CircuitPython[5] is an open-source derivative of the MicroPython programming language targeted toward students and beginners. Development of CircuitPython is supported by Adafruit Industries. It is a software implementation of the Python 3 programming language, written in C.[3] It has been ported to run on several modern microcontrollers.
 Logo of the Blinka library, a compatibility layer for CircuitPython | |
| Original author(s) | Adafruit Industries |
|---|---|
| Initial release | July 19, 2017[1] |
| Stable release | 9.0.4[2]  / 16 April 2024 |
| Repository | https://github.com/adafruit/circuitpython |
| Written in | C[3] |
| Platform | microcontroller and single-board computers using the Atmel SAMD21, Atmel SAMD51, Nordic nRF52840, STMicro STM32, and ESP32, ARMmicrocontrollers, from Adafruit, SparkFun, Arduino, Particle, Raspberry Pi and others |
| Type | Python implementation |
| License | MIT license[4] |
| Website | circuitpython |
CircuitPython consists of a Python compiler to bytecode and a runtime interpreter of that bytecode that runs on the microcontroller hardware. The user is presented with an interactive prompt (the REPL) to execute supported commands immediately. Included are a selection of core Python libraries. CircuitPython includes modules which give the programmer access to the low-level hardware of supported products as well as higher-level libraries for beginners.[6]
CircuitPython is a fork of MicroPython, originally created by Damien George.[7] The MicroPython community continues to discuss[8] forks of MicroPython into variants such as CircuitPython.
CircuitPython is targeted to be compliant with CPython, the reference implementation of the Python programming language.[9] Programs written for CircuitPython-compatible boards may not run unmodified on other platforms such as the Raspberry Pi.[10]
Usage
CircuitPython is being used as an emerging alternative solution for microcontroller programming, which is usually done in C, C++, or assembly. The language has also seen uptake in making small, handheld video game devices.[11][better source needed] Developer Chris Young has ported his infrared transmit-and-receive software to CircuitPython to provide interactivity and to aid those with accessibility issues.[12]
Community
The user community support includes a Discord chat room and product support forums.[13] A Twitter account dedicated to CircuitPython news was established in 2018.[14] A newsletter, Python on Hardware, is published weekly since 15 November, 2016 by Adafruit to provide news and information on CircuitPython, MicroPython, and Python on single board computers.[15] A Reddit subreddit, r/CircuitPython, provides news on CircuitPython and related news and projects and has about 3,000 members.[16]
Hardware support
The version 6.2.0 supports Atmel SAMD21 and SAMD51 microcontrollers from Microchip Technology,[17] nRF52833 and nRF52840 from Nordic Semiconductor, CXD5602 (Spresense) from Sony, and STM32 F4-series from STMicroelectronics.[18] Previous versions supported the ESP8266 microcontroller, but its support was dropped in version 4.[19] It also supports single-board computers like Raspberry Pi.
References
External links
- CircuitPython on GitHub
- MicroPython playlist on YouTube • Tutorials by Tony DiCola / Adafruit