Summary of ARDUINO BRINGS A MICROPYTHON IDE
Arduino Lab for MicroPython is a standalone application designed to edit and upload MicroPython code to Arduino boards via serial port. It features file management capabilities and supports ESP8266-based boards. While currently experimental without syntax checks, it provides a beginner-friendly environment for high-level microcontroller programming, distinct from the traditional Arduino IDE extension approach.
Parts used in the Arduino Lab for MicroPython:
- Arduino Lab for MicroPython app
- Serial port connection
- ESP8266-based boards
- C libraries
Both Arduino and MicroPython are giants when it comes to the electronics education area, and each one of them represents something you can’t pass up on as an educator. Arduino offers you a broad ecosystem of cheap hardware with a beginner-friendly IDE, helped by forum posts explaining every single problem that you could and will stumble upon. MicroPython, on the other hand, offers a powerful programming environment ripe for experimentation, and doesn’t unleash a machine gun fire of triangle brackets if you try to parse JSON slightly incorrectly. They look like a match made in heaven, and today, from heaven descends the Arduino Lab for MicroPython.
This is not an Arduino IDE extension – it’s a separate Arduino IDE-shaped app that does MicroPython editing and uploads code to your board from a friendly environment. It works over a serial port, and as such, the venerable ESP8266-based boards shouldn’t be be left out – it even offers file manager capabilities! Arduino states that this is an experimental effort – it doesn’t yet have syntax checks, for instance, and no promises are made. That said, it already is a wonderful MicroPython IDE for beginner purposes, and absolutely a move in the right direction. Want to try? Download it here, there’s even a Linux build!
High-level languages let you build projects faster – perfect fit for someone getting into microcontrollers. Hopefully, what follows is a MicroPython library manager and repository! We’ve first tried out MicroPython in 2016, and it’s come a long way since then – we’ve seen quite a few beginner-friendly MicroPython intros, from a gaming handheld programming course, to a bipedal robot programming MicroPython exploration. And, of course, you can bring your C libraries with you.
Source: ARDUINO BRINGS A MICROPYTHON IDE
- Is this an Arduino IDE extension?
No, it is a separate application shaped like the Arduino IDE. - Does the software support ESP8266-based boards?
Yes, it works over a serial port and includes these boards. - What file management feature does the app offer?
It offers file manager capabilities. - Does the current version include syntax checks?
No, syntax checks are not yet included as it is an experimental effort. - Can users bring their own C libraries to the project?
Yes, users can bring their C libraries with them. - Is there a Linux build available for download?
Yes, a Linux build is available for download. - How does MicroPython compare to C regarding syntax errors?
MicroPython avoids complex parsing errors like machine gun fire of triangle brackets.
