adafruit-circuitpython-week.../2020/2020-11-23.md
2020-11-23 14:23:28 -06:00

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CircuitPython Weekly for 23 November 2020

Welcome to the CircuitPython Weekly meeting notes! Feel free to add your Hug Reports and Status Updates early. During the meeting, we go through them as a round robin sorted by username. If you cant make the meeting and would still like to participate, add your notes with a “(missing meeting)” after your username and well read them off for you.

Add any longer-form discussion topics or general questions you have to the “In the weeds” section.

Thanks! We hope to see you in the meeting!

Jeff is the meeting host.

Video is available here on YouTube.

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 youd 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 were missing some.

4:06 Community News

4:14 CircuitPython 6.0.0 Stable and 6.1.0 beta 1

For more information: 6.0.0 Release and CircuitPython 6.1.0 Beta 1.

Core Development Milestone

CircuitPython 2,000 PRs

Work on the CircuitPython core just crossed 2,000 closed pull requests! - GitHub.

Adafruit MagTag Projects

Making MagTag simple test projects including a conference badge - GitHub. A MagTag Day of Week display - todbot Blog. Inspirational Quote eInk Display - Adafruit Blog and YouTube.

News from around the web!

A Zoom/Microsoft Teams mute button using CircuitPython and an Adafruit QT Py - furcean.com and Twitter.

Como iniciar en ESP32-S2 con Arduino y Circuitpython / How to boot into ESP32-S2 with Arduino and Circuitpython - YouTube (Spanish). Bitmap font editor tool - NathanDumont and GitHub.

About the newsletter

The CircuitPython Weekly Newsletter is a CircuitPython community-run newsletter emailed every Tuesday. The complete archives are here. It highlights the latest Python on hardware related news from around the web including CircuitPython, Python and MicroPython developments. To contribute your own news or project, edit next week's draft on GitHub and submit a pull request with the changes. You may also tag @anne_engineer on Twitter, or email anneb@adafruit.com.

6:44 State of CircuitPython, Libraries and Blinka

Overall

  • 27 pull requests merged
    • 15 authors - kevin-balkoski-enview, caternuson, ladyada, FoamyGuy, dglaude, bergdahl, DavePutz, Edrig, SecT0uch, makermelissa, slootsky, Targett363, jepler, brentru, dhalbert
    • 7 reviewers - kattni, ladyada, makermelissa, jepler, FoamyGuy, brentru, tannewt
  • 22 closed issues by 9 people, 15 opened by 14 people

9:00 Core

Overview: 6.0.0 stable is out, please let us know if there are issues. Beta 1 is out, should work well. Rapidly approaching stable on the S2 - few crashes/hangs to sort, but were getting there.

11:15 Libraries

14:18 Blinka

15:28 Hug reports

@anecdata (lurking)

@anneb (lurking)

21:28 @brentru

  • Everyone who worked on the ESP32-S2
  • @makermelissa for magtag library
  • @thatch for tinyuf2 for magtag, much quicker than flashing .bin blob to esp32s2!
  • Group hug

@cater (lurking)

21:16 @charlesburnaford (lurking)

  • Group hug, Happy Thanksgiving to all

22:27 @CGrover (text only)

  • To the team and community for the release of 6.0.0. Gradually converting projects and havent run into any issues.
  • To @siddacious for his encouragement to tackle more complex I2C device drivers. His crop of CircuitPython Stemma device libraries served as excellent examples and helped me to break through expanding my coding skill set.
  • To the team that developed adafruit_circuitpython_register for working with I2C device communication. Its an amazing tool! I hope to fully understand it some day.

23:03 @danh

  • @microDev and @tannewt for their previous very helpful work on deep sleep
  • @kattni for the great Which Board” guide

@DaveP (lurking).

23:36 @David.Glaude (lurking):

  • @UnexpectedMaker for customer support: my FeatherS2 arrived DoA, spend a lot of time troubleshoot and help me try to reflow it with (no success, new board on its way)
  • @tannew for accepting yet another PM25 PR
  • @Blake and @foamyguy for blinka-cli (too late for me for 6.0 but useful for the future)
  • @brentru for the original PyPortal version of Quarantine clock

24:13 @dherrada (text only)

  • rhooper for fixing the adabot report that goes on circuitpython.org/contributing
  • Everyone who has been releasing libraries, especially when the Adabot report wasnt working
  • Group hug

@duewester (lurking)

24:42 @foamyguy (Text only today)

  • @Blake for making and sharing a CLI utility for interacting with CircuitPython devices
  • Group hug

