MicroPython: Python for microcontrollers

I personally wouldn't consider a 168MHz Cortex-M4 as "microcontroller" level performance - it's in the same range as a 100MHz Pentium, and the desktops machines of the time could certainly run Python code without much difficulty.

Getting Python on something like an AVR or PIC18, that would be far more interesting...

Zuph• 11 years ago

Processing power is only one part of the equation, though. These Cortex processors are significantly more constrained in RAM and storage than computers of 1995. Run Python on a 100MHz Pentium with 192 KiB of RAM, I'll be impressed.

bdarnell• 11 years ago

Python was ported to PalmOS, where it could run on a 16MHz CPU with 64KB of usable heap space: http://isr.uci.edu/projects/sensos/python/

rch• 11 years ago

It's still interesting as an educational platform. For instance, being able to switch into assembly-style code in context with other high-level functionality can help communicate some key programming concepts.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/214379695/micro-python-...

pfalcon3• 11 years ago

Getting Python on something like an AVR or PIC18, that would be far more interesting...

Are you sure it would be more interesting? We have people asking (and working!) for more ARM, MIPS ports, but nobody ever asked about AVR port, so maybe it's not that interesting, even though ATmega2560 should be able to fit it. No ATtiny or PIC18 ports on the horizon, sorry ;-), but PIC24 port exists.

Anyway, if you'd like to see MicroPython run on smaller devices, please consider contributing to the project - we love optimization freaks ;-). Current minimal requirements are 128K flash (50K for your code), 8K RAM.

jonjacky• 11 years ago

PyMite aka python-on-a-chip targets 8-bit microcontrollers:

https://code.google.com/p/python-on-a-chip/

https://wiki.python.org/moin/PyMite

jbuzbee• 11 years ago

MicroPython has been ported to the esp8266: https://www.sparkfun.com/products/13252

which is a wifi-ready microcontroller that can be found on eBay for a few bucks:

https://github.com/micropython/micropython/tree/master/esp82...

tdicola• 11 years ago

If anyone wants to try it out, I wrote up a guide on how to compile and install the MicroPython firmware for the ESP8266: https://learn.adafruit.com/building-and-running-micropython-... Note that it's still very early in its development so it doesn't support all the functionality of other MicroPythong boards, but it does have enough implemented to start hacking around with it like blinking LEDs and connecting to internet services.

robmccoll• 11 years ago

Anyone know of a Python equivalent to Lua / LuaJIT or Duktape for JS? I just really like drop-in single source file scripting environments. This looks close.

beagle3• 11 years ago

There's also http://www.tinypy.org/ which should be better known. It's not "for microcontrollers", but it is quite small - fits within 64k, mostly complete py2 language implementation, has a luaesque API and GC (that is, not reference counting).

MicroPython: Python for microcontrollers

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