The future of Micropython and Pyboard

[micGHkent]

I am very new to 32 bit Micros and the available hardware and software. I have just searched worldwide for a Pyboard and only found 'not in stock's'. Also there appears to be some new versions of Python popping up. I am trying to avoid a rabbit hole to nowhere.
Comments please.
Mick (old retired EE)

[peterhinch]

Pyboards are like hens' teeth at the moment because of STM chip availability issues. MicroPython supports numerous platforms, including the various ESP32 boards. I would look at the Raspberry Pico and Pico W: if you're an EE like myself you'll like the capability for hard ISR's and also their unique IO FSM's. Not to mention their super low prices...

[micGHkent]

Hello Peter, Thanks for your response. Like I said I am very new to the 32 bit field. I was a machine controls engineer so a lot of ME mixed in with the EE. My hobby choice of controllers was the Microchip PIC's and I programmed with a compiler from CCS and Microchips own, both in 'C'. I have spent a good bit of time on the ST website and bought a new board with a new series of the STM32, the H503. The Nucleo-H503RB was just announced this month and I already have one on my bench. ST has a free IDE and programmer as well as established (read expensive) third partys, IAR and Arm Keil. They all work in C and C++ and don't mention Python or Micropython. They probably don't like 'Open source' due to the lack of a business organization. Anyway both Adafruit and Sparkfun have plenty of STM32 modules in stock.
Thank-you for the Raspberry Pico suggestion. I'll take a good look at that choice. I do think I have a Raspberry Pi in my collection of old projects. I see a Raspberry Pi camera on my shelf. I want a wireless connection due to much trouble with Win 11 com ports. Mick

[peterhinch]

Raspberry Pi and Pico are entirely different. As you doubtless know, the Pi runs Linux whereas the Pico is a "bare metal" device with no OS. The Pico can therefore offer fast realtime performance. The Pico W has WiFi, provided by a separate chip. It therefore retains its "bare metal" credentials. (The Pyboard D uses a similar design, of a separate WiFi chip).

At risk of being contentious the solution to Win 11 com ports is simple. Run Linux. :)

[jimmo]

The pyboard product and the MicroPython project run mostly independently from eachother. MicroPython runs on hundreds of other boards across several chip vendors and families. See https://micropython.org/download

The pyboard is a reference platform of sorts, as well as being a revenue source to help fund the development of MicroPython. As Peter said, the chip shortage made it very hard to get the STM32F4 and STM32F7 parts as well as a few other support parts. There is a new pyboard in the works based on the super-low-power Ambiq Apollo chips (that was hinted at in the 10 year poster: https://micropython.org/resources/MicroPython10YearsPoster.pdf), and we hope to resume distribution of the original ST pyboards at some stage soon.

I have spent a good bit of time on the ST website and bought a new board with a new series of the STM32, the H503. The Nucleo-H503RB was just announced this month and I already have one on my bench.

Unfortunately we haven't quite got support for the H5 ready yet (like you say, it's very new!). MicroPython support is in the works -- see #11138
So at some point quite soon you'll see the STM32H573I_DK firmware show up on the downloads page, and it should be relatively straightforward to add support for the H5 Nucleos after that.

I do think I have a Raspberry Pi in my collection of old projects. I see a Raspberry Pi camera on my shelf.

Just in case, it sounds like you might be talking about the regular Raspberry Pi (i.e. not the Pico). MicroPython doesn't support this (we only support the Pico), but CircuitPython does have full Raspberry Pi support, so might be worth checking that out.