Martin Tan joins the show. He and Paul discuss Martin’s new book, micro:bit Projects with Python and Single Board Computers: Building STEAM Projects with Code Club and Kids’ Maker Groups.

Martin’s book at Apress: micro:bit Projects with Python and Single Board Computers [https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-1-4842-9197-9]

Martin’s book at Barnes & Noble [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/micro-martin-tan/1143175601]

00:40 Martin’s start with computers and electronics

02:25 micro:bit Projects with Python and Single Board Computers: Building STEAM Projects with Code Club and Kids’ Maker Groups

04:06 What is a Code Club?

05:07 Whom is the book intended for?

6:07 How do you keep the kids engaged?

8:44 Scratch, MicroPython and Python curriculums

10:00 How do the kids collaborate?

12:02 Favorite story from running a Code Club

14:33 Which microcontroller?

Martin Tan

Dan Halbert joins the show and shares how he started with computers, discovering CircuitPython, where CircuitPython might be going next, and more

Show Notes

00:31 Dan’s start with computers and electronics

02:54 Making computers easier to use

05:09 Discovering CircuitPython

8:40 Advice for new contributors to CircuitPython’s core

9:40 How CircuitPython is ported to new hardware

11:35 Managing CircuitPython releases

13:49 Where CircuitPython might be going in the near future

16:33 Which board?

Dan Halbert

Ben Shockley, creator of Mini Fig Boards [https://minifigboards.com] joins the show. He and Paul chat about the Mini Fig boards and how they came to be, how CircuitPython has helped in development, advice for new PCB designers, and more.

Show Notes

00:22 Ben’s start with computers and electronics

1:27 The MiniFigure boards - what are they and how did they start?

6:40 Comparing the two MiniFig boards

8:53 How has CircuitPython helped with designing the boards ?

9:51 Advice for people starting out in PCB design

11:50 Which board?

Ben Shockley

Seth Kerr joins The CircuitPython Show and shares what an FPGA is; his  creation, the IcyBlue Feather FPGA; and how it might be used with  CircuitPython.  

Visit CircuitPythonShow.com [https://circuitpythonshow.com] for show notes, transcripts, and more.  

00:33 Seth’s start with computers and electronics 

01:24 What is an FPGA? 

02:27 What are the advantages to using an FPGA? 

03:16 Seth’s process to designing boards 

05:25 The IcyBlue FPGA Feather 

09:42 How could you use the IcyBlue Feather with a CircuitPython microcontroller? 

11:55 Programming an FPGA 

14:05 Which board?

Seth Kerr

Danny Staple joins the show and discusses his latest book, Robotics at Home with Raspberry Pi PIco.

For show notes and transcripts, visit The CircuitPython Show [https://circuitpythonshow.com/] website.

Show Notes:

00:00 Intro

00:58 Danny’s start with computers and robotics

01:51 What the reader can expect from Danny’s book, Robotics with Raspberry Pi Pico

03:04 The robotics shopping list

04:30 Challenges with the parts shortage

06:20 What made CircuitPython a good choice for building the robot?

07:40 What were some of the challenges faced when writing the book?

10:25 Using Bluetooth to control the robot

12:56 How did PIO with the Raspberry Pi Pico help when building the robot?

14:32 The Monte Carlo localization algorithm

20:17  Which board?

Danny Staple

Alec Delaney joins Paul and they discuss how CircuitPython uses continuous integration for development and Alec's CircuitPythonukiah project.

This episode is brought to you by PCBWay.  Make your dreams a  reality with 10 boards starting at only $5!  Thank you to PCBWay for  their support of The CircuitPython Show. Learn more at PCBWay.com [https://pcbway.com/].

2:28 What is continuous integration (CI)?

4:36 How does CI make it easy for developers and contributors?

8:53 What are the challenges in moving to pyproject.toml?

11:11 What are the benefits of pyproject.toml?

14:56 The CircuitPythonukiah

17:14 Which board?

Alec Delaney

Mark Komus joins the show and shares how he started with computers, the Monster Eyes project, contributing to CircuitPython's core, and more.

This episode is brought to you by PCBWay.  Make your dreams a reality with 10 boards starting at only $5!  Thank you to PCBWay for their support of The CircuitPython Show. Learn more at PCBWay.com [https://pcbway.com/].

1:00 Welcome and Mark’s start with computers

2:30 Discovering CircuitPython

5:28 The Monster Eyes

8:37 Working on CircuitPython’s core

11:57 Opportunities from CircuitPython

12:50 Which microcontroller?

Support the show!  If you like what you hear, tell a friend or write a review.  Sponsor the show financially [https://github.com/sponsors/prcutler] - your support goes towards covering the costs of hosting, recording, and transcriptions.  Thank you for your support. Learn more [https://github.com/sponsors/prcutler].

Mark Komus

Joey Castillo joins the show.  He and Paul discuss the LCD Featherwing, the Open Book and its user interface, and power management.

This episode is brought to you by PCBWay.  Make your dreams a reality with 10 boards starting at only $5!  Thank you to PCBWay for their support of The CircuitPython Show. Learn more at PCBWay.com [https://pcbway.com/].

Show Notes:

1:12 Welcome and how Joey got started with computers & electronics

2:48 LCD Featherwing and implementing CircuitPython first

5:55 The OpenBook and the user interface

11:10 Managing power consumption

18:08 Which microcontroller?

Follow the show on Twitter at @circuitpyshow [https://twitter.com/circuitpyshow]

Support the show!  If you like what you hear, tell a friend or write a review.  Sponsor the show financially [https://github.com/sponsors/prcutler] - your support goes towards covering the costs of hosting, recording, and transcriptions.  Thank you for your support. Learn more [https://github.com/sponsors/prcutler].

Joey Castillo

Paul takes the podcast on the road and visits Jason Pecor in Altoona, Wisconsin. Jason shows Paul CircuitPython powered Trolls and shares how they came to be.

This episode is brought to you by PCBWay.  Make your dreams a reality with 10 boards starting at only $5!  Thank you to PCBWay for their support of The CircuitPython Show. Learn more at PCBWay.com [https://pcbway.com].

4:05 How Jason discovered CircuitPython

5:40 Meet the trolls

7:50 The park in the summertime

8:55 Proof of concept using CircuitPython

11:05 CircuitPython hardware in the trolls

12:45 Audio demo

13:30 Surviving the climate

16:05 The Blue Troll

17:41 Which microcontroller?

Follow the show on Twitter at @circuitpyshow [https://twitter.com/circuitpyshow]

Support the show!  If you like what you hear, tell a friend or write a review.  Sponsor the show financially [https://github.com/sponsors/prcutler] - your support goes towards covering the costs of hosting, recording, and transcriptions.  Thank you for your support. Learn more [https://github.com/sponsors/prcutler].

Jason Pecor (and the Trolls)

Jim Mussared, a maintainer of MicroPython, joins the show.  He and Paul discuss how MicroPython started, collaborating with CircuitPython, being a maintainer, favorite uses of MicroPython, and more.

This episode is brought to you by PCBWay [https://pcbway.com]. Make your designs a reality with ten boards starting at only $5!

1:02 Welcome and Jim’s start with electronics

3:02 Damien George starting MicroPython

3:50 MicroPython and CircuitPython

5:32 Collaborating with CircuitPython

6:10 MicroPython’s Strengths

6:45 What is it like to be a maintainer of an open source project?

8:50 Balancing open source and professional work

9:40 Favorite uses of MