CircuitPython 5.0.0 Alpha 4

This is an Alpha Release

This is the fourth alpha release of CircuitPython 5.0.0. Alpha releases are meant for testing. Use the latest stable 4.x release when first starting with CircuitPython.

When you find a bug please check the current known issues and file an issue if something isn't already known.

5.0.0

5.0.0 is the latest major revision of CircuitPython. It features many improvements and enhancements to displayio, including grayscale OLED and e-paper displays, extensive additions and changes to BLE support, and PWM audio support.

Download from circuitpython.org

Downloads are available from circuitpython.org! The site makes it easy to select the correct file and language for your board. The downloads page is here.

Installation

To install follow the instructions in our new Welcome to CircuitPython! guide. To install the latest libraries, see this page in that guide.

Try the latest version of the Mu editor for creating and editing your CircuitPython programs and for easy access to the CircuitPython serial connection (the REPL).

New Features, Updates, and Fixes since 5.0.0 Alpha 2

• Add bare bones STM32F411 and STM32F412 support. Thanks to @hierophect, @cr1901, @pigrew and @hathach
• Add I2SOut support to nRF52840. Thanks to @jepler
• Add random dithering to ColorConverter to reduce color banding 16-bit gradients. Thanks to @matthewnewberg
• Fix board.A1 mapping on CircuitPlayground Bluefruit. Thanks to @kattni, @jepler, @caternuson and @dhalbert
• Fix misbehaving status LED and filesystem flush on SAMDs. Thanks to @dhalbert, @jerryneedell, @jackdanielsmurphy and @rdagger
• Fix PWMOut deinit on nRF52840. Thanks to @kattni and @jepler

New and Improved Boards

• PewPew M4 Thanks to @deshipu
• STM32F411E Discovery Thanks to @hierophect
• STM32F412G Discovery Thanks to @hierophect

Breaking Changes and Deprecations from 4.x!

• The displayio refresh API has been revamped to be simpler. wait_for_frame and refresh_soon have been removed. In both 4.x and 5.x, auto refresh will automatically refresh the display so they can be removed. The new auto_refresh property and refresh() function can be used to control when the screen refreshes and at a specific rate.
• The bleio module has been renamed to _bleio to indicate that it is meant to be used only for writing BLE libraries, and that its API may change between CircuitPython minor versions. There are many incompatible changes since 4.0.0. The _bleio API is a work in progress and will change as 5.0.0 progresses. Please use the latest pre-release adafruit_ble library for end-user BLE programming. The adafruit_ble library is evolving too but will hide underlying changes in _bleio.
• Move audioio.Mixer to audiomixer.Mixer and is only available on M4s. Move audioio.RawSample, and audioio.WaveFile to the new module audiocore. However, for backwards compatibility, they are still available in audioio. They will be removed from audioio in 6.0.0. Thanks @jepler.
• Add I2C.writeto_then_readfrom(). Deprecate stop= arg which will be removed in 6.x. Use I2C.writeto_then_readfrom() instead.

Known Issues

• See https://github.com/adafruit/circuitpython/issues.

Thanks

Thank you to all who used, tested, contributed, helped out, and participated on GitHub and/or Discord:
@_cli_ninja, @anecdata, @AnthonyDiGirolamo, @arturo182, @ATMakersBill, @bmeisels, @brentru, @C47D, @caternuson, @CedarGroveStudios, @charlesburnaford, @cr1901, @dastels, @Ddbricetti, @davep, @deanm1278, @deshipu, @devoh, @dhalbert, @fede2, @hathach, @hexthat, @hierophect, @hybotics, @jackdanielsmurphy, @jasonp, @jepler, @jerryneedell, @josh, @jp, @kattni, @kevinjwalters, @klardotsh, @ladyada, @madbodger, @makermelissa, @matthewnewberg, @MikeB, @MrCertainly, @mytechnotalent, @nickzoic, @ntavish, @ntoll, @OldCrow, @pigrew, @ptorrone , @rdagger, @reply2jh, @rhooper, @s-light, @sajattack, @siddacious, @sommersoft, @tammymakesthings, @tannewt, @TG-Techie, @wallarug and surely more we have missed. Join us on the Discord chat to collaborate.

Documentation

Documentation is available in readthedocs.io.

Here are all the changes since 5.0.0-alpha.2.

This release is based on MicroPython 1.9.4 @25ae98f. Support upstream MicroPython by purchasing a PyBoard (from Adafruit here).

