MicroPython is a lightweight version of the interpreter designed for running the Python 3 programming language in embedded systems. Compared with regular Python, the MicroPython interpreter is small (only about 100KB) and is compiled into a binary Executable file to run, resulting in higher execution efficiency. It uses a lightweight garbage collection mechanism and removes most of the Python standard library to accommodate resource-constrained microcontrollers.
The main features of MicroPython include:
1. The syntax and functions are compatible with standard Python, making it easy to learn and use. Supports most of Python's core syntax.
2. Directly access and control hardware, control GPIO, I2C, SPI, etc. like Arduino.
3. Powerful module system, providing file system, network, graphical interface and other functions.
4. Support cross-compilation to generate efficient native code, which is 10-100 times faster than the interpreter.
5. The amount of code is small and the memory usage is small. It is suitable for running on MCU and development boards with small memory.
6. Open source license, free to use. The Shell interactive environment provides convenience for development and testing.
7. The built-in I/O driver supports a large number of microcontroller platforms, such as ESP8266, ESP32, STM32, micro:bit, control board and PyBoard, etc. There is an active community.
MicroPython application scenarios include:
1. Rapidly build prototypes and user interactions for embedded products.
2. Make some small programmable hardware projects.
3. As an educational tool, it helps beginners learn Python and IoT programming.
4. Build smart device firmware to achieve advanced control and cloud connectivity.
5. Various microcontroller applications such as Internet of Things, embedded intelligence, robots, etc.
Things to note when using MicroPython:
1. Memory and Flash space are limited.
2. The explanation and execution efficiency is not as good as C language.
3. Some library functions are different from the standard version.
4. Optimize the syntax for the platform and correct the differences with standard Python.
5. Use memory resources rationally and avoid frequently allocating large memory blocks.
6. Use native code to improve the performance of speed-critical parts.
7. Use abstraction appropriately to encapsulate underlying hardware operations.
Generally speaking, MicroPython brings Python into the field of microcontrollers, which is an important innovation that not only lowers the programming threshold but also provides good hardware control capabilities. It is very suitable for the development of various types of Internet of Things and intelligent hardware.
RP2 (Pico) is a microcontroller development board launched by the Raspberry Pi Foundation. It is based on the self-developed RP2040 chip and sells for only $4. It can be programmed in C/C++ or Python language and is suitable for various application scenarios such as Internet of Things, robots, and music. Technical parameters: The technical parameters of RP2 (Pico) are as follows:
1. Equipped with a dual-core ARM Cortex M0+ processor running at 133 MHz
2. Built-in 264 KB of on-chip RAM and 2 MB of on-board flash memory
3. Supports up to 16 MB of off-chip flash memory through a dedicated QSPI bus
4. DMA controller
5. 30 GPIO pins, 4 available as analog inputs6
, 2 UARTs, 2 SPI controllers and 2 I2C controllers7,
16 PWM channels8
, USB 1.1 host and device support9,
8 trees Berry Pi Programmable I/O (PIO) state machine for custom peripherals Supports
10. USB mass storage boot mode with UF2 support for drag-and-drop programming
MicroPython's RP2 (Pico) APA106 driver is a software library for controlling APA106 model colored LED strips. It allows the use of MicroPython language to control and manage APA106 model LED strips.
main feature:
Simplified control: RP2 (Pico) APA106 driver provides a set of simple and powerful functions and methods, allowing developers to easily control and manage APA106 model LED light strips. It provides functions such as setting color, brightness, animation effects, etc., allowing developers to quickly achieve various colorful effects.
High refresh rate: APA106 light strip has a high refresh rate, which can achieve smooth animation effects. The RP2 (Pico) APA106 driver can make full use of the characteristics of the APA106 light strip to achieve high-speed refresh and precise control, making the lighting effect more delicate and smooth.
Flexibility: RP2 (Pico) APA106 driver supports different types and sizes of APA106 strips, from a few LED beads to hundreds or more. Developers can choose suitable light strips based on actual needs, and customize and expand them according to specific scenarios and design requirements.
Application scenarios:
Decoration and visual effects: RP2 (Pico) APA106 driver is widely used in decoration and visual effects fields. It can be used for indoor and outdoor decorative light strips, lighting art installations, stage lighting, etc. By using the RP2 (Pico) APA106 driver, developers can achieve various color, brightness and animation effects to create dazzling visual effects for the scene.
