# CircuitPython Weekly for October 5th, 2020
Video is available here [on YouTube](https://youtu.be/_BuIctXIFwo).


Join here for the chat all week: http://adafru.it/discord


The CircuitPython Weekly happens normally at 2pm ET/11am PT on Mondays. Check the #circuitpython channel on Discord for notices of change in time and links to past meetings. Meeting times are also available in iCal format using the following link: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/adafruit/adafruit-circuitpython-weekly-meeting/master/meeting.ical for use with standard calendar applications or in your browser: https://open-web-calendar.herokuapp.com/calendar.html?url=https://raw.githubusercontent.com/adafruit/adafruit-circuitpython-weekly-meeting/master/meeting.ical


If you want to be able to participate in the meeting by speaking, you will need to be added to the @circuitpythonistas role on Discord. Please ask any one of the moderators or admins to add you if you’d like to join.


CircuitPython development is sponsored by Adafruit. Please support them by purchasing hardware from https://adafruit.com.


Reminders: Podcast available on most services. Let us know if we’re missing some.
________________
## 5:50 Community News
### A CircuitPython Programmable Watch
 CircuitPython Watch 

 CircuitPython Watch 

Twitter user TG-Techie is progressing with work on a watch running CircuitPython.
Choosing CircuitPython for the firmware was certainly the right choice, having a REPL makes testing on-board components easy as py.
In the latest updates, the new GUI framework is coming along - Twitter.

### 5:30 Join the Python Developers Survey 2020
Python Developers Survey 2020 

This year, the Python Software Foundation is conducting the fourth iteration of the official Python Developers Survey. The goal is to capture the current state of the language and the ecosystem around it. By comparing the results with last year’s, they can identify and share with everyone the hottest trends in the Python community and the key insights into it.
In 2019, more than 24,000 Python users from 150 countries participated and shared how they use the language.
Contribute to the community’s knowledge. The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete - Python Blog.


### 6:03 Unexpected Maker FeatherS2
 FeatherS2 

The FeatherS2 is a PRO ESP32-S2 based development board in a Feather format. This Feather has some nice extras: 16MB Flash, 8MB PSRAM, and a STEMMA QT/Qwiic connector. It comes flashed with CircuitPython 6.0 Beta 1 - Unexpected Maker.

### This is a preview of the Python for Microcontrollers newsletter. 
You can submit your own news and stories by emailing anne (at) adafruit.com or tagging @anne_engineer on Twitter, or by submitting a PR to the GitHub repo.
Drafts can always be found here: https://github.com/adafruit/circuitpython-weekly-newsletter/tree/gh-pages/_drafts

## 7:06 State of CircuitPython, Libraries and Blinka


### Overall
* 12 pull requests merged
  * 8 authors - brentru, dherrada, jepler, siddacious, ThomasBurgess2000, makermelissa, caternuson, kattni
  * 6 reviewers - brentru, tannewt, jepler, ladyada, makermelissa, caternuson
* 16 closed issues by 6 people, 12 opened by 12 people
* Assigned Hacktoberfest label to 27 issues.