Troubleshooting

Check out this guide for info on common problems with CircuitPython. If you are still having issues, then post to the Adafruit Support Forums and join Discord.

Alpha 4 is the same as Alpha 3 with an improved upload script.

Assets

Builds are no longer stored as assets on this release page, because there are too many of them. Please see the Download from circuitpython.org section above.

CircuitPython 5.0.0 Alpha 3

Please use Alpha 4. Alpha 3 does not include builds for all boards. They are identical besides a release script improvement.

Assets

Builds are no longer stored as assets on this release page, because there are too many of them. Please see the Download from circuitpython.org section above.

CircuitPython 5.0.0 Alpha 2

This is an Alpha Release

This is the second alpha release of CircuitPython 5.0.0. Alpha releases are meant for testing. Use the latest stable 4.x release when first starting with CircuitPython.

When you find a bug please check the current known issues and file an issue if something isn't already known.

5.0.0

5.0.0 is the latest major revision of CircuitPython. It features many improvements and enhancements to displayio, including grayscale and e-paper displays, extensive additions and changes to BLE support, and PWM audio support.

Download from circuitpython.org

Downloads are available from circuitpython.org! The site makes it easy to select the correct file and language for your board. The downloads page is here.

Installation

To install follow the instructions in our new Welcome to CircuitPython! guide. To install the latest libraries, see this page in that guide.

Try the latest version of the Mu editor for creating and editing your CircuitPython programs and for easy access to the CircuitPython serial connection (the REPL).

Most builds are available as both UF2 and bin files here along with test builds.

New Features, Updates, and Fixes since 5.0.0 Alpha 1

• Mixer has been improved to include per-voice volume, moved to audiomixer and is only available on M4s. Thanks to @deanm1278, @sommersoft and @jepler
• Adds .hidden property to displayio.Group and displayio.TileGrid. Thanks to @tannewt
• Add beginnings of STM32F4 USB support. Thanks to @hierophect
• Fix DotStar status led by correctly adding additional clocks. Usually shows as purple incorrectly. Thanks to @jerryneedell and @dhalbert.
• Fix Display.rotation. Thanks to @dastels
• Update Chinese Pinyin translation. Thanks to @hexthat
• Fix displayio.I2CDisplay to correctly release bus. Thanks to @jerryneedell and @tannewt
• Fix _stage to correctly work after display refactor. Thanks to @deshipu

New and Improved Boards

No new boards.

Breaking Changes and Deprecations from 4.x!

• The displayio refresh API has been revamped to be simpler. wait_for_frame and refresh_soon have been removed. In both 4.x and 5.x, auto refresh will automatically refresh the display so they can be removed. The new auto_refresh property and refresh() function can be used to control when the screen refreshes and at a specific rate.
• The bleio module has been renamed to _bleio to indicate that it is meant to be used only for writing BLE libraries, and that its API may change between CircuitPython minor versions. There are many incompatible changes since 4.0.0. The _bleio API is a work in progress and will change as 5.0.0 progresses. Please use the latest pre-release adafruit_ble library for end-user BLE programming. The adafruit_ble library is evolving too but will hide underlying changes in _bleio.
• Move audioio.Mixer to audiomixer.Mixer and is only available on M4s. Move audioio.RawSample, and audioio.WaveFile to the new module audiocore. However, for backwards compatibility, they are still available in audioio. They will be removed from audioio in 6.0.0. Thanks @jepler.
• Add I2C.writeto_then_readfrom(). Deprecate stop= arg which will be removed in 6.x. Use I2C.writeto_then_readfrom() instead.

Known Issues

• See https://github.com/adafruit/circuitpython/issues.
• Pin A1 on Circuit Playground Bluefruit is not functional, due to a typo in the pin mapping table.

Thanks

Thank you to all who used, tested, contributed, helped out, and participated on GitHub and/or Discord:
@_cli_ninja, @anecdata, @AnthonyDiGirolamo, @arturo182, @ATMakersBill, @bmeisels, @brentru, @C47D, @caternuson, @CedarGroveStudios, @charlesburnaford, @dastels, @Ddbricetti, @davep, @deanm1278, @deshipu, @devoh, @dhalbert, @fede2, @hathach, @hexthat, @hierophect, @hybotics, @jasonp, @jepler, @jerryneedell, @josh, @jp, @kattni, @kevinjwalters, @klardotsh, @ladyada, @madbodger, @makermelissa, @matthewnewberg, @MikeB, @MrCertainly, @mytechnotalent, @nickzoic, @ntavish, @ntoll, @OldCrow, @pt, @reply2jh, @rhooper, @s-light, @sajattack, @siddacious, @sommersoft, @tammymakesthings, @tannewt, @TG-Techie, @wallarug and surely more we have missed. Join us on the Discord chat to collaborate.

