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Welcome to the latest Python on Microcontrollers newsletter! July 4th came in with a bang! Not the US fireworks or the British election, but a quiet roar from the folks at Raspberry Pi, who released a new version of Pi OS. And speaking of new releases, CircuitPython 9.1 is very close with a new beta. I hear Bluetooth for ESP32-S3 is getting love. PyCon Europe is this week, it should be fabulous, and catch the released videos from PyCon US. And much more as usual for your perusal. – Anne Barela, Editor
We’re on Discord, Twitter, and for past newsletters – view them all here. If you’re reading this on the web, subscribe here. Here’s the news this week:
CircuitPython 9.1.0 Beta 4 Has Been Released
CircuitPython 9.1.0-beta.4 is a new beta for CircuitPython 9.1.0, and is a new unstable release. This release still has a small number of known bugs that will be addressed before 9.1.0 final – Adafruit Blog and Release Notes.
New Raspberry Pi OS Release Brings Many UI Improvements and New Settings
The Raspberry Pi Foundation on July 4th released new updates to their Debian-based Raspberry Pi OS operating system for the Raspberry Pi single-board computers, adding numerous UI improvements and new settings. The new Raspberry Pi OS releases, versioned 2024-07-04, update the panel and the PCManFM file manager with support for customizing more than two desktops. The panel also received support for customizing the labwc Wayland window-stacking compositor, which is now installed by default as an alternative to Wayfire – 9to5Linux and Downloads.
Second Edition of Get started With MicroPython on Raspberry Pi Pico Released
Raspberry Pi has released the second edition of the book Get started with MicroPython on Raspberry Pi Pico. It’s got many updates, including two chapters on Pico W. In those new chapters, there are both WiFi and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) projects – LinkedIn, Raspberry Pi News, and Order.
PyCon US 2024 Videos Are Being Released
The PyCon US 2024 team has released 59 videos from the talks at the conference. There are still 95 due to drop “soon” including the CircuitPython talk by Jeff Epler – YouTube.
PyCon US 2024 Tutorials – Juliana Karoline de Sous: Introduction to MicroPython: Getting Started with BBC micro:bit – YouTube.
Radomir Dopieralski (@deshipu) – Program Robots with CircuitPython – YouTube.
Creating File Bundles for Adafruit Playground Notes
CookieCutter Playground Bundle is a GitHub Actions workflow demo for creating CircuitPython project bundles to use with “Download Project Bundle” buttons in Adafruit Playground guides – Adafruit Blog and GitHub.
Hello World Magazine #24 Out Now: Impact of Tech (free download or buy hardcopy)
Hello World issue 24, published by Raspberry Pi, features ideas from educators on how you can help young people think openly and critically about technology, from cybersecurity and green computing, to data literacy and of course AI – Raspberry Pi News and Download & Buy links.
10 Best Operating Systems for Raspberry Pi 5
Over the years, Raspberry Pi boards have taken over the DIY projects landscape and have become synonymous with the term SBC. But despite their standalone nature, one still needs an operating system to drive every mainline entry in the Raspberry Pi family.
Fortunately, there are a lot to choose from, as these tiny boards are compatible with a good number of operating systems. Having spent a long time tinkering with a RPi 5, here are ten of XDA’s favorite OSes you may use on the latest member of the popular Pi family – XDA.
New CircuitPython Videos From Professor John Gallaugher
Professor John Gallaugher of Boston College has released more educational videos for CircuitPython – YouTube.
This Week’s Python Streams
Python on Hardware is all about building a cooperative ecosphere which allows contributions to be valued and to grow knowledge. Below are the streams within the last week focusing on the community.
CircuitPython Deep Dive Stream
Last Friday, Tim streamed work on more BLE workflow integration.
You can see the latest video and past videos on the Adafruit YouTube channel under the Deep Dive playlist – YouTube.
CircuitPython Parsec
John Park’s CircuitPython Parsec was off last week due to the US holiday. Catch all the episodes in the YouTube playlist.
CircuitPython Weekly Meeting
CircuitPython Weekly Meeting for July 1, 2024 (notes) on YouTube.
Project of the Week: A PC aRGB Fan Controller
Mark Komus makes a homespun PC aRGB fan controller – X.
“What started with my needing a new CPU fan resulted in a new case with aRGB fans. My motherboard didn’t support aRGB so rather then buy a controller for $20 I spent $100 making my own! nRF52840 for BLE with level shifting logic running CircuitPython.”
Popular Last Week
What was the most popular, most clicked link, in last week’s newsletter? How To Get Started With ESP-NOW.
New Notes from Adafruit Playground
Adafruit Playground is a new place for the community to post their projects and other making tips/tricks/techniques. Ad-free, it’s an easy way to publish your work in a safe space for free.
It’s ALIVE! Cellular Automata on the NeoTrinkey! – Adafruit Playground.
News From Around the Web
The ViperIDE code editor has received updates – X and Project.
- New editor with a simple code completion
- Remote device access across internet (WebSocket/P2P)
- New look and feel, speed boost
- Adafruit CircuitPython support in addition to MicroPython support
- Mobile layout optimization. Android on the screenshot
MicroPython is ported to the Sega Dreamcast running KallistiOS (devs needed) – X.
The 2024 PSF Board Election is Open – PSF.
“It’s time to cast your vote! Voting is open starting today Tuesday, July 2nd, through Tuesday, July 16th, 2024 2:00 pm UTC. Check the Elections page to see how much time you have left to vote and see the nominees.
A small scrolling matrix display with Raspberry Pi Pico and MicroPython – X.
The Pi Cast (7/2) Writing Raspberry Pi benchmark tools in Python with Pieter from SkatterBencher – YouTube.
New Guide – Raspberry Pi 5: Getting Started by Jeff Geerling – YouTube.
How to control a LEGO Mindstorms kit with AI and a Raspberry Pi 5 – YouTube.
Making an IoT mailbox with Raspberry Pi Pico W and MicroPython – hackster.io.
Build your own AI Robot with a Raspberry Pi 4B (Intro to Python) – YouTube.
Wireless Weather Station V1 – using Raspberry Pi Pico and Pi Zero 2 W with MicroPython – Instructables.
Raspberry Pi Pico W and: MicroPython: a program to use an infrared IR remote in projects – YouTube.
Towards secure MicroPython on Morello (Work in Progress) – YouTube.
ImHex – a free, source available hex editor for programmers – Adafruit Blog.
Reviewing a dozen Raspberry Pi 5 cases – YouTube.
The definitive guide to protecting your home network from cyber threats with a Raspberry Pi – XDA.
New
BPI-M5 Pro: Banana Pi releases new Raspberry Pi alternative with optional metal enclosure – NotebookCheck.
SunFounder PiPower 3 kit is a UPS solution for the Raspberry Pi 5 and other SBC – CNX Software.
New Boards Supported by CircuitPython
The number of supported microcontrollers and Single Board Computers (SBC) grows every week. This section outlines which boards have been included in CircuitPython or added to CircuitPython.org.
This week there was one new board added and three more in progress.
Note: For non-Adafruit boards, please use the support forums of the board manufacturer for assistance, as Adafruit does not have the hardware to assist in troubleshooting.
Looking to add a new board to CircuitPython? It’s highly encouraged! Adafruit has four guides to help you do so:
New Learn Guides
Servo Boss from John Park
CircuitPython Web Workflow Code Editor Quick Start from M. LeBlanc-Williams
Adafruit Feather RP2040 Adalogger from Liz Clark
CircuitPython Libraries
The CircuitPython library numbers are continually increasing, while existing ones continue to be updated. Here we provide library numbers and updates!
To get the latest Adafruit libraries, download the Adafruit CircuitPython Library Bundle. To get the latest community contributed libraries, download the CircuitPython Community Bundle.
If you’d like to contribute to the CircuitPython project on the Python side of things, the libraries are a great place to start. Check out the CircuitPython.org Contributing page. If you’re interested in reviewing, check out Open Pull Requests. If you’d like to contribute code or documentation, check out Open Issues. We have a guide on contributing to CircuitPython with Git and GitHub, and you can find us in the #help-with-circuitpython and #circuitpython-dev channels on the Adafruit Discord.
You can check out this list of all the Adafruit CircuitPython libraries and drivers available.
The current number of CircuitPython libraries is 488!
Updated Libraries
Here’s this week’s updated CircuitPython libraries:
Library PyPI Weekly Download Stats
Total Library Stats
- 110412 PyPI downloads over 330 libraries
Top 10 Libraries by PyPI Downloads
- Adafruit CircuitPython Requests (adafruit-circuitpython-requests): 10622
- Adafruit CircuitPython BusDevice (adafruit-circuitpython-busdevice): 10108
- Adafruit CircuitPython ConnectionManager (adafruit-circuitpython-connectionmanager): 9455
- Adafruit CircuitPython Register (adafruit-circuitpython-register): 2449
- Adafruit CircuitPython DHT (adafruit-circuitpython-dht): 1718
- Adafruit CircuitPython ADS1x15 (adafruit-circuitpython-ads1x15): 1534
- Adafruit CircuitPython Pixelbuf (adafruit-circuitpython-pixelbuf): 1129
- Adafruit CircuitPython Wiznet5k (adafruit-circuitpython-wiznet5k): 1069
- Adafruit CircuitPython NeoPixel (adafruit-circuitpython-neopixel): 997
- Adafruit CircuitPython PCA9685 (adafruit-circuitpython-pca9685): 955
What’s the CircuitPython team up to this week?
