Pygrunn: Micropython, internet of pythonic things - Lars de Ridder¶

Tags: python, pygrunn

(One of my summaries of the one-day 2016 PyGrunn conference).

micropython is a project that wants to bring python to the world of microprocessors.

Micropython is a lean and fast implementation of python 3 for microprocessors. It was funded in 2013 on kickstarter. Originally it only ran on a special “pyboard”, but it has now been ported to various other microprocessors.

Why use micropython? Easy to learn, with powerful features. Native bitwise operations. Ideal for rapid prototyping. (You cannot use cpython, mainly due to RAM usage.)

It is not a full python, of course, they had to strip things out. “functools” and “this” are out, for instance. Extra included are libraries for the specific boards. There are lots of memory optimizations. Nothing fancy, most of the tricks are directly from compiler textbooks, but it is nice to see it all implemented in a real project.

Some of the supported boards:

• Pyboard

• The “BBC micro:bit” which is supplied to 1 million school children!

• Wipy. More of a professional-grade board.

• LoPy. a board which supports LoRa, an open network to connect internet-of-things chips.

Development: there is one full time developer (funded by the ESA) and two core contributors. It is stable and feels like it is maturing.

Is it production ready? That depends on your board. It is amazing for prototyping or for embedding in games and tools.