Documentation

Documentation is available in readthedocs.io.

Here are all the changes since 5.0.0-alpha.1.

This release is based on MicroPython 1.9.4 @25ae98f. Support upstream MicroPython by purchasing a PyBoard (from Adafruit here).

Troubleshooting

Check out this guide for info on common problems with CircuitPython. If you are still having issues, then post to the Adafruit Support Forums and join Discord.

Assets

Builds are no longer stored as assets on this release page, because there are too many of them. Please see the Download from circuitpython.org section above.

CircuitPython 5.0.0-alpha.1

This is an Alpha Release

This is alpha release number 1 of CircuitPython 5.0.0. Alpha releases are meant for testing. Use the latest stable 4.x release when first starting with CircuitPython.

When you find a bug please check the current known issues and file an issue if something isn't already known.

5.0.0

5.0.0 is the latest major revision of CircuitPython. It features many improvements and enhancements to displayio, including grayscale and e-paper displays, extensive additions and changes to BLE support, and PWM audio support.

Installation

To install follow the instructions in our new Welcome to CircuitPython! guide. To install the latest libraries, see this page in that guide.

Try the latest version of the Mu editor for creating and editing your CircuitPython programs and for easy access to the CircuitPython serial connection (the REPL).

Most builds are available as both UF2 and bin files here along with test builds.

New Features, Updates, and Fixes since 4.1.0

• displayio has been extensively improved and extended. Thanks @tannewt. Other contributors also noted.

  • Add support for monochrome and grayscale displays.
  • Add support for many kinds of e-paper/e-ink displays
  • Add support for I2C displays such as OLED displays.
  • The displayio refresh API has been revamped to be simpler. This is an incompatible change.
  • Clean up display when terminal starts starts. Thanks @brentru.
  • Add fill_row() and add rotation property. Thanks @dastels.

• BLE support has had extensive additions and changes. Thanks @dhalbert.

  • Add Central support: scan for advertisements and act as a service client. (Central and Scanner).
  • A Peripheral can now discover services provided by a central, and act as a BLE client in addition to being a server.
  • Descriptors can now be discovered and specified.
  • Attribute data lengths can now be specified.
  • Add security support, including legacy pairing and encryption, and attribute security. Bonding implementation is in progress.
  • The default CIRCUITPY device name is now CIRCUITPYxxxx, where xxxx is the last four hex digits of the address, allowing multiple devices to be distinguished.
  • The bleio module has been renamed to _bleio to indicate that it is meant to be used only for writing BLE libraries, and that its API may change between CircuitPython minor versions. There are many incompatible changes since 4.0.0. The _bleio API is a work in progress and will change as 5.0.0 progresses. Please use the latest pre-release adafruit_ble library for end-user BLE programming. The adafruit_ble library is evolving too but will hide underlying changes in _bleio.

• Audio changes and fixes:

• Add PWMAudioOut to provide audio output on nRF boards. Thanks @jepler.

• Fix Audio DMA hangs. Thanks @jepler.

• Move Mixer, RawSample, and WaveFile to the new module audiocore. However, for backwards compatibility, they are still available in audioio. They will be removed from audioio in 6.0.0. Thanks @jepler.

• Allow using a pre-allocated buffer in WaveFile. Thanks @deshipu.

• The generic touchio support implemented for nRF is now available for all boards without specialized touch support, notably SAMD51 boards. Thanks @nickzoic and @dhalbert.

• Add I2C.writeto_then_readfrom(). Deprecate stop= arg. Thanks @tannewt. All applicable libraries were updated to take advantage of this change. Thanks @kattni, @caternuson, and @jerryneedell for testing all these changes on hardware.

• Fix a bug on nRF boards without 32Khz crystals. Thanks @bmeisels and @dhalbert.

• Fix a pin validation bug in rotaryio. Thanks @dhalbert.

• Update to latest version of TinyUSB. Thanks @hathach for continuing improvements and fixes to TinyUSB.

• Fix potential crashes in time methods. Thanks @jepler.

