March 2025 News Roundup

_posts/2025-03-26-March-2025-Meetup.md

@@ -0,0 +1,184 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: March 2025 Meetup
+---
+
+*Hank* shows off his latest doohickey. *Matt* delivers the news roundup.
+
+## News Round-up
+
+### Big ticket items
+
+#### New OpenMV Kickstarter: Two new cameras!
+
+![OpenMV Kickstarter](../images/2025-03/openmv_kickstarter_650.webp)
+
+OpenMV has announced a new [Kickstarter for the OpenMV N6 and
+AE3](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/openmv/openmv-n6-and-ae3-low-power-python-programmable-ai-cameras)!
+These are both exciting upgrades to the previous generation of OpenMV cams,
+using the new
+[STM32N6](https://www.st.com/en/microcontrollers-microprocessors/stm32n6-series.html)
+and [Alif Ensemble E3](https://alifsemi.com/ensemble-e3-series/), both are
+powerful micros and include support for HW accelerated ML - very useful for
+image processing!
+
+There is a lot to talk about with these cameras and co-founder Kwabena Agyeman
+has been in many interviews - see the [March OpenMV
+newsletter](https://mailchi.mp/e3b7185b4604/7f6kh54q7k-10343192?e=91a7329bf2)
+for a list of his appearances, including this interview with Damien:
+
+<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8sFRK_JXFv8?si=1wG-WipsNsrRZhje" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
+
+*Update*: The Kickstarter was fully funded (AU$80K goal) in a couple of days.
+
+**AU$~130** and **AU$~190** (AE and N6 respectively)
+
+---
+
+#### SparkFun <3 Python & MicroPython
+
+![SparkFun and MicroPython](../images/2025-03/sparkfun_micropython.jpg)
+
+SparkFun [recently annouced](https://news.sparkfun.com/13407) two new IoT RedBoards and a bunch of other hardware. More notably - for us at least! - is that they also announced a significant expansion of their software support...[47 new Python libraries that support Python and MicroPython](https://github.com/topics/sparkfun-python)!
+
+The libraries look to be quite high-quality and are all mip-installable. Great support from SparkFun!
+
+It's also worth noting that there have been some recent PRs for SparkFun boards...
+
+## Matt's New Hardware
+
+None this month (!).
+
+
+## Hardware News
+
+### STM32U3 series
+
+![STM32U3](../images/2025-03/stm32u3.jpg)
+
+ST [announced](https://newsroom.st.com/media-center/press-item.html/p4678.html)
+the new
+[STM32U3](https://www.st.com/en/microcontrollers-microprocessors/stm32u3-series.html)
+range of microcontrollers. Super low-power (10μA/MHz, twice the efficiency of
+the U5) but also powerful - a 96MHz Cortex-M33 core with 256KB RAM and up to 1MB
+flash. Throw in a couple of I3C interfaces low-power comparators, ULP timers and
+up to 82 GPIO and these are amazingly *meaty* for the power they consume.
+
+### Seeed Studio XIAO 6-Channel Wifi DC Relay
+
+![Seeed Studio 6-Channel Wifi Relax](../images/2025-03/seeed_6xrelay.png)
+
+Seeed Studio released a [6-channel
+Relay](https://www.seeedstudio.com/6-Channel-Wi-Fi-5V-DC-Relay-p-6373.html?goal=0_4b071a49e3-d3d210d176-49049373)
+powered by an ESP32-C6 XIAO. Handy piece of kit!
+
+**US$20**
+
+### Silicon Labs announces tiny BG29 microcontroller
+
+![Silicon Labs BG29](../images/2025-03/silabsbg29.png)
+
+For "Smart Teeth"!
+
+[Silicon Labs
+reveal](https://www.hackster.io/news/silicon-labs-unveils-the-tiny-bg29-bluetooth-low-energy-microcontrollers-for-smart-teeth-and-more-ad5a9b640c37)
+their **very** small (2.6x2.8mm) BLE-capable Cortex-M33 BG29. And it packs a
+punch, 77MHz, 256KB RAM, 1MB flash. They seem to be aiming it at medical
+applications but it looks generally useful to me!
+
+No pricing yet.
