Contents

1. What is MicroPython?
2. Pyboard
3. BBC micro:bit
4. Adafruit Circuit Playground Express
5. ESP8266/ESP32
6. Thinking Embedded
7. Visual Feedback
8. Input and Sensing
9. GPIO
10. Networking
11. Sound and Music
12. Robots
13. Idiomatic MicroPython
14. Next Steps

Resources

Code

• GitHub for code samples
• MicroPython GitHub
• dfu-util updating utility
• BBC micro:bit Python editor on GitHub
• Web-based BBC micro:bit Python editor
• Mu Editor for Python cross-platform, beginner level but very capable opensource code editor
• ESP tool on GitHub for ESP8266/ESP32
• WebREPL tool for ESP8266/ESP32 on MicroPython's website
• download WebREPL for offline use
• IoT Development Framework for ESP8266/ESP32

Devices

• PyBoard
  • currently unavailable
• BBC micro:bit
  • ordered from Amazon on 22 Aug 2022
  • arrived on 23 Aug 2022
• Adafruit Circuit Playground Express
  • ordered from ElectroMaker on 22 Aug 2022
  • in same order, 2 @ Pimoroni Tiny2040 boards (MicroPython capable)
• ESP8266/ESP32
  • several already on hand

Other Books & References

• Python Language
• MicroPython Project
• MicroPython documentation & tutorials
• BBC micro:bit Project
• BBC micro:bit MicroPython tutorial
• First Steps with BBC Micro:bit
• Calliope Project
• Adafruit Learn
• Adafruit Circuit Playground Express
• Adafruit CircuitPython docs & tutorial
• Getting Started with Circuit Playground
• ESP32 datasheet
• Think Python shareware ebook
• Whirlwind Tour of Python in 10-day free trial of O'Reilly learning platform]

Community

• Python Software Foundation

Common Acronyms & terms used in Python & MicroPython

• REPL
  • Read, Evaluate, Print, Loop
  • "It's what you get when you type python from the command line and see three chevrons (>>>) prompting you to do some interactive Python programming."
• WebREPL
  • Browser-based REPL used to communicate with ESP8266/ESP32 boards via local Wifi
• microfs
  • tool that uses the USB serial connection for working with the filesystem in MicroPython
• PWM
  • Pulse Width Modulation
  • a way to make digital signals emulate analog, by rapidly turning on and off while also controlling the time the voltage is on or off
• duty cycle ratio
  • Because power is only applied [to digital devices] when the duty cycle is on, the average power delivered to the device is the duty cycle ratio multiplied by the "on" time.

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