Perhaps the biggest benefit to using CircuitPython instead of other options like Arduino is that there is no IDE or programmer you need to purchase or install. In fact, when you plug in one of these devices, they show up as normal USB Mass Storage devices–that is, they look like thumb drives!
They have a text file named “main.py” on them that you can edit with any text editor (notepad, Emacs, etc.) or use an editor like Mu that has built-in Python syntax support, but is still just a text editor.
Why is this important? It means that you can let your end-user modify the system!
If you’re a programmer (even one like me who’s mad skills are NOT rooted in Python!), a mentor for a STEM club, a student on a Robotics team, or just want to learn an incredibly easy-to-use physical computing platform, we need your skills and effort!
Adafruit is very supportive of the AT community! Current and future products and guides will keep AT needs in mind, just like our recent ported pressure sensor, great for sip/puff use.
Adafruit publishes a wide range of writing and video content, including interviews and reporting on the maker market and the wider technology world. Our standards page is intended as a guide to best practices that Adafruit uses, as well as an outline of the ethical standards Adafruit aspires to. While Adafruit is not an independent journalistic institution, Adafruit strives to be a fair, informative, and positive voice within the community – check it out here: adafruit.com/editorialstandards
Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on code.org, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, TinyGO, or even use the Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for CircuitPython, MakeCode, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand.
Have an amazing project to share? The Electronics Show and Tell is every Wednesday at 7:30pm ET! To join, head over to YouTube and check out the show’s live chat and our Discord!
Python for Microcontrollers – Adafruit Daily — Python on Microcontrollers Newsletter: New Python Releases, an ESP32+MicroPython IDE and Much More! #CircuitPython #Python #micropython @ThePSF @Raspberry_Pi
EYE on NPI – Adafruit Daily — EYE on NPI Maxim’s Himalaya uSLIC Step-Down Power Module #EyeOnNPI @maximintegrated @digikey