Electronic Makers and Art Projects: The RP2 (Pico) APA106 driver is extremely valuable for electronic makers and art projects. It can be used to create interactive art installations, wearable devices, music-responsive lighting, and more. Through programming control, developers can realize dynamic changes and responses of light strips based on input signals, sensor data, or external events.
Education and learning: RP2 (Pico) APA106 driver is also widely used in the field of education and learning. It can be used to teach programming and IoT-related courses, helping students understand and practice physics-based programming concepts. By combining it with sensors, buttons and other components, students can create interesting interactive projects.
Things to note:
Power supply: When using the RP2 (Pico) APA106 driver, you need to pay attention to providing sufficient power supply for the APA106 light strip. Large-scale APA106 light strips may require higher currents, so be sure to select appropriate power supplies and power management measures to ensure proper operation and stability of the light strip.
Signal transmission: RP2 (Pico) APA106 driver uses a single wire to transmit data signals. In the case of long-distance transmission or multiple APA106 light strip connections, signal attenuation and interference problems may occur. To ensure stable signal transmission, consider using a signal amplifier or signal repeater to enhance the signal.
Wiring and connection: When using the RP2 (Pico) APA106 driver, you need to correctly connect the APA106 light strip and the RP2 (Pico) development board. Make sure to connect the data cable, power cable and ground cable of the light strip correctly, and follow the correct wiring sequence. Also, care needs to be taken to use proper cascading and power distribution to avoid power overload and data transmission issues.
Proper programming skills: When programming with the RP2 (Pico) APA106 driver, knowledge of the MicroPython language and driver libraries is required. Understanding the principles of color coding, brightness control and animation effects, and being able to flexibly use related functions and methods, can help developers achieve more complex and exciting lighting effects.
To sum up, MicroPython's RP2 (Pico) APA106 driver has the characteristics of simplified control, high refresh rate and flexibility, and is suitable for multiple application scenarios such as decoration and visual effects, electronic makers and art projects, as well as education and learning. When using, you need to pay attention to power supply, signal transmission, wiring and connection issues, and master appropriate programming skills to achieve ideal lighting effects.
When using MicroPython's RP2 (Pico) APA106 driver, the following are several reference code examples of actual applications:
Case 1: Rainbow effect:
import time
import apa106
# 定义APA106灯带参数
NUM_PIXELS = 16
PIN = 0
# 初始化APA106灯带
pixels = apa106.APA106(machine.Pin(PIN), NUM_PIXELS)
# 彩虹效果
def rainbow_effect():
for i in range(NUM_PIXELS):
hue = int(i * (255 / NUM_PIXELS))
pixels.set_pixel(i, hue, 255 - hue, 0) # 设置颜色
pixels.show() # 更新灯带状态
time.sleep_ms(50) # 等待一段时间
while True:
rainbow_effect()
Case 2: Breathing effect:
import time
import apa106
# 定义APA106灯带参数
NUM_PIXELS = 16
PIN = 0
# 初始化APA106灯带
pixels = apa106.APA106(machine.Pin(PIN), NUM_PIXELS)
# 呼吸效果
def breathe_effect():
for brightness in range(0, 256, 8):
pixels.set_brightness(brightness) # 设置亮度
pixels.show() # 更新灯带状态
time.sleep_ms(20) # 等待一段时间
for brightness in range(255, -1, -8):
pixels.set_brightness(brightness) # 设置亮度
pixels.show() # 更新灯带状态
time.sleep_ms(20) # 等待一段时间
while True:
breathe_effect()
Case 3: Respond to button control of lights:
import machine
import apa106
# 定义APA106灯带参数
NUM_PIXELS = 16
PIN = 0
# 初始化APA106灯带和按钮
pixels = apa106.APA106(machine.Pin(PIN), NUM_PIXELS)
button = machine.Pin(2, machine.Pin.IN, machine.Pin.PULL_UP)
# 响应按钮控制灯光
def toggle_light(pin):
if pin.value() == 0:
pixels.fill((255, 0, 0)) # 设置红色
else:
pixels.fill((0, 0, 0)) # 关闭灯光
pixels.show() # 更新灯带状态
# 注册按钮中断
button.irq(trigger=machine.Pin.IRQ_FALLING | machine.Pin.IRQ_RISING, handler=toggle_light)
while True:
pass # 主循环保持运行
These sample codes show how to use MicroPython's RP2 (Pico) APA106 driver to implement different lighting effects and interactive functions. You can modify and extend it according to your needs to create more interesting programs. Please note that these codes are only for reference, and actual operation may require appropriate adjustments based on hardware connections and specific conditions.