• Fix USB hangs while using adafruit_hid. Thanks @jepler.

• Enable LTO compilation on nRF boards. Thanks @jepler.

• Build feature enhancements to support minimal build when working on a port. Thanks @hierophect.

• Add scaling support and fix some bugs to _stage. Thanks @deshipu.

• Fix nRF timer definitions. Thanks @ntavish.

• Add on_next_reset() to nRF build. Thanks jepler.

• Add more Pinyin translations. Thanks @hexthat.

• Automate support matrix (which boards support which modules) in documentations. Thanks @sommersoft.

• Make sure new board definitions are being built. Thanks @C47D.

• Update Arch Linux gcc installation instructions. Thanks @AnthonyDiGirolamo.

• The continuous integration builds have been moved from Travis to GitHub actions. More simultaneous jobs are available, speeding up the builds considerably. This does not affect the code, but speeds up the PR cycle. Thanks @tannewt.

New and Improved Boards

• Adafruit HalloWing M4 Express. Thanks @tannewt.
• PyPortal Titano. Thanks @brentru.
• Adafruit MONSTER M4SK. Thanks @tannewt.
• Adafruit Circuit Playground Bluefruit. Thanks @dhalbert
• Start of major port to STM32F4 boards, starting with STM32F411 and STM32F412. Thanks @hierophect.
• Robohat MM1 M4. Thanks @wallarug.
• Blip board improvements. Thanks @ntavish.
• Snekboard. Thanks @keith-packard.

Breaking Changes from 4.x!

• See above, especially in displayio, bleio (now _bleio), and audioio.

Known Issues

See https://github.com/adafruit/circuitpython/issues.

Thanks

Thank you to all who used, tested, contributed, helped out, and participated on GitHub and/or Discord:
@_cli_ninja, @anecdata, @AnthonyDiGirolamo, @arturo182, @ATMakersBill, @bmeisels, @brentru, @C47D, @caternuson, @CedarGroveStudios, @charlesburnaford, @dastels, @Ddbricetti, @davep, @deshipu, @devoh, @dhalbert, @fede2, @hathach, @hexthat, @hierophect, @hybotics, @jasonp, @jepler, @jerryneedell, @josh, @jp, @kattni, @kevinjwalters, @klardotsh, @ladyada, @madbodger, @makermelissa, @matthewnewberg, @MikeB, @MrCertainly, @mytechnotalent, @nickzoic, @ntavish, @ntoll, @OldCrow, @pt, @reply2jh, @rhooper, @s-light, @sajattack, @siddacious, @sommersoft, @tammymakesthings, @tannewt, @TG-Techie, @wallarug and surely more we have missed. Join us on the Discord chat to collaborate.

Documentation

Documentation is available in readthedocs.io.

Here are all the changes since 4.1.0.

This release is based on MicroPython 1.9.4 @25ae98f. Support upstream MicroPython by purchasing a PyBoard (from Adafruit here).

Troubleshooting

Check out this guide for info on common problems with CircuitPython. If you are still having issues, then post to the Adafruit Support Forums and join Discord.

Assets

Builds are no longer stored as assets on this release page, because there are too many of them. Please see the Download from circuitpython.org section above.

CircuitPython 4.1.0

4.1.0's biggest feature is speed! General execution of Python should be 2-5x faster and display refreshing will be faster as well.

It shouldn't break any code compatible with previous 4.x releases.

Download it now from circuitpython.org. See here for the full release notes.

Over 60 boards are now supported by CircuitPython 4.1.0. Check out the new circuitpython.org/downloads page for full list of all available versions.

It's not too late to contribute to CircuitPython! Check out this guide for details. We're always looking to improve and expect many stable releases in the 4.x line to happen through the summer. Subscribe to the Python for Microcontrollers newsletter on adafruitdaily.com for the latest news for all things Python.

circuitpython.org

Downloads are now available from circuitpython.org! This site makes it much easier to select the correct file and language for your board. The downloads page is here.

Installation

To install follow the instructions in our new Welcome to CircuitPython! guide. To install the latest libraries, see this page in that guide.

Try the latest version of the Mu editor for creating and editing your CircuitPython programs and for easy access to the CircuitPython serial connection (the REPL).

New Fixes and Features since 4.1.0-rc.1

• None! This is identical to 4.1.0-rc.1 except for the version number.

