View this email in your browser. Warning: Flashing Imagery
Welcome to the latest Python on Microcontrollers newsletter! Apologies for the newsletter not being out last week. A nasty early case of Influenza A. At least there were many neat developments in the last two weeks.
CircuitPython is jumping from 10.3 to 11.0 with the addition of many improvements from CircuitPython Turbo. This includes speedups on single-board computers using optimizations in the Blinka compatibility layer. How can Bluetooth reach space and back when it struggles over a few feet? The folks at Hubble Network have figured it out and that may make the internet of things a much easier, connected environment. Espressif heard the concerns with the ESP32-P4 and is releasing an ESP32-P4X with many improvements, at the cost of needing redesigns in circuit boards.
All of the news and more in this packed issue. Enjoy and please consider getting your vaccinations. – Anne Barela, Editor
We’re on Discord, Twitter/X, BlueSky and for past newsletters – view them all here. If you’re reading this on the web, please subscribe here. Here’s the news this week:
CircuitPython 11.0.0-alpha.1 Released
CircuitPython 11.0.0-alpha.1 is the new alpha release for CircuitPython 11.0.0. Further features, changes, and bug fixes will be added before the final release of 11.0.0. CircuitPython 11 is now planned to be the next stable release after 10.3.x, instead of 10.4.0. There may be further 10.3.x releases for critical bug fixes if needed. CircuitPython libraries from the 10.x bundles are still compatible with CircuitPython 11.0.0 builds – Adafruit Blog and release notes – GitHub.
Highlights of changes since 10.4.0-alpha.2
import now also looks for filename.<arch>.mpy architecture-specific machine-code files.hmac and hardwarekey modules.- Isochronous USB IN support.
- RP2350
alarm module.
- Firmware size reductions.
- Zephyr dynamic pin assignment.
Incompatibility warnings when upgrading to 11.0.0 from 10.x.x
- The broadcom, litex, and renode ports have been removed.
Hubble Network Allows Bluetooth Devices to Connect to Satellites
Hubble’s satellite network lets any Bluetooth device connect directly to orbit with just a software update. Cellular covers about 15% of Earth’s landmass, and tracking anything beyond that has meant satellite hardware costing $25 or more per device. Hubble brings connectivity under 50 cents per device, which changes the math for billions of internet of things (IoT) devices – X.
Adafruit quickly posted a design to be Hubble-compatible: “We’re giving our ESP32-C6 Feather a Hubble-friendly respin: w.FL, an edge-launch SMA, and a lil jumper cable. Bring a suitable antenna. No external power amp needed” – X.
ESP32-P4 Is Now ESP32-P4X Starting At Revision 3.x
Espressif is releasing revision 3.x of the ESP32-P4 as the “P4X.” It runs at 400 MHz (up from 360 MHz), includes power fixes, and resolves an issue in revision 1.x chips: their hardware H.264 encoder only accepts the O_UYY_E_VYY pixel format, which almost no cameras output. That forces a slow software conversion that defeats the purpose of hardware acceleration, and it likely explains why CSI camera support never worked in ESPHome. The supply chain is now waiting for the new P4 chips to be available in quantity – Home Assistant.
Raspberry Pi Raises Prices Again on Two Configurations
The Raspberry Pi 4 2GB version is now up to $67.50 USD while the Raspberry Pi 5 2GB is at $77.50 USD. That’s a $12.50 increase in this round of pricing updates due to the RAM pricing situation in the industry – Phoronix. Via X.
Related: Raspberry Pi posts record first-half revenue as shipments and profit surge – yahoo!finance.
CircuitPython Gets 5GHz WiFi on ESP32-C5
CircuitPythonista Anecdata posts “With fresh support for the ESP32-C5, CircuitPython now has 5GHz WiFi capability for Stations, Access Points, and monitor mode. It is interesting to see packets on channel 14 in the US.” – Mastodon and GitHub.