25:01 @hierophect

  • Group hug

15:51 @jepler

  • Helpful chats in #help-with-3dprinting, including sphereinabox, reload, sartre
  • All the people dropping by #circuitpython with info about esp32 features & bugs - back7, askpatrickw, microdev, and others Im forgetting
  • Group hug

16:36 @jerryn

  • Group hug

16:43 @kattni

  • @cater for helping with the Which CP Board is Right for You? Guide
  • @foamyguy for all of the recent MagTag library updates
  • @jepler for making it possible to run the GitHub Actions job on circuitpython-org for testing purposes

18:12 @kevinthomas - Lurking & Text Only

  • @foamyguy for continuing to work with me on the IoT Trivia and for giving me advice on the best display panels to make holiday outdoor animation projects

18:30 @MakerMelissa:

  • Group Hug

@mark(Gamblor) [ Lurking]

18:47 @microDev (text-only)

  • Group hug to the community.

18:56 @tannewt

  • @jepler for many reviews and merges
  • Benny E for the improved connect() logic
  • Gsteiert for help with imx rt.
  • Foamyguy, cater, deshipu and anecdata for helping folks over the weekend

19:32 @v923z

  • @jepler for his generous support with ulab testing and github issues.
  • Github user @mouryarahul for his help with test scripts
  • @danh for outlining a solution to a micropython-circuitpython discrepancy.
  • @circuitpython, AKA group hug

25:19 Status Updates

@anecdata (lurking)

@anneb (lurking)

40:04 @brentru

  • Updated ESP32-S2 examples, Adafruit IOT HTTP Circuitpython library for compat. With new requests/s2
  • In-progress: Updating MiniMQTT for CPython, ESP32s2 (“native socket”) compatibility

@cater (lurking)

41:00 @CGrover (text only)

  • As part of the DC motor dynamometer project, developed and tested a CircuitPython driver for my custom NAU7802 24-bit bridge sensor ADC FeatherWing. The NAU7802 wing will be used to measure rotary torque from two load cells.
  • Next week:
    • Wrap up the mechanical apparatus for the DC motor tester and work on the brake motor scheme. Incorporate two INA260 breakouts to measure individual motor power characteristics.
    • Upgrade the five Trinket M0 -based holiday window display control modules from CircuitPython 4.0.0 to to 6.0.0. Might be time to introduce some fancy animations.

@charlesburnaford (lurking)

41:52 @danh

  • Coded over the weekend and really close to testing deep sleep on the ESP32-S2. Focused on timed sleep, but doing background work on pin alarms.

43:19 @David.Glaude (lurking):

@dherrada (text only)

  • Essentially finishing guide on submitting projects to oshwa via the api
  • This week
    • Doing guide on vscode on the raspberry pi

@duewester (lurking)

44:34 @foamyguy (Text only today)

  • Testing out blinka-cli utility for managing devices. Adding Linux support and some atmel board identifiers
  • Added text slide support to the SlideShow library
  • Adapted examples for display_shapes, display_text, and bitmap_font to work on MagTag
  • Final touches on IoT Trivia app with UM Feather S2 and OLED Featherwing
  • Next Week
    • Add --commit-hash flag to update function in the blinka CLI tool
    • Work on dashboard for weather and forecast from OpenWeather API for the MagTag

45:20 @hierophect

  • Last week:
    • Did an early thanksgiving and also moved
    • Some reviews and Arduino work
  • This week
    • New Arduino Neopixel RMT build
    • Fix ESP32S2 bus pin claiming
    • Reviews for new modules
    • Complete pin reset overhaul
  • Fun stuff:
    • Robotis talk

@Jayguitar (lurking)

25:47 @jepler

  • Last week:
    • Esp32s2 dominated my time - i2c and i2s, to maximize my acronym confusion
  • This week:
    • Back to i2c, the “fix” didnt make sense and there are further reports of problems (but my magtag is working fine, so first step is to reproduce the problems again)
    • Finish a joint project with my wife, titled “twinkle twinkle little scarf”. Needs a 3d printed electronics holder and thats on me.