Case 4: Using RP2 (Pico) APA106 driver to control LED lights
from machine import Pin, APA106
import time
# 初始化APA106对象，设置引脚为输出模式
led = APA106(pin=13)
# 循环控制LED灯的亮灭
while True:
led.value(not led.value()) # 切换LED灯的状态
time.sleep_ms(500) # 延时500毫秒
Case 5: Using RP2 (Pico) APA106 driver to control the buzzer
from machine import Pin, APA106
import time
# 初始化APA106对象，设置引脚为输出模式
buzzer = APA106(pin=12)
# 循环控制蜂鸣器的响度和间隔时间
for i in range(10):
buzzer.value(1) # 使蜂鸣器发声
time.sleep_ms(500 * (i + 1)) # 间隔时间为500毫秒 * (i + 1)
buzzer.value(0) # 停止蜂鸣器发声
time.sleep_ms(500) # 延时500毫秒
Case 6: Using RP2 (Pico) APA106 driver to control the servo
from machine import Pin, APA106
import time
# 初始化APA106对象，设置引脚为输出模式
servo = APA106(pin=14)
# 循环控制舵机的转动角度
for angle in range(0, 181, 10):
servo.position(angle) # 设置舵机转动的角度
time.sleep_ms(100) # 延时100毫秒
Case 7: Using APA106 to make LED light strips
import machine
import apa106
# 配置APA106引脚和数目
pin = machine.Pin(5, machine.Pin.OUT)
np = apa106.APA106(pin, 10)
# 制作LED灯条
np.clear()
for i in range(10):
np[i] = (255, 0, 0) # 红色
np.write()
Case 8: Using APA106 to make an LED clock
import machine
import apa106
import utime
# 配置APA106引脚和数目
pin = machine.Pin(5, machine.Pin.OUT)
np = apa106.APA106(pin, 4)
# 制作LED时钟
def update_clock():
np.clear()
hour = utime.localtime()[3]
minute = utime.localtime()[4]
second = utime.localtime()[5]
np[0] = (255, 255, 255) # 白色，小时
np[1] = (0, 255, 0) # 绿色，分钟
np[2] = (255, 0, 255) # 紫色，秒数
np[3] = (0, 0, 255) # 蓝色，小数点
np[0] = (hour // 10, hour % 10, 0) # 小时十位和个位
np[1] = (minute // 10, minute % 10, 0) # 分钟十位和个位
np[2] = (second // 10, second % 10, 0) # 秒数十位和个位
np[3] = (0, 0, 255) # 小数点固定为蓝色
np.write()
utime.sleep(1) # 每秒更新一次时钟
update_clock() # 开始更新时钟
Case 9: Using APA106 to make LED marquees
import machine
import apa106
import utime
# 配置APA106引脚和数目
pin = machine.Pin(5, machine.Pin.OUT)
np = apa106.APA106(pin, 8)
# 制作LED跑马灯
def update_marquee():
np.clear()
text = 'Hello World!' # 要显示的文本
for i in range(len(text)):
np[i] = (255, 255, 255) # 白色，文本字符
np[i] = (text[i] // 10, text[i] % 10, 0) # 文本字符十位和个位为蓝色和绿色交替显示
np.write()
utime.sleep_ms(100) # 每100毫秒更新一次文本字符位置，实现跑马灯效果
np.roll(False) # 将文本字符向左滚动一位，False表示不循环滚动，超出范围的字符将消失，True表示循环滚动，超出范围的字符将回到最左边重新显示。
np.clear() # 清空LED灯条，为下一次显示做准备。 np.write() # 将更改后的LED灯条写入硬
Please note that the above cases are only for expanding ideas and may contain errors or inapplicability. Different hardware platforms, usage scenarios and MicroPython versions may lead to different usage methods. In actual programming, you need to adjust it according to your hardware configuration and specific needs, and conduct multiple actual tests. It is important to ensure that the hardware is connected correctly and to understand the specifications and characteristics of the sensors and devices used.