Thanks

Thank you to all who used, tested, contributed, helped out, and participated on GitHub and/or Discord:
@adafruit, @alexhagerman, @anecdata, @ATMakersBill, @baorepo, @C47D, @deshipu, @dhalbert, @elvis-epx, @iot49, @jandjstudios, @jpecor, @jreese, @kattni, @ladyada, @madbodger, @makermelissa, @matt-land, @mikedigitalhome, @mr. Certainly, @mrmcwethy, @ntavish, @ptorrone, @rce1086, @shazz, @siddacious, @sommersoft, @tannewt, and surely more we have missed. Join us on the Discord chat to collaborate.

Documentation

Documentation is available in readthedocs.io.

Here are all the changes since 4.1.0-rc.1.

This release is based on MicroPython 1.9.4 @25ae98f. Support upstream MicroPython by purchasing a PyBoard (from Adafruit here).

Troubleshooting

Check out this guide for info on common problems with CircuitPython. If you are still having, then post to the Adafruit Support Forums and join Discord.

CircuitPython 4.1.0 Release Candidate 1

4.1.0's biggest feature is speed! General execution of Python should be 2-5x faster and display refreshing will be faster as well.

This is the first and hopefully last release candidate. It shouldn't break any code compatible with previous 4.x releases. Please use the latest 4.x stable release (available from the new website!) when first starting with CircuitPython. It is stable.

Download it now from circuitpython.org. See here for the full release notes.

Over 60 boards are now supported by CircuitPython 4.1.0. Check out the new circuitpython.org/downloads page for full list of all available versions.

It's not too late to contribute to CircuitPython! Check out this guide for details. We're always looking to improve and expect many stable releases in the 4.x line to happen through the summer. Subscribe to the Python for Microcontrollers newsletter on adafruitdaily.com for the latest news for all things Python.

circuitpython.org

Downloads are now available from circuitpython.org! This site makes it much easier to select the correct file and language for your board. The downloads page is here.

Installation

To install follow the instructions in our new Welcome to CircuitPython! guide. To install the latest libraries, see this page in that guide.

Try the latest version of the Mu editor for creating and editing your CircuitPython programs and for easy access to the CircuitPython serial connection (the REPL).

New Fixes and Features since 4.1.0-rc.0

• Fix Bitmap so it causes screen refreshes. Thanks to @tannewt
• Bitmaps track a dirty area so that TileGrids that just show a full Bitmap are minimally refreshed. This speeds up examples like paint and turtle. Thanks to @tannewt

Thanks

Thank you to all who used, tested, contributed, helped out, and participated on GitHub and/or Discord:
@adafruit, @alexhagerman, @anecdata, @ATMakersBill, @baorepo, @C47D, @deshipu, @dhalbert, @elvis-epx, @iot49, @jandjstudios, @jpecor, @jreese, @kattni, @ladyada, @madbodger, @makermelissa, @matt-land, @Mikebarela, @mr. Certainly, @mrmcwethy, @ntavish, @ptorrone, @rce1086, @shazz, @siddacious, @sommersoft, @tannewt, and surely more we have missed. Join us on the Discord chat to collaborate.

Documentation

Documentation is available in readthedocs.io.

Here are all the changes since 4.1.0-rc.0.

This release is based on MicroPython 1.9.4 @25ae98f. Support upstream MicroPython by purchasing a PyBoard (from Adafruit here).

Troubleshooting

Check out this guide for info on common problems with CircuitPython. If you are still having, then post to the Adafruit Support Forums and join Discord.

CircuitPython 4.1.0 Release Candidate 0

4.1.0's biggest feature is speed! General execution of Python should be 2-5x faster and display refreshing will be faster as well.

This is the first and hopefully last release candidate. It shouldn't break any code compatible with previous 4.x releases. Please use the latest 4.x stable release (available from the new website!) when first starting with CircuitPython. It is stable.

Download it now from circuitpython.org. See here for the full release notes.

Over 60 boards are now supported by CircuitPython 4.1.0. Check out the new circuitpython.org/downloads page for full list of all available versions.

It's not too late to contribute to CircuitPython! Check out this guide for details. We're always looking to improve and expect many stable releases in the 4.x line to happen through the summer. Subscribe to the Python for Microcontrollers newsletter on adafruitdaily.com for the latest news for all things Python.

circuitpython.org

Downloads are now available from circuitpython.org! This site makes it much easier to select the correct file and language for your board. The downloads page is here.

Installation

To install follow the instructions in our new Welcome to CircuitPython! guide. To install the latest libraries, see this page in that guide.