ESP-Vim Brings Vim to ESP32 Microcontrollers
ESP-Vim, a project by Omwah, turns Vim into the firmware itself on ESP32 microcontrollers rather than a program running under an operating system. The device boots directly into the editor on an attached display, with filesystem access, git support, and MicroPython for light scripting. It requires an ESP32-S3 or P4 board with 16 MB of flash and at least 8 MB of PSRAM. Compatible boards include the S3 variant of the Cheap Yellow Display. A Bluetooth keyboard handles input – Hackaday.
This Week’s Python Streams
Python on Hardware is all about building a cooperative ecosphere which allows contributions to be valued and to grow knowledge. Below are the streams within the last week focusing on the community.
CircuitPython Deep Dive Stream
Last Friday, Scott streamed work on LLM PR polish with crit.md.
The week before, Scott streamed work on Adaboot.
You can see the latest video and past videos on the Adafruit YouTube channel under the Deep Dive playlist – YouTube.
CircuitPython Parsec
John Park’s CircuitPython Parsec this week is on surviving sensor drop with Try/Except – Adafruit Blog and YouTube.
Catch all the episodes in the YouTube playlist.
Deep Dive with Tim
Last week, Tim streamed work on CircuitPython USB Host Software Defined Radio – FM & Ham.
The week before, Tim worked on CircuitPython USB Host Camera.
You can see the latest video and past videos on the Adafruit YouTube channel under the Deep Dive playlist – YouTube.
Project of the Week: PyPortal Flyover Viewer
Bob Hammell has made a visualization for the Adafruit PyPortal displaying an animated flyover between any two locations (US only). Overhead aerial imagery captured along the route scrolls continuously across the screen, producing an uninterrupted, ever-changing view of the passing terrain using CircuitPython – GitHub and hackster.io.
Popular Two Weeks Ago
What was the most popular, most clicked link, in the last newsletter? The $15 board everyone recommends now costs $60, so here’s what to buy instead.
Did you know you can read past issues of this newsletter in the Adafruit Daily Archive? Check it out.
Notes from Adafruit Playground
Adafruit Playground is a place for the community to post their projects and other making tips/tricks/techniques. Ad-free, it’s an easy way to publish your work in a safe space for free.
Adafruit Marquee allows you to visually create interfaces for e-paper/eink displays without writing any code, storing images or fonts, or rendering graphics directly on the device. Marquee is an Adafruit Playground Experiment and is still in active development. Features may change, break, or be removed without notice – Adafruit Playground.
Meshtastic-compatible full stack for CircuitPython – Adafruit Playground.
AIR PRO: a Pip-Boy style air quality monitor with Qualia S3 and SEN66 – Adafruit Playground.
News From Around the Web
ColecoJam is a ColecoVision emulator for the Adafruit Fruit Jam. The project includes the emulator, a cartridge reader and a 3D printed case (video includes title screen in the upcoming release) – Dan The Geek. Via BlueSky.
The new book Build Smart Projects with the XIAO ESP32-C3 Board by Dr. Günter Spanner uses MicroPython to take readers from their first experiments with the board to more advanced projects – Elektor.
Raspberry Pi OS: A Complete Guide to the New Control Centre – RaspberryTips. Via BlueSky.
Python 3.15 was scheduled for October 1 and should arrive any day. The final release candidate is already out, and the feature set is frozen, so now is a good time to see what the new version has in store for you. Real Python has a tutorial on the new features – Real Python.
Animate a Halloween skeleton with Python — Raspberry Pi Book of Making 2027 – Raspberry Pi News.
“It’s so fun to teach Physical Computing at Boston College. Last night was capacitive touch where students made living plants talk like Baby Groot when tapped, and accelerometers where they made magic wands and Goblets of Glory that play sound when tilted for a toast. All in CircuitPython.” – Mastodon.
Raspberry Pi’s RAM lock was built to stop scalpers, but it’s blocking repairs too – TechSpot.
Yakroo108 turned a broken projector into an interactive floor, reusing the optical system and adding a Raspberry Pi, camera and computer vision with Python – X.
Jane Street CTO: “Everyone knows some Python… lots of people aren’t any good at it.” – efinancialcareers.
A button that sends Command+Shift+3 using MicroPython – DEV.
Mass microcontroller ADC test: ATmega328P, ESP32, ESP32-S2, ESP32-C5, RP2040, RP2350, SAMD21, SAMD51, RA4M1, NRF52840, STM32, IMXRT1062 and more – Instructables.
How to turn a Python script into an AI agent – KDnuggets.
Building a voice-controlled hardware system with Python and Termux – sitepoint.
Mi-Hole is a lightweight DNS filtering and monitoring appliance built on the ESP32-S3 and MicroPython – GitHub and YouTube.
Motorizing a Shelly camera: Pan-tilt control with the ESP32 and MicroPython – Draeger IT. (German)
Move to Play: Belt motion controllers for a two-player Raspberry Pi game – Instructables.
Turn text input into actions with Needle, a 14MB function-calling LLM for Raspberry Pi 5 – Raspberry Pi News.
Seven advanced Python tricks to level up your coding skills – KDnuggets.
New
OpenArm, a 7-DOF open-source robot arm, is controlled by software running on a Linux PC (Ubuntu 22.04/24.04) and communicating using SocketCAN. The open-source software stack includes C++ and Python CAN-FD libraries, ROS 2, MoveIt2 configurations for bimanual operation, and Dora nodes for data collection and teleoperation – GitHub and YouTube. Via CNX.
Avaota F2 is the first SBC based on an Allwinner V861 dual-core 64-bit RISC-V SoC with 128MB on-chip DDR3 memory, support for 4K cameras, H.265 video codec, and a 1 TOPS AI accelerator – CNX.
New Boards Supported by CircuitPython
The number of supported microcontrollers and Single Board Computers (SBC) grows every week. This section outlines which boards have been included in CircuitPython or added to CircuitPython.org.
There were seven new boards added:
And one new board was added for Blinka:
Note: For non-Adafruit boards, please use the support forums of the board manufacturer for assistance, as Adafruit does not have the hardware to assist in troubleshooting.
Looking to add a new board to CircuitPython? It’s highly encouraged! Adafruit has four guides to help you do so:
New Adafruit Learning System Guides
The Adafruit Learning System has over 3,200 free guides for learning skills and building projects including using Python.
CircuitPython Turbo Sushi Conveyor Belt from Liz Clark
CircuitPython POV Bike Wheel from Erin St Blaine
PixelDust Digital Sand for CircuitPython from Tim C
USB Host Camera on Fruit Jam from Tim C
MeshFruit Message Board from Ruiz Brothers
CircuitPython Libraries
The CircuitPython library numbers are continually increasing, while existing ones continue to be updated. Here we provide library numbers and updates!
To get the latest Adafruit libraries, download the Adafruit CircuitPython Library Bundle. To get the latest community contributed libraries, download the CircuitPython Community Bundle.
If you’d like to contribute to the CircuitPython project on the Python side of things, the libraries are a great place to start. Check out the CircuitPython.org Contributing page. If you’re interested in reviewing, check out Open Pull Requests. If you’d like to contribute code or documentation, check out Open Issues. We have a guide on contributing to CircuitPython with Git and GitHub, and you can find us in the #help-with-circuitpython and #circuitpython-dev channels on the Adafruit Discord.
You can check out this list of all the Adafruit CircuitPython libraries and drivers available.
The current number of CircuitPython libraries is 592!
New Libraries
Here are this week’s new CircuitPython libraries:
Updated Libraries
Here are this week’s updated CircuitPython libraries:
What’s the CircuitPython team up to this week?
What is the team up to this week? Let’s check in:
Dan
I released CircuitPython 11.0.0-alpha.1 a couple of weeks ago. We decided to move toward CircuitPython 11.0.0 as the next release, instead of 10.4.0.