27:11 @jerryn

  • Fixed example for r503 sensor in adafruit_fingerprint lib
    • Adjusted image size. PR waiting for review.
  • Tied up with work all week … not much playtime … sigh

28:14 @kattni

  • Last week:
    • Fixed circuitpython.org/contributing and /libraries! (Adabot to be specific.) (Belated hug report to @krayola for doing all the Adabot work!)
    • Published the Which CircuitPython Board is Right for You? guide
    • Tested Slideshow library update from @foamyguy
    • Creating four fritzing objects
    • Updated BME280 guide with STEMMA QT rev update
    • Added GIF of MagTag entering ROM bootloader to ROM Bootloader guide page
  • Today so far:
    • Added Beginner Boards page to Which CP Board is Right for You? Guide
  • This week:
    • Test Slideshow library PR from @foamyguy
    • MagTag Project - wreath with festive animations
    • Half day Wednesday.
  • For…. fun?
    • Attempting to dismantle an unexpected frozen 9lb turkey

33:41 @kevinthomas - Lurking & Text Only

  • Last Week:
    • Created the micro:bit V2 Study Buddy project which is an Electronic Educational Engagement Tool designed to help students learn a new classroom subject with the assistance of a micro:bit TED (Talking Educational Database) and a micro:bit TEQ (Talking Educational Quiz). I will be presenting this project at the micro:bit LIVE virtual conference on Friday December 4th. The project is freely available on my GitHub repo.
    • Continued work with @foamyguy on our IoT Trivia app.
    • Updated the Python For Kids (minipython.org) FREE Online Python Development Course to cover the micro:bit V2 when it is released next month.
  • This Week:
    • Continue to work with @foamyguy on our IoT Trivia app.
    • Continue to build-out CircuitPython mini projects.

34:26 @MakerMelissa

  • Last Week:
    • Fixed an issue with the 1.3” display on the Raspberry Pi by rewriting the Device Tree Overlay
    • Made some improvements to the MagTag library
    • Tested the WebBluefruit Playground app to find it fixed itself
    • Fixed an issue with the BNO055 not working with WebSerial
    • Worked on WebSerial ESPTool and got to a point where Im trying to get it to sync
    • Updated my existing guides based on feedback I received
  • This Week:
    • Work on debugging Webserial ESPTool to get it to sync
    • Start working on a common Portal library that existing Portal libraries will build off of in order to make maintaining the libraries easier

35:54 @microDev (text-only)

  • Fixed a bug in touchio.
  • Finished my implementation of NVM, FrequencyIO & PS/2-IO for the esp32s2.
  • A PR for i2c-peripheral support is on the way and with that merged in... the esp32s2 port will have the most number of modules supported.

36:21 tannewt

  • Released Beta 1.
  • Swapped the website to making its own download urls and making files.json smaller
  • Need to fix PR message for website update. Language list is broken.
  • PR out for speeding up JSON parsing.
  • Also PR for tweaking when to retry connect.
  • Continuing to bug hunt the ESP.
    • May tweak requests to retry when a read fails after a successful send.
  • Taking Thursday and Friday off. No stream this week.

38:24 @v923z

  • Last week:
    • Separated some of the ulab functions into stand-alone and re-usable code fragments (forgot to mention last week)
    • Wrote/reviewed test scripts
    • Fixed 7 bugs
  • This week:
    • Fixing 2 more bugs
    • Possibly answering 2 feature requests
    • Updating ulab documentation

47:31 In The Weeds

@foamyguy - Unique devices identifiers in boot_out.txt.

(scheduling conflict came up. May not be around for this section. We can skip it until next week if so)

This device seems to have two variants that would both have the same contents in their boot_out.txt file:

SparkFun Qwiic Micro with samd21e18

https://circuitpython.org/board/sparkfun_qwiic_micro_with_flash/ https://circuitpython.org/board/sparkfun_qwiic_micro_no_flash/

Each variant has its own folder in the ports folder so there are two different system image files, one for each variant.

I am interested in adding something to one or the other (or both) in the text that shows up in their boot_out file so that automated tools could theoretically tell them apart. Am interested to see if anyone has thoughts about or any opposition to this?

48:30 @jepler - holiday meeting calendar - Ill PR the results into the meetings repo so the online calendar is up to date. One possibility: Normal meetings December 7, 14, 21. No meeting week of December 28. Back to normal Monday January 4.

49:30 @brentru - wifi example naming

We have a large amount of network interfaces now (CPython, ESP32S2, Ethernet, Cellular, ESP32SPI)

Examples: https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_CircuitPython_AdafruitIO/tree/master/examples/adafruit_io_http and https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_CircuitPython_Requests/tree/master/examples

Which should we use for the simpletest? Native sockets + WiFi? Should libraries with lots of examples have folders for each interface: examples/esp32spi, examples/ethernet

Potential Solution: Folders, prepend the library name to the folder name. Keep the same _esp32spi.py at the end of examples

@tannewt - Start thinking about what you want to see out of CircuitPython in 2021.

54:21 Wrap-Up