Try the latest version of the Mu editor for creating and editing your CircuitPython programs and for easy access to the CircuitPython serial connection (the REPL).

New Fixes and Features since 4.1.0-beta.1

• Underlying support for RGB status LEDs. Thanks to @C47D
• Correct UART TX pin on SAMD51. Thanks to @rce1086
• Increase busio.UART maximum RX buffer size. Thanks to @iot49
• Swap terminal font on ugame10. Thanks to @deshipu

New Boards

• Adafruit PyRuler. Thanks @kattni
• J&J Studios datum-Distance. Thanks to @jandjstudios
• J&J Studios datum-IMU. Thanks to @jandjstudios
• J&J Studios datum-Light. Thanks to @jandjstudios
• J&J Studios datum-Weather. Thanks to @jandjstudios

Thanks

Thank you to all who used, tested, contributed, helped out, and participated on GitHub and/or Discord:
@adafruit, @alexhagerman, @anecdata, @ATMakersBill, @baorepo, @C47D, @deshipu, @dhalbert, @elvis-epx, @iot49, @jandjstudios, @jpecor, @jreese, @kattni, @ladyada, @madbodger, @makermelissa, @matt-land, @Mikebarela, @mr. Certainly, @mrmcwethy, @ntavish, @ptorrone, @rce1086, @shazz, @siddacious, @sommersoft, @tannewt, and surely more we have missed. Join us on the Discord chat to collaborate.

Documentation

Documentation is available in readthedocs.io.

Here are all the changes since 4.1.0-beta.0.

This release is based on MicroPython 1.9.4 @25ae98f. Support upstream MicroPython by purchasing a PyBoard (from Adafruit here).

Troubleshooting

Check out this guide for info on common problems with CircuitPython. If you are still having, then post to the Adafruit Support Forums and join Discord.

CircuitPython 4.1.0 Beta 1

4.1.0's biggest feature is speed! General execution of Python should be 2-5x faster and display refreshing will be faster as well.

This is the second beta version for testing. It shouldn't break any code compatible with previous 4.x releases. Please use the latest 4.x stable release (available from the new website!) when first starting with CircuitPython. It is stable.

Download it now from circuitpython.org. See here for the full release notes.

Over 50 boards are now supported by CircuitPython 4.1.0. Check out the new circuitpython.org/downloads page for full list of all available versions.

It's not too late to contribute to CircuitPython! Check out this guide for details. We're always looking to improve and expect many stable releases in the 4.x line to happen through the summer. Subscribe to the Python for Microcontrollers newsletter on adafruitdaily.com for the latest news for all things Python.

circuitpython.org

Downloads are now available from circuitpython.org! This site makes it much easier to select the correct file and language for your board. The downloads page is here.

Installation

To install follow the instructions in our new Welcome to CircuitPython! guide. To install the latest libraries, see this page in that guide.

Try the latest version of the Mu editor for creating and editing your CircuitPython programs and for easy access to the CircuitPython serial connection (the REPL).

New Fixes and Features since 4.1.0-beta.0

• Fix TileGrid's dirty tracking when changing top left. Thanks to @tannewt
• Add baudrate to FourWire with faster default. Also reduce delay to speed up FourWire displays. Thanks to @tannewt
• On PyGamer, board.JOYSTICK_X is swapped with board.JOYSTICK_Y to correct it. Thanks to @deshipu and @tannewt
• /lib directory is created with the file system. Thanks to @cpforbes
• Update frozen libs. Thanks to @tannewt
• Fix terminal that creeps up. Thanks to @tannewt, @anecdata, and @makermelissa
• Fixes from 4.0.2
• Translation updates. Thanks to @C47D
• Doc updates. Thanks to @alexhagerman, @siddacious and @cpforbes

New Boards

• Adafruit PyBadge Airlift. Thanks @brentru
• Adafruit PyGamer Advance. Thanks to @tannewt

Thanks

Thank you to all who used, tested, contributed, helped out, and participated on GitHub and/or Discord:
@adafruit, @alexhagerman, @anecdata, @ATMakersBill, @baorepo, @C47D, @deshipu, @dhalbert, @elvis-epx, @jpecor, @jreese, @kattni, @ladyada, @madbodger, @makermelissa, @matt-land, @Mikebarela, @mr. Certainly, @mrmcwethy, @ntavish, @ptorrone, @shazz, @siddacious, @sommersoft, @tannewt, and surely more we have missed. Join us on the Discord chat to collaborate.

