Picoware - v1.7.3

This is an update to the MicroPython version with a Game Boy Emulator that runs at 60 FPS and only uses PSRAM, a Text Editor GUI with cursor support, and many optimizations to several C modules.

Picoware - v1.7.2

This is an update to the MicroPython version that introduces a C++ game engine, a new logging system, and a significantly improved FileBrowser with copy and move support. It also brings a high-performance textbox_mp C module for near-instant text rendering, an expanded Settings app with manual time and theme controls, three new screensavers, and audio recording support via the new INMP441 app.

Changelog

Added:

• INMP441 app (record audio to SD card)
• copy, move, file_copy, and file_move methods to the Storage class
• C++ game engine with MicroPython C modules
• C++ guards to several MicroPython C modules
• list_directory method in the sd_mp module that only returns file names instead of dicts
• Scaling attributes to the lcd_mp C module
• Task ID to logging in the ThreadManager class
• fetch method to the Time class that connects via socket and syncs the NTP time on a separate thread
• DatePicker GUI class
• log_mp C module and Log class
• log method to the ViewManager (and updated several system apps to use it)
• textbox_mp C module: load and scroll text within milliseconds
• Three new screensavers: Aurora Borealis, Color Tunnel, and Lissajous
• LatheCalc app (by @Slasher006): machinist calculator and shop reference multi-tool

Updated:

• Egg Timer, Unit Converter, and bohrgesch app optimizations (by @Slasher006)
• UART class defaults to GP0, GP1, and UART0
• System class with simplified BOARD_ID tracking
• file_write, file_open, and file_seek within the Storage class with try/catch and correct return values
• freq method of the ViewManager class with a frequency parameter that allows devs to change the frequency to a custom value instead of the presets
• sd_read_block method in the sdcard driver to retry up to 3 times to handle transient SPI/card-busy failures
• fat32 driver to advance the next-free hint and find the actual last/free cluster
• sd_mp read methods to use the heap
• vfs_unmount method of the Storage class with the correct function call
• read_directory method of the Storage class with an additional field for is_directory
• size method of the Storage class to return 0 if the path is a directory
• FileBrowser GUI class with a two-pane window with new copying and moving features (by @Slasher006 and Gemini AI, with many optimizations by @jblanked)
• HTTP class to check if the request should close and close the socket if so
• Menu and List classes with updated styling
• Choice class with a two-column list
• Settings app: users can manually set the time, choose their theme color, enable/disable debug, and all settings from before
• Desktop app to use NTP time and saved GMT offset
• Textbox GUI class to use the new textbox_mp C module
• JB-News app to parse back button presses in View mode and use the system's selected color
• Big Buck Bunny app with an info screen explaining how to compile the movie so the app can run it
• SSH Terminal app to track history, colorize the terminal, and simplify input

Picoware - v1.7.1

This is an update to the MicroPython version that adds scaling support to the Draw class, a lightweight engine C module, unifies SD card modules, brings memory optimizations to the CCTV app, adds four new apps, and more!

Added:

• Unit Converter, Drill Speed, and Egg Timer apps (by @Slasher006)
• JB-News app (news API application that requires a free API key)
• Header for the vector_mp C module
• z coordinate to the vector_mp C module and Python class
• engine C module (lightweight replica of the previous MicroPython implementation)
• Header for the auto_complete C module
• lcd_psram method to the lcd C module (and psram method to the Draw class) that reads from a PSRAM address and writes to the LCD (this is essentially what our PSRAM framebuffer does behind the scenes)
• current_cluster_index property to the fat32 driver for optimizing consecutive reads (from O(n) to O(1))
• Scaling to the lcd C module and a set_scaling method to the Draw class
• Header for the picoware_psram C module
• sd_mp C module as one module for all supported devices (and removed the picoware_sd and waveshare_sd modules)

Updated:

• CCTV app to load the response into PSRAM and then split-decode into the JPEG parser (now less than 100 KB is used)
• Desktop view order of operations
• jpeg C module with the correct attribute assignment, 8 new attributes, and memory optimizations
• vector_mp C module to only cast to integer when properties are accessed (avoids the can't convert float to int warnings), adds new methods from the game engine (rotate_y, translate, and scale) for 3D rendering, and initializes with a finalizer
• Matrix Rain screensaver to use English characters only and use the char method correctly
• WiFi class to kill the thread when disconnect is called
• response C module with a header and to initialize with a finalizer
• FlipWorld and Free Roam apps to use the global thread manager
• Python Editor with better saving (press Back once, then the prompt appears to save changes)
• picoware_boards C module as one module for all supported devices

Picoware - v1.7.0

This update to the MicroPython version adds JPEG parsing, a speed boost to the Python Editor, dictionary loading support in the Keyboard class's auto complete, and a new CCTV app to watch live streams on the go!

