Experiment with new tools for MicroPython
At the end of last year (November 2022) we announced initial support for MicroPython in the Arduino ecosystem, and continued to quietly work on the toolkit for this language.
We continuously expand the list of Arduino boards for which a MicroPython firmware is provided (available here).
Additionally, we are now releasing new tools to help developers use this language with Arduino boards as well as third-party ones. These tools are released as experimental, under the umbrella of Arduino Labs.
Arduino Lab Editor for MicroPython
Arduino Lab Editor for MicroPython has now reached version 0.8 with these key features:
- Improved UI
- Better file management (subfolder support)
- More stable file-system operations for save/upload/download/run
- Manage libraries and modules more easily in the `lib` folder and keep a cleaner board storage
Arduino Lab Installer for MicroPython
Arduino Lab Installer for MicroPython is a new tool which simplifies the process of flashing the MicroPython firmware image on Arduino boards.
Last but not least, we have created an initial list of MicroPython packages that we consider useful to learn and experiment with this language. The list is published as Arduino MicroPython Package Index (here).
While investigating existing packages we quickly realized that many were available but not always up-to-date or in line with the latest MicroPython versions or certain target hardware. Therefore we decided to maintain a curated list of useful packages which are tested to be compatible with Arduino boards, and most importantly with updated versions of the official MicroPython.
You can browse the list, download the packages from their corresponding Github repository and install them via Arduino Lab Editor for MicroPython. We plan to release tools to easily search, download and install from this package index in the future.
Anybody can contribute to the Arduino MicroPython Package Index! If you want to propose a package to be added, follow the contribution guidelines published in the repo.
Everyone at Arduino is excited about this new adventure, and we believe that we can contribute to this ecosystem as it keeps maturing and growing its user-base across the Maker, Education and Professional spaces.
We can’t wait to see what you’ll build!