Documentation

Documentation is available in readthedocs.io.

Here are all the changes since 4.1.0-beta.0.

This release is based on MicroPython 1.9.4 @25ae98f. Support upstream MicroPython by purchasing a PyBoard (from Adafruit here).

Troubleshooting

Check out this guide for info on common problems with CircuitPython. If you are still having, then post to the Adafruit Support Forums and join Discord.

CircuitPython 4.0.2

4.0.2 is our second bugfix release of 4.x. Download it now from circuitpython.org. See here for the full release notes.

4.x features a port to the Nordic nRF52840 microcontroller, including support as a BLE beacon or peripheral (bleio), extensive new support for pixel-based displays (displayio) (guide here), which will show CircuitPython output on the display, USB MIDI support and messages translated into multiple languages. Current languages are Chinese (Pinyin), English, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Polish, Spanish, and Tagalog (Filipino). Thank you to the many contributors who make CircuitPython excellent!

Over 50 boards are now supported by CircuitPython 4.0.2. Check out the new circuitpython.org/downloads page for full list of all available versions.

It's not too late to contribute to CircuitPython! Check out this guide for details. We're always looking to improve and expect many stable releases in the 4.x line to happen through the summer. Subscribe to the Python for Microcontrollers newsletter on adafruitdaily.com for the latest news for all things Python.

circuitpython.org

Downloads are now available from circuitpython.org! This site makes it much easier to select the correct file and language for your board. The downloads page is here.

Installation

To install follow the instructions in our new Welcome to CircuitPython! guide. To install the latest libraries, see this page in that guide.

Try the latest version of the Mu editor for creating and editing your CircuitPython programs and for easy access to the CircuitPython serial connection (the REPL).

New Fixes since 4.0.1

• Fix incorrect gc of root display group that leads to crash. Thanks to @dhalbert and @ATMakersBill
• Fix gamepadshift to work when read quickly. Thanks to @deshipu and @kattni
• Fix nrf NeoPixel write for short strands. Thanks to @dhalbert and @bmeisels
• Fix crash on import of corrupt .mpy. Thanks to @tannewt and @jnalezny
• Update frozen libraries. Thanks to @dhalbert
• Doc updates thanks to @jpecor

New Boards

• Electronut Labs Blip (was unstable only) Thanks @ntavish

Breaking Changes from 3.x!

• ESP8266 and nRF52832 no longer supported. With 4.x we've chosen to focus on microcontrollers with built-in USB to ensure a consistent CircuitPython experience across all boards we support.
• ure, ujson, and uerrno renamed to re, json, and errno to reflect that they are subsets of the CPython library modules. Thanks to @dhalbert.
• busio.UART breaking changes to match PySerial. Thanks to @dhalbert.
  • busio.UART constructor timeout parameter is now in seconds instead of milliseconds.
  • UART.readinto(buf) now does not allow an optional length parameter UART.readinto(buf, len).
  • UART.write(...) no longer allows strings to be written. The bytes written must be bytes or bytearray or an array.array.
• framebuf has been removed. displayio is its replacement, and will be enhanced after 4.0 to include framebuf's functionality. Thanks to @tannewt.
• Improve struct compatibility with CPython by enforcing stricter types. This may break your code! Thanks to @dhalbert.
• bytearray, array.array, and int.to_bytes() now check for values that are too large to fit. This matches CPython behavior. Thanks to @godlygeek.