Overall: It is good to see the large number of people participating in the community by filing bug reports.  Beta 1 was released last week, and Beta 2 will be released today in particular to fix a problem with RGBMatrix.  In Libraries, we continue to add new hardware support, this time with a library contributed by a community member.  Blinka continues to add support for new boards, as well as behind the scenes improvements.
### 10:01 Core
* 1 pull requests merged
  * 1 authors - jepler
  * 1 reviewers - ladyada
* 18 open pull requests
  * https://github.com/adafruit/circuitpython/pull/3044 (Open 110 days)
  * https://github.com/adafruit/circuitpython/pull/3144 (Open 86 days)
  * https://github.com/adafruit/circuitpython/pull/3192 (Open 73 days)
  * https://github.com/adafruit/circuitpython/pull/3291 (Open 48 days)
  * https://github.com/adafruit/circuitpython/pull/3349 (Open 37 days)
  * https://github.com/adafruit/circuitpython/pull/3454 (Open 12 days)
  * https://github.com/adafruit/circuitpython/pull/3459 (Open 11 days)
  * https://github.com/adafruit/circuitpython/pull/3467 (Open 10 days)
  * https://github.com/adafruit/circuitpython/pull/3484 (Open 6 days)
  * https://github.com/adafruit/circuitpython/pull/3482 (Open 6 days)
  * https://github.com/adafruit/circuitpython/pull/3487 (Open 5 days)
  * https://github.com/adafruit/circuitpython/pull/3493 (Open 4 days)
  * https://github.com/adafruit/circuitpython/pull/3492 (Open 4 days)
  * https://github.com/adafruit/circuitpython/pull/3501 (Open 3 days)
  * https://github.com/adafruit/circuitpython/pull/3498 (Open 3 days)
  * https://github.com/adafruit/circuitpython/pull/3509 (Open 2 days)
  * https://github.com/adafruit/circuitpython/pull/3505 (Open 2 days)
  * https://github.com/adafruit/circuitpython/pull/3510 (Open 1 days)
* 1 closed issues by 1 people, 1 opened by 1 people
* Assigned Hacktoberfest label to 19 issues.
* 326 open issues
  * https://github.com/adafruit/circuitpython/issues
* 7 active milestones
  * 6.0.0: 5 open issues
  * 6.x.0 - Features: 3 open issues
  * 6.x.x - Bug Fixes: 11 open issues
  * 7.0.0: 3 open issues
  * Libraries: 12 open issues
  * Long term: 287 open issues
  * Support: 3 open issues
  * 2 issues not assigned a milestone


* Core download stats available at https://circuitpython.org/stats


### 11:16 Libraries
* 10 pull requests merged
  * 7 authors - brentru, dherrada, siddacious, ThomasBurgess2000, makermelissa, caternuson, kattni
  * 6 reviewers - brentru, tannewt, jepler, ladyada, makermelissa, caternuson
  * Merged pull requests:
    * https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_CircuitPython_SharpMemoryDisplay/pull/14 (Days open: 13)
    * https://github.com/adafruit/cookiecutter-adafruit-circuitpython/pull/89 (Days open: 11)
    * https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_CircuitPython_AdafruitIO/pull/46 (Days open: 1)
    * https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_CircuitPython_FRAM/pull/22 (Days open: 1)
    * https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_CircuitPython_DisplayIO_SH1107/pull/1 (Days open: 1)
    * https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_CircuitPython_MS8607/pull/4 (Days open: 1)
    * https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_CircuitPython_MotorKit/pull/33 (Days open: 1)
    * https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_CircuitPython_LIS3DH/pull/62 (Days open: 1)
    * https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_CircuitPython_MatrixPortal/pull/24 (Days open: 1)
    * https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_CircuitPython_MatrixPortal/pull/23 (Days open: 1)
* 14 closed issues by 6 people, 11 opened by 11 people
* Assigned Hacktoberfest label to 8 issues.
* https://circuitpython.org/contributing
  * 203 open issues
  * 8 good first issues
  * 27 open pull requests (Oldest: 637, Newest: 4)
Library updates in the last seven days:
**New Libraries**
 * [Adafruit_CircuitPython_DisplayIO_SH1107](https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_CircuitPython_DisplayIO_SH1107)
**Updated Libraries**
 * [Adafruit_CircuitPython_AdafruitIO](https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_CircuitPython_AdafruitIO)
 * [Adafruit_CircuitPython_FRAM](https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_CircuitPython_FRAM)
 * [Adafruit_CircuitPython_MotorKit](https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_CircuitPython_MotorKit)
 * [Adafruit_CircuitPython_MatrixPortal](https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_CircuitPython_MatrixPortal)
 * [Adafruit_Blinka](https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_Blinka)
 * [CircuitPython_Community_Bundle](https://github.com/adafruit/CircuitPython_Community_Bundle)


### 13:39 Blinka
* 1 pull requests merged
  * 1 authors - makermelissa
  * 2 reviewers - makermelissa, ladyada
* 2 open pull requests
  * https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_Blinka/pull/304 (Open 119 days)
  * https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_Blinka/pull/322 (Open 73 days)
* 1 closed issues by 1 people, 0 opened by 0 people
* Assigned Hacktoberfest label to 0 issues.
* 25 open issues
  * https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_Blinka/issues
* PyPI Downloads in the last week: 2241
Number of supported boards: 52




## 14:31 Hug reports
@anecdata (lurking)


@anneb (lurking)


@carlfk (lurking)


15:14 @kattni
* Learn Dev for adding translation features to the Adafruit Learn System
* @DanH for a much needed chat
* @jepler for chatting with me as well
* @foamyguy for updating guides
* @tannewt for covering the meeting last week so I didn’t have to scramble coming back from being out.


