PyCon 2023

This repo contains the CircuitPython Quickstart worksheets and example code for the PyCon 2023 CircuitPython Open Spaces! It also contains various additional content including slides for Kattni's Education Summit talk.

We'll be providing Circuit Playground Express boards for use during the CircuitPython Open Spaces. Getting started with it requires a micro USB to USB type A or C cable. We will have a number for use during the CircuitPython Open Spaces. Feel free to bring your own as well! Beware of charge-only cables, they will not work for programming a Circuit Playground Express!

We will be hosting Open Spaces every day at PyCon, April 21 - 23, 2023. We'll have this Quickstart available as a worksheet, including some examples on the back to get you started. This repo will have those examples and more available for you to try, play with, and modify. We'll also have some extras (servos, potentiometers and external NeoPixel strips) available for you to connect to the Circuit Playground Express.

The Adafruit Circuit Playground Express (CPX) has CircuitPython on board! It’s a Microchip SAMD21 microcontroller running at 48 MHz, with 256kb flash, plus a 2MB external flash chip for the CIRCUITPY USB drive. It’s loaded with sensors, LEDs, touch pads, buttons and more!

Check out these Adafruit Learn Guide Links!

Welcome to CircuitPython: http://adafru.it/cpy-welcome
CPB Guide: https://adafru.it/adafruit-cpx
CP Made Easy on CPB: https://adafru.it/cp-made-easy

Download the latest CircuitPython for Circuit Playground Express!

CircuitPython for CPX: https://circuitpython.org/board/circuitplayground_express/

Plug It In!

Use a micro-USB cable with data (beware charge/power-only cables). A USB drive called CIRCUITPY will appear. If there’s a code.py on CIRCUITPY, it will run automatically.

Auto-Reload

Every time you write a file, code.py will be re-run, unless you are in the REPL. Just edit code.py and see it run right away. This makes for a fast workflow.

Editing Code (Recommended Editors)

If you already have a favorite code editor, you can use it. Be sure you’re using one that writes back immediately: VS Code, Atom (install the fsync-on-save package), Sublime, gedit, vim with -n option, emacs, PyCharm with Safe Write. Don’t use Notepad, nano, IDLE. See Welcome->Advanced Setup->Recommended Editors for more details.

Another Editor Option

Mu is the easiest editor to use: it includes a Python editor and easy serial REPL access. See Welcome ->Installing Mu Editor. The latest version for Windows and Mac are available at https://codewith.mu. For Linux, or any OS, you can create a venv and use pip3 to install Mu: pip3 install --user mu-editor

Avoiding Filesystem Corruption

Windows and Linux don’t write back data to CIRCUITPY immediately: they can delay for 10s of seconds. (Not an issue on MacOS.) Eject or sync after you copy files, and always before you unplug or press the Reset button. Otherwise CIRCUITPY may become corrupted. See Editing Code (Recommended Editors) above, so you don’t need to Eject or sync every time you edit. If CIRCUITPY does get corrupted, see Restoring or Installing CircuitPython in this Quickstart.

Libraries

CircuitPython has built in native modules, but also has libraries written in Python (which are compiled into .mpy files to save space). The board has a lib folder containing all the necessary libraries for the provided examples. If you want to try more complex examples or use external accessories, you may need to download more libraries. If you try to run a program that requires a library not present on your board, the program will not complete - but you can check the serial console (see below) for more information. For details on getting libraries loaded on your CPB, see Welcome->CircuitPython Libraries.

Restoring or Installing CircuitPython

CircuitPython.org has the current version of the CircuitPython UF2 for the Circuit Playground Express. WARNING: In rare cases, this process can result in the loss of any files on the board - backup your files if possible first! To restore or update your board, double-tap the reset button found in the center of the board. The LEDs will flash red and then turn green, and you’ll see a CPLAYBOOT drive show up on your computer. Copy the .uf2 file to CPLAYBOOT. It will disconnect and the drive will disappear. A few seconds later, CIRCUITPY will reappear. If this does not resolve your issue, check out Welcome->Troubleshooting->To erase CIRCUITPY for instructions to fully erase the filesystem. The steps found here WILL erase everything on the board.

Connecting to the Serial Console

When your code produces an error, or you add a print statement to your code, the results are printed to the serial console. If you're looking for your printed data, or you're not getting the results you expect, try connecting to the serial console. It's great for debugging code!

The serial console and REPL are built into Mu - simply click the icon labeled “Serial”.

If not using Mu, you have a number of options.

On Windows, try Putty or Tera Term. See Welcome->Advanced Setup->Advanced Serial Console On Windows for more details.

On Mac and Linux, try screen, tio, or picocom, or any other terminal emulator you may already be using. Use tab completion for the paths on Mac /dev/tty.usbmodem* or Linux /dev/ttyACM* while entering screen commands. See Welcome->Advanced Setup->Advanced Serial Console on Mac and Welcome->Advanced Setup->Advanced Serial Console on Linux for more details.

To connect using screen on Mac:
- screen /dev/tty.usbmodem* 115200
To connect using screen on Linux:
- screen /dev/ttyACM0 115200

Interact with the REPL!

Once connected to the serial console, type Enter if necessary to start the REPL. If code.py is running, type ctrl-C, then press enter. Type ctrl-D to soft-restart and reload the serial console. The REPL works like a standard Python prompt. Try the following:

>>> 1+2
3

Beyond the Circuit Playground Express

There are currently 72 CircuitPython-compatible Adafruit boards. There are also a multitude of sensor breakouts, accessories, and more with CircuitPython support. If you’re interested in continuing your exploration, check out the Adafruit shop at adafruit.com. Use code PYCON2023 to get 10% off!

kattni/PyCon2023

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