MicroPython

The 1-Wire protocol is a proprietary standard for serial data communication from Maxim Integrated. This protocol is a low-speed, half-duplex, bidirectional, low-power master-slave data communication standard used by several devices, including temperature sensors, real-time clocks, EEPROMs, identification (intellectual property protection) devices, timers, and iButtons. There can be only one master device on a 1-wire standard…

In a previous article, we covered sleep modes in ESP8266. ESP32 is another popular Wi-Fi development board from Expressif systems. It’s more feature-rich than ESP8266, but also more power-hungry. The power consumption of ESP32 can reach up to 790 mA when the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are both operational — nearly double that of ESP8266, which…

You’ve likely heard about SSD1306 or SSD1315 organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays. These monochrome screens are typically in a similar price range as character displays, providing a more aesthetic appeal. More significantly, they provide a truly graphical interface for an embedded device. The OLED displays are available in ready-to-use breakout boards that can easily push…

Networking applications consume a lot of power. If such applications are battery-powered, there’s a risk the battery will exhaust because of the high power demands of networking functions. Frequently, power is also wasted in non-essential microcontroller activities. For example, the power might remain on for various built-in peripherals irrespective of their use or relevance in…

The majority of sensors have an analog output.  Few sensors come with a built-in controller and can stream the output measurements over a digital protocol. That is why analog to digital conversion is one of the basic features that every microcontroller/port has. The other basic features include digital input/output, analog output, PWM generation, and serial…

MicroPython is a software implementation of the Python 3 programming language for microcontrollers. Nearly all major microcontroller platforms are supported by MicroPython’s firmware.  MicroPython eases the development of embedded systems in a couple of ways. For one, it lets users program microcontrollers and microcomputers in a common programming language (such as Python, which is currently…

Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) is one of the five basic functionalities in any microcontroller. The other four are digital input, digital output, analog input, and serial data communication. Most microcontrollers do not have a built-in digital-to-analog converter to output analog signals. However, most of the microcontrollers have one or more PWM output interfaces. PWM signals…

MicroPython is an implementation of Python 3 for microcontrollers. It’s an awesome firmware that combines the powerful features of Python programming language with the low-level access of microcontrollers. Following is a list of microcontrollers supported by the MicroPython framework. Arch Mix, Actinius icarus, Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect, Arduino Primo, B_L072Z_LRWAN1, B_L475E_IOT01A, blueio_tag_evim, C3 mini, CERB40,…

The first step in programming embedded devices is to perform digital input/output. Digital input/output refers to reading parallel data. The same logical signals are utilized for switching and control operations. MicroPython, an embedded firmware, essentially includes libraries to control digital input/output and other hardware functions. MicroPython can be uploaded and run on a variety of…

MicroPython implements the Python 3 programming language for microcontrollers and microcomputers. It is a firmware solution designed to implement high-level language features of Python into low-level hardware platforms. The firmware is optimized to run in constrained environments while allowing a small subset of Python 3 standard libraries into embedded programming. MicroPython firmware can run in…