@kevin thomas (lurking)


16:45 @makermelissa:
* @Paintyourdragon for pointing my to a great QT Py Haxpress image I hadn’t noticed
* @caternuson for the Neopixel SPI library which came in handy with the Jetson Nano
* Group Hug 


17:14 @Mark(Gamblor) [lurking]
        @jepler for the amazing MP3 code I keep using in all my projects


17:31 @microDev
* @kevin & @tannewt for suggesting a way to implement usb check. 


@Mr. Certainly [lurking]


@mytechnotalent [Lurking…]


17:44 @tannewt
* @ladyada for thorough testing.
* @jeff epler for help holding down the fort while Dan is healing up
* @hierophect for tackling switching back to espressif’s idf copy.


18:25 @CGrover (text only)
* To Al Sweigart for reinforcing some important coding concepts in his Python books. Looking forward to the next one.
* @mzero for an extremely helpful display coding suggestion. Added just one line of code that yielded a gigantic performance improvement for the Range_Slicer module project!
* Group hug to the team and community.


@charlesburnaford (lurking)


@davep (lurking)


18:52 @david.glaude (lurking)
* @kjw for the CLUE/Gizmo BLE scanner
* @tannewt for hint on parsing BLE advertisement
* Group hug


19:09 @deshipu
* @cwalther for the work on preserving information between restarts
* Group hug




@dherrada (lurking)


19:35 @foamyguy (text only or absent today)
* Group hug
* @jepler I think you introduced me to git grep recently. it’s been a really useful tool to have picked up.
* Hug for anyone working on and testing the ESP32-S2. Very excited to see @UnexpectedMaker’s feather, and a sneak peek at ESP32-S2 Metro on desk of ladyada


20:00 @hierophect
* @julianrendell for helping to test the updates to the new IDF
* @thach for providing input on TinyUSB and suggesting a fix for one of the IDF issues
* @jepler for his hard work on STM32 CAN
* @tannewt for his reviews
* @MarkOlsson for figuring out the USB issue with the F1 FS USB peripheral and submitting a PR


@jasonp(lurking)


21:00 @jepler
* @cwalther for working on low level memory management code, hope we get it merged soon!
* @kattni, hang in there while you deal with some junk
* @foamyguy I don’t remember if I thanked you for your core contribution. It was perfect except for just one thing we didn’t anticipate :)
* @heirophect for stepping up to test canio on stm32
* @siddacious for the work together on our various canio implementations


22:01 @jerryn
* Group Hug




## 22:14 Status Updates
@anecdata (lurking)


@anneb (lurking)


@carlfk (lurking)


23:04 @kattni
* Last week:
   * Provided a list of previously translated guides to Learn Dev to connect to their originals
   * Published and blogged the QT Py guide
   * Updated the TSL2591 guide to include the STEMMA QT version
   * Put the LTC4331 guide into moderation
   * Started the MIDI FeatherWing guide
   * Polished up the CircuitPython DisplayIO SH1107 library for release and got it released
* This week:
   * Testing LED Animation library on Trinket (ostensibly QT Py, but I don’t have one in hand yet. Trinket is close enough for this.) - Does not fit.
   * QT Py and LEDs guide.
   * Solder up QT Py Haxpress and test LED Animations library
   * Add CircuitPython page to SH1107 guide.


@kevin thomas (lurking)


27:27 @kmatch98 (text only)
* Last week:No progress to report
* This week: Create Group touch response for display elements
* Other fun stuff: Repaint and add shelves to laundry room...