Thanks

Thank you to all who used, tested, contributed, helped out, and participated on GitHub and/or Discord:
@adafruit, @alwayslinux2, @anecdata, @arofarn, @arturo182, @ATMakersBill, @barbudor, @bmeisels, @brennen, @brentru, @bwshockley, @C47D, @CarlFK, @carlosperate, @caternuson, @CedarGroveStudios, @chalei, @charlesbunaford, @cpforbes, @craigf, @dastels, @deshipu, @dhalbert, @dsiee, @dmazzella, @edspark, @eighthree, @emteeoh, @erikriver, @FezTheDev, @furlaneto, @gcvasconcelos, @glennrub, @godlygeek, @gpshead, @gvcp, @hathach, @hexthat, @iraytrace, @ITACAInnovation, @Jahor, @jasonp, @jepler, @jay Doscher, @jerryneedell, @jimblom, @jnalezny, @johnpark, @JoshuaLowe1002, @jreese, @Juanita, @KacperLa, @katlings, @kattni, @kdb424, @kevinjwalters, @klardotsh, @Klowner, @ladyada, @larsks, @madbodger, @maholli, @Makdaam, @makermelissa, @matt-land, @mattyt, @mchobby, @mchua, @mgithubreq, @microbuilder, @Mikebarela, @mr. Certainly, @mrmcwethy, @nickzoic, @notro, @ntavish, @OldCrow, @osterwood, @penguindustin, @PhredFL, @platipo, @ptorrone, @rafa-gould, @Rathmore, @rdagger, @Retoc, @rhooper, @sabas1080, @sajattack, @sajattack, @saspa, @saxenanurag, @schmarty, @scottbelden, @Senuros, @ShawnHymel, @siddacious, @sommersoft, @SouthernDragon, @TangoJuliett, @tannewt, @Tasm-Devil, @terriko, @TG-Techie, @ThomasRKirkland, @uhrheber, @urish, @vgoodwinv, @xpecex, @yeyeto2788, @wallarug, @wawachief, and surely more we have missed. Join us on the Discord chat to collaborate.

Documentation

Documentation is available in readthedocs.io.

Here are all the changes since 4.0.1.

This release is based on MicroPython 1.9.4 @25ae98f. Support upstream MicroPython by purchasing a PyBoard (from Adafruit here).

Troubleshooting

Check out this guide for info on common problems with CircuitPython. If you are still having, then post to the Adafruit Support Forums and join Discord.

Zoom zoom!

4.1.0's biggest feature is speed! General execution of Python should be 2-5x faster and display refreshing will be faster as well.

This is the first beta version for testing. It shouldn't break any code compatible with previous 4.x releases. Please use the latest 4.x stable release (available from the new website!) when first starting with CircuitPython. It is stable.

Download it now from circuitpython.org. See here for the full release notes.

Over 50 boards are now supported by CircuitPython 4.1.0. Check out the new circuitpython.org/downloads page for full list of all available versions.

It's not too late to contribute to CircuitPython! Check out this guide for details. We're always looking to improve and expect many stable releases in the 4.x line to happen through the summer. Subscribe to the Python for Microcontrollers newsletter on adafruitdaily.com for the latest news for all things Python.

circuitpython.org

Downloads are now available from circuitpython.org! This site makes it much easier to select the correct file and language for your board. The downloads page is here.

Installation

To install follow the instructions in our new Welcome to CircuitPython! guide. To install the latest libraries, see this page in that guide.

Try the latest version of the Mu editor for creating and editing your CircuitPython programs and for easy access to the CircuitPython serial connection (the REPL).

New Fixes and Features since 4.0.1

• 2-5x execution speedup thanks to MicroPython configuration change. Thanks to @dhalbert and @shazz
• Display refresh now tracks dirty areas and only refreshes them. This drastically reduces the amount of data to send to displays and therefore speeds them up. Thanks to @tannewt
• Added ps2io module for SAMD51s. Thanks to @elvis-epx
• Group objects are now iterable and have index and remove methods. Thanks to @tannewt
• make stubs can now be used to make pyi stubs for native modules. Thanks to @jreese
• Enable WaveFile sample rates above 2 ** 16. Thanks to @C47D
• Fix mistaken Group GC. Thanks to @ATMakersBill and @dhalbert
• Fix button miss with gamepadshift. Thanks to @kattni, @makermelissa and @deshipu
• Doc updates. Thanks to @jpecor and @tannewt

New Boards

• Electronut Labs Blip. Thanks @ntavish

Thanks

Thank you to all who used, tested, contributed, helped out, and participated on GitHub and/or Discord:
@adafruit, @ATMakersBill, @baorepo, @C47D, @deshipu, @dhalbert, @elvis-epx, @jpecor, @jreese, @kattni, @ladyada, @madbodger, @makermelissa, @matt-land, @Mikebarela, @mr. Certainly, @mrmcwethy, @ntavish, @ptorrone, @shazz, @siddacious, @sommersoft, @tannewt, and surely more we have missed. Join us on the Discord chat to collaborate.

Documentation

Documentation is available in readthedocs.io.

Here are all the changes since 4.0.1.

This release is based on MicroPython 1.9.4 @25ae98f. Support upstream MicroPython by purchasing a PyBoard (from Adafruit here).

Troubleshooting

Check out this guide for info on common problems with CircuitPython. If you are still having, then post to the Adafruit Support Forums and join Discord.