+
+---
+
+## Other news
+
+### You Should Build a Robot (MicroPython and MicroProcessors)
+
+[Sage Elliott](https://x.com/sagecodes) presented a compelling argument as to
+why you should build your own robot at PyCascades in Portland. With MicroPython,
+naturally!
+
+<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UygK5W3txTM?si=VusEXJo8YAHDIRJe" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
+
+### Pin IO performance - for Retro Computing goodness
+
+![XSK Cartridge Reader (before)](../images/2025-03/retro_cartridge_dumper1.jpg)
+
+
+[XSK](https://fosstodon.org/@xsk@treehouse.systems) started investigating Pin IO performance, trying to figure out how to optimise code in MicroPython for bitbanging. Turns out he was trying to create a reader for SNES cartridge ROMs - so IO perf was important! I pointed him toward Damien's [Writing fast and efficient MicroPython](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHec4qL00x0) and threw in a couple of other suggestions and off XSK went, delving into using mem32, thumb assembly and a few other methods. 
+
+Long story short, the time to read a 4MB cartridge was reduced from >2 *hours* to under 10 *minutes*. And it's [likely that it could be improved further](https://fosstodon.org/@xsk@treehouse.systems/114172059737285778).
+
+Fast transfers using Dupont wires and breadboards rarely end well - and so signal integrity also needed to be resolved:
+
+![XSK Cartridge Reader (after)](../images/2025-03/retro_cartridge_dumper2.jpg)
+
+Really interesting project!
+
+### Important LVGL bindings MR merged
+
+![LVGL Bindings](../images/2025-03/mp_lvgl.png)
+
+The long-standing [!341
+MR](https://github.com/lvgl/lv_binding_micropython/pull/341) in the LVGL
+Bindings repository was merged recently! Although deep in the weeds, this MR
+lays the foundation for an easier integration of LVGL and MicroPython by
+allowing the bindings to co-exist more smoothly as a standard C user module.
+
+It's still challenging to build MicroPython with LVGL support but this is a huge
+step in the right direction to simplifying the process. Stay tuned!
+
+### Pocket Spectrometer Update
+
+![Pocket Spectrometer](../images/2024-12/pocket_spectrometer.jpg)
+
+Chinna Devarapu updated - v2 - his excellent [Pocket
+Spectrometer](https://bsky.app/profile/chinnadevarapu.bsky.social/post/3ljy7a3es2c2t).
+
+The update makes it *much* easier to assemble the device with refined 3D prints
+and better connections between the parts.
+
+### Adding a battery to my Tulip
+
+![Tulip Batter](../images/2025-03/tulip_battery.jpg)
+
+[Andy](https://fosstodon.org/@ely_peddler@hachyderm.io) has a neat write-up on
+how he [added a battery to his
+Tulip](https://elypeddler.wordpress.com/2025/03/11/adding-a-battery-to-my-tulip/).
+
+An easy hardware mod - and the software already accommodates the feature!
+
+### Carlos Escobar Brings MicroPython to the MSX Family
+
+![MicroPython on the MSX](../images/2025-03/msx.png)
+
+Carlos Escobar [replaced the Z80 of the retro Japanese computer MSX with an
+RP2040](https://www.hackster.io/news/carlos-escobar-brings-micropython-to-the-msx-family-by-swapping-the-z80-for-a-raspberry-pi-pico-118f8f1a968b).
+It's a lovely - and technically *very* interesting! - update to the ye olde
+computer.
+
+---
+
+## Final Thoughts
+
+### Animation vs. Coding
+
+<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EFmxPMdBqmU?si=RIdeSu2aMDEYlgN7" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
+
+### DeepSeek hallucinates about Peter Hinch
+
+![Peter Hinch Hallucination](../images/2025-03/peter_h.png)
+
+In a [Github
+Discussion](https://github.com/peterhinch/micropython-samples/issues/46),
+MichaelMuckKremtz notes that his recent interaction with the LLM DeepSeek
+informed him all about a stepper motor driver that long-time MicroPython
+contributor Peter Hinch wrote. Which doesn't exist and never happened!
+
+### Intellisense Knows What We Need
+
+![Intellisense Knows What We Need](../images/2025-03/intellisense.webp)
+
+### Thanks folks!
+
+![MidJourney fun](../images/2025-03/snakes_taking_photos.png)