@microDev (lurking)


@Mr. Certainly [lurking]


@mytechnotalent - Kevin Thomas - [Lurking…]


28:04 @tannewt
* Released Beta 1! Will release Beta 2 in the next day or two to fix RGBMatrix.
* Fixed some digitalio issues on the ESP32S2. @ladyada found with the metro
* Working on iMX boot issues
* Likely onto fixing issues for the stable release


29:49 @makermelissa
* Last Week:
   * Wrote a spritesheet animation slideshow demo for John Park’s workshop
   * Did a Jetson Nano learn guide refresh including a new SPI page
   * Added a NeoPixel page using SPI to the guide
   * Figured out how to enable using more than 170 NeoPixels on the Jetson Nano by increasing SPI buffer size and added that info the the NeoPixel page
   * Updated AdafruitIO to allow increasing SPI buffer size with an environment variable.
   * Made some minor fixes to the PiTFT installer script
   * Wrote a Blinka Installer script for the Raspberry Pi that will perform a bunch of checks and update lots of things
   * Updated MatrixPortal library to work with both RGB Matrix FeatherWings
   * Fixed an issue with the Actions CI github repo that was causing any PRs that uses pre-commit hooks to fail
   * Worked on BrainCraft HAT guide which should be ready soon
   * Did an update of the boards on the circuitpython.org website
* This week:
   * Finish BrainCraft HAT guide
   * Update Machine Learning guide with BrainCraft HAT. I needed to finish the BrainCraft HAT guide first though.


31:34 @CGrover (text only)
* Finished the foundational Range_Slicer CircuitPython library and conducted some beta tests. Improved overall latency of the primary function from > 500us to ~340us -- and learned a lot about “real time” coding schemes in the process. Wrapping up the concept video this week.
* Two new projects for the Eurorack will commence next week: a CV X-Y ‘scope and precision VCO. Both will borrow heavily from the Range_Slicer library and hardware implementation.


@charlesburnaford (lurking)


@dave p (lurking)


32:16 @david.glaude (lurking)
* Heavy work on detecting COVID apps:
   * CLUE version based on work by @kjw: https://twitter.com/DavidGlaude/status/1311435336686473216?s=20
   * Simplified version for CPB: https://twitter.com/DavidGlaude/status/1311791062445371398?s=20
* First (since a long time) direct order from @adafruit (I hope not too bad surprise from custom and VAT): QT-Py, Matrix Portal, BrainCraft, ...


32:47 @deshipu
* Making lots of keyboards recently:
   * https://hackaday.io/project/174095-dorsch-40k-keyboard
   * https://hackaday.io/project/174917-dorsch-48k-keyboard
   * https://hackaday.io/project/174982-turbot-keyboard
   * https://hackaday.io/project/175043-flatreus-keyboard 
* Soft-released my minimal keyboard library, ukeeb, an alternative to KMK https://github.com/deshipu/ukeeb 
* Only now testing 6.x with the PewPew devices, found some problems


@dherrada (lurking)


34:30 @foamyguy (text only or absent today)
* Testing the code in an older PyGamer Thermal Camera guide and getting it updated for the latest PyBadger library.
* Testing to replicate an issue with Feather STM32F405 + Feather Crickit resulting in seemingly random “OSError: [Errno 5] Input/output error”. Are there any known issues with i2c / bus_device on STM32F405 that produce this error?
* Over the weekend I built the circuit and a 3D printed box for a BLE “Smart” USB Charger that shuts off when the phone indicates the battery is full.


35:17 @hierophect
* Last week:
   * Added AnalogIn to ESP32S2
   * Switched the ESP-IDF from a custom fork to the main master branch, which required some git shenanigans
   * Started AnalogOut
* This week
   * Update the STM32F405 guide
   * Make sure ongoing PRs pass CI and can be accepted
   * Finish Analogout
   * Test CAN bus from Jeff
   * Review Mark’s F1 USB fix and help wrap up that port


@jasonp(lurking)


38:19 @jepler
* STM32 canio
* Fixing some misc. Bugs like rgbmatrix
* Code reviews
* This week will be more directed at Arduino than CircuitPython


39:34 @jerryn
* Nothing special to report
* Spent much of last week hiking in Acadia National Park - beautiful but crowded!
* I voted! Now I can ignore my phone and e-mail….


## 40:15 In The Weeds


* 40:52 @deshipu: Timers seem erratic in 6.x on SAMD21, could be related to the changes in background task handling. https://github.com/adafruit/circuitpython/issues/3504 
* 49:07 @microDev delays during cpy startup
https://github.com/adafruit/circuitpython/blob/9ed7cbf7a055e7522c74aeeb493231cad5dddd11/main.c#L397
* 58:38 @tannewt: Hacktoberfest is now opt-in. Do we want to do it?
## 1:13:09 Wrap-Up