I’ve been working on adding features to the Zephyr port. First up was to implement neopixel_write support on nRF devices. That is mostly done. Next up will be pwmio; NeoPixel already added partial support.
Tim
My guides for the pixel dust sand simulation, and USB host cameras on the Fruit Jam are published. The next thing I’m working on is using SDR devices over USB host to listen to FM and Ham radio. These devices require bulk in transfers over the USB connection. Support for that was added first in the Pico-PIO-USB library, and now I’m working on the CircuitPython core side of it. I also recently got some of the IKEA Matter-compatible devices and have started tinkering to get them integrated with CircuitPython. CircuitMatter implements support in CPython. I ported the most intensive crypto math into turbo-compiled .mpy files which makes it fast enough to be practical under CircuitPython. I’ll be working on adding the necessary crypto modules to the core to match their CPython counterpart APIs for a more permanent solution, but preliminary tests turning an LED on and off with this version are successful.
Scott
This week the Zephyr bootloader changes were in. This makes a UF2-capable bootloader available for Zephyr boards. CircuitPython builds it as part of the full image. Now I’m dusting off Zephyr analogio changes and Ethernet support for both Zephyr and Espressif. They are both getting close to PR.
Liz
This week I worked on code for the Pepper’s Ghost Monster Eye guide. This guide uses the Monster Eyes Arduino library to display an animated eyeball on a 2.1” round display with the Qualia S3. Noe asked for a couple of features to be added to the library: the ability to switch eyeball graphics and the ability to have the eyeball move offscreen. I was able to add both of these and control them with the onboard buttons on the Qualia.
Upcoming Events
PyConZA 2026, South Africa’s Python conference, will be 14–18 Oct at Belmont Square, Cape Town, South Africa.
The next MicroPython Meetup in Melbourne will be on October 25th – Luma. You can see recordings of previous meetings on YouTube.
Other Events This Year
If you know of virtual events or upcoming events, please let us know via email to cpnews(at)adafruit(dot)com.
Latest Releases
CircuitPython’s stable release is 10.3.1 and its unstable release is 11.0.0-alpha.1. New to CircuitPython? Start with our Welcome to CircuitPython Guide.
20261002 is the latest Adafruit CircuitPython library bundle.
20260923 is the latest CircuitPython Community library bundle.
v1.29.0 is the latest MicroPython release. Documentation for it is here.
3.14.8 is the latest Python release. The latest pre-release version is 3.15.0rc2.
4560 Stars Like CircuitPython? Star it on GitHub!
Call for Help – Translating CircuitPython is now easier than ever
One important feature of CircuitPython is translated control and error messages. With the help of fellow open source project Weblate, we’re making it even easier to add or improve translations.
Sign in with an existing account such as GitHub, Google or Facebook and start contributing through a simple web interface. No forks or pull requests needed! As always, if you run into trouble join us on Discord, we’re here to help.
38,866 Thanks
The Adafruit Discord community, where we do all our CircuitPython development in the open, reached over 38,866 humans – thank you! Adafruit believes Discord offers a unique way for Python on hardware folks to connect. Join today at https://adafru.it/discord.
ICYMI – In case you missed it
Python on hardware is the Adafruit Python video-newsletter-podcast! The news comes from the Python community, Discord, Adafruit communities and more and is broadcast on ASK an ENGINEER Wednesdays. The complete Python on Hardware weekly videocast playlist is here. The video podcast is on iTunes, YouTube, Instagram, and XML.
The weekly community chat on Adafruit Discord server CircuitPython channel – Audio / Podcast edition – Audio from the Discord chat space for CircuitPython, meetings are usually Mondays at 2pm ET, this is the audio version on iTunes, Pocket Casts, Spotify, and XML feed.
Contribute
The CircuitPython Weekly Newsletter is a CircuitPython community-run newsletter emailed every Monday. To contribute your content, please email your news to cpnews (at) adafruit (dot) com with information and link(s) to your content.
Join the Adafruit Discord or post to the forum if you have questions.
