Real Python Podcast Episode #161 Title Artwork

Episode 161: Resources and Advice for Building CircuitPython Projects

The Real Python Podcast

Jun 23, 2023 1h 13m

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Christopher Bailey
Christopher Bailey
Host
Tod Kurt
Tod Kurt
Guest

Are you looking to advance your CircuitPython projects? Would you like a collection of resources and tools to help you along your path? This week on the show, Tod Kurt is here to discuss building projects with CircuitPython.

Tod has been working with embedded electronics for a long time and has been an active member of the Arduino community. He recently started to build projects using CircuitPython, and it has become his preferred prototype method.

He shares software resources, hardware tools, and advice about working with CircuitPython and embedded electronics. We discuss several of his music hardware projects and the libraries and modules that he uses for synthesis. He also shares a powerful online prototyping tool to plan your project before spending money or plugging in a soldering iron.

Topics:

  • 00:00:00 – Introduction
  • 00:02:17 – Tod’s background and ThingM
  • 00:06:37 – The Bootloader Podcast
  • 00:09:58 – Why did you move from C to Python?
  • 00:13:47 – Starting new projects with CircuitPython instead of Arduino
  • 00:17:14 – Advantages of the Arduino language
  • 00:21:07 – Modules that extend CircuitPython with C
  • 00:25:23 – Synthesis and sample playback in CircuitPython
  • 00:32:54 – Video Course Spotlight
  • 00:34:13 – ulab for NumPy-like functionality in CircuitPython
  • 00:39:20 – Raspberry Pi Pico as inexpensive project board
  • 00:46:08 – STEMMA QT and breadboards
  • 00:48:40 – Powering projects with a USB power bank
  • 00:51:25 – Software tools - tio, circup, and discotool
  • 00:56:55 – CircuitPython tricks GitHub repo
  • 00:59:44 – Wokwi simulator for CircuitPython and Raspberry Pi Pico
  • 01:01:25 – PCB board design resources
  • 01:03:27 – todbot projects on Tindie
  • 01:06:11 – Hardware tools for projects
  • 01:08:21 – What are you excited about in the world of Python?
  • 01:09:42 – What do you want to learn next?
  • 01:11:30 – How can people follow your work online?
  • 01:12:50 – Thanks and goodbye

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