What is the team up to this week? Let’s check in:
Dan
I’ve finished fixing BLE bugs for now for CircuitPython 9.1.0, and am looking at the remaining issues. I released CircuitPython 9.1.0-beta.4 last Wednesday for further testing. It has the BLE functionality we wanted to provide: BLE central and peripheral, and bonding and pairing. Thanks to Scott for finishing the implementation.
Jeff
I’m working on a guide for MP3 playback that will cover the recently added ability to stream MP3s directly from a web server on most Espressif-family WiFi MCUs with PSRAM, including ESP32, ESP32-S2 and ESP32-S3.
Scott
This is a short week for me. I’m sick too so I’m not getting a ton done. However, I’ve loaded the Matter specification PDF onto my eink tablet to read through it. I’m excited to dive back into home automation.
Liz
This week I worked on a product guide for the new Adafruit Feather RP2040 Adalogger. This is another RP2040 “bones” board with a microSD card slot on the back. This makes it easy to add data logging or removable storage to your project. The guide has pages for pinouts, power management, CircuitPython, Arduino, factory reset and resources for download.
Upcoming Events
EuroPython is the oldest and longest running volunteer-led Python programming conference on the planet. This year it will be held July 8-14 in Prague – EuroPython 2024.
The next MicroPython Meetup in Melbourne will be on July 24 – Meetup. You can see recordings of previous meetings on YouTube. The June 2024 Meeting Notes and Video.
PyOhio is being held July 27-28, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio – PyOhio.
Espressif DevCon24 will be held Sep 3-5, 13:00-18:00 CEST. Call for presentations now – Espressif.
Maker Faire Bay Area returns to Mare Island Naval Shipyard on October 18-20, 2024 – Maker Faire.
Send Your Events In
If you know of virtual events or upcoming events, please let us know via email to cpnews(at)adafruit(dot)com.
Latest Releases
CircuitPython’s stable release is 9.0.5 and its unstable release is 9.1.0-beta.4. New to CircuitPython? Start with our Welcome to CircuitPython Guide.
20240704 is the latest Adafruit CircuitPython library bundle.
20240625 is the latest CircuitPython Community library bundle.
v1.23.0 is the latest MicroPython release. Documentation for it is here.
3.12.4 is the latest Python release. The latest pre-release version is 3.13.0b3.
3,957 Stars Like CircuitPython? Star it on GitHub!
Call for Help – Translating CircuitPython is now easier than ever
One important feature of CircuitPython is translated control and error messages. With the help of fellow open source project Weblate, we’re making it even easier to add or improve translations.
Sign in with an existing account such as GitHub, Google or Facebook and start contributing through a simple web interface. No forks or pull requests needed! As always, if you run into trouble join us on Discord, we’re here to help.
38,105 Thanks
The Adafruit Discord community, where we do all our CircuitPython development in the open, reached over 38,105 humans – thank you! Adafruit believes Discord offers a unique way for Python on hardware folks to connect. Join today at https://adafru.it/discord.
ICYMI – In case you missed it
Python on hardware is the Adafruit Python video-newsletter-podcast! The news comes from the Python community, Discord, Adafruit communities and more and is broadcast on ASK an ENGINEER Wednesdays. The complete Python on Hardware weekly videocast playlist is here. The video podcast is on iTunes, YouTube, Instagram), and XML.
The weekly community chat on Adafruit Discord server CircuitPython channel – Audio / Podcast edition – Audio from the Discord chat space for CircuitPython, meetings are usually Mondays at 2pm ET, this is the audio version on iTunes, Pocket Casts, Spotify, and XML feed.
Contribute
The CircuitPython Weekly Newsletter is a CircuitPython community-run newsletter emailed every Monday. The complete archives are here. It highlights the latest CircuitPython related news from around the web including Python and MicroPython developments. To contribute, edit next week’s draft on GitHub and submit a pull request with the changes. You may also tag your information on Twitter with #CircuitPython.
Join the Adafruit Discord or post to the forum if you have questions.