Full details:

Updated:

• AutoComplete library with dictionary loading support
• Keyboard class to load a dictionary into auto complete if available (stored in picoware/keyboard/dictionary.txt with each word/phrase separated by a newline)
• FlipSocial with corrected text width, admin parsing, and further optimizations
• ViewManager to save the current version of Picoware to picoware/version.txt and create a picoware/keyboard directory on the SD card
• Draw class to use the new lcd C module
• image_bytearray method of the Draw class to handle 8-bit and 16-bit images
• FileBrowser to render JPG/BMP files and only show txt, log, cfg, json, py, md, bas, lua, html, css, and js files
• Python Editor to use the new vt C module (major speed boost)

Added:

• lcd C module with a config header that makes it easy to integrate other devices
• jpegdec C library and module with a JPEG Python class interface (decodes and draws JPEGs)
• image_jpeg and image_jpeg_buffer methods to the Draw class
• from_file method to the PSRAM class that loads data from a file into PSRAM memory and returns the size of the loaded data
• CCTV app: requires a list of CCTV stream URLs in picoware/cctv/dictionary.txt on the SD card
• vt C module that renders text with syntax highlighting

Picoware - v1.6.9

This is a quick patch to v1.6.8 that fixes TextBox scrolling, word overlapping in views that depended on character width, and adds an SSH Terminal app!

Picoware - v1.6.8

This is an update to the MicroPython and CircuitPython versions.

Highlights:

• Added multiple fonts/font sizes (0 for extra small, 1 for small, 2 for medium, 3 for large, and 4 for extra large) with classes
• Updated the AutoComplete C module to prevent a double free that caused a freeze in the MicroPython version on deinit
• Fixed a Pimoroni 2W freeze in the CircuitPython version

Changelog:

• Updated the PSRAM C module with classes and to deinitialize QSPI correctly
• Removed the LED class and property from the ViewManager (unused)
• Added missing bytes signature in HTTP class
• Updated the Desktop view to correctly show when WiFi is connected/disconnected (for wireless variants)
• Added an sb_deinit method to the Southbridge driver and implemented it in the Input class
• Added Font and FontSize C modules and classes
• Changed the draw_char method to char in the Draw class
• Updated CircuitPython's Desktop view to skip connecting to WiFi on desktop
• Fixed a device freeze in the CircuitPython version by reorganizing initialization
• Corrected the OTA link for the CircuitPython version
• Updated the AutoComplete C module to prevent a double free that caused a freeze in the MicroPython version on deinit
• Added get_font and len methods, font setter/getter property, and updated the default font in the Draw class

Picoware - v1.6.7

This update addresses a device freezing issue in the MicroPython and CircuitPython versions caused by keyboard polling.

Picoware - v1.6.6

This is a quick patch to v1.6.5 that fixes time syncing and support for the Pimoroni Pico Plus 2 W.

Picoware - v1.6.5

This is an update to the MicroPython and CircuitPython versions.

Added:

• response C module with a finaliser and attributes, integrated into the Response class (MicroPython)
• pre-compiled PIO headers (MicroPython)
• WiFi RSSI Monitor: monitors signal strength of nearby WiFi networks in real-time (MicroPython)
• syntax highlighting in the Python Editor app
• Tutorials.md document with a list of YouTube reviews and tutorials

Updated:

• vector C module with simplified attributes
• auto_complete C module with attributes and finaliser
• scripts in the tools directory to use make -j instead of only make to run as many jobs in parallel as possible
• picoware_sd and waveshare_sd C modules to raise an exception if file creation fails (MicroPython)
• picoware_psram C module, removing unused methods
• Settings to save LVGL settings as intended (MicroPython)
• WiFi utilities to use json instead of ujson and use const bytes for path definitions (MicroPython)
• Storage class to not check the type of file_path parameters (allows developers to pass bytes) (MicroPython)
• WiFi Scan app to allow clicking on a network to save it, followed by adding the password (MicroPython)
• main.py to use the alert from the ViewManager instance and set GC threshold (MicroPython)
• Response and AutoComplete classes to inherit from their C modules (MicroPython)
• __request method of the HTTP class with the missing parameters (CircuitPython)
• picoware_lcd C module buffers with 64-byte boundary alignment (MicroPython)

Picoware - v1.6.4 (CircuitPython cleanup)

Added:

• support for Pimoroni Pico Plus 2W (MicroPython/CircuitPython versions)
• circuit python apps
• 6 new apps:
  • ⁨Pong⁩ (game): Classic Pong game
  • ⁨Space Invaders⁩ (game): Space Invaders style game
  • ⁨Maze Runner⁩ (game): Navigate through a randomly generated maze
  • ⁨Fire effect⁩ (screensaver): Fire effect with rising flames.
  • ⁨Matrix Rain⁩ (screensaver): Matrix-style falling characters
  • ⁨Plasma Wave⁩ (screensaver): Animated plasma wave effect

Updated:

• WiFi, HTTP, and Time classes, and Python Editor in the circuit python version to match micropython's public methods/properties with circuit python libraries
• Tetris app with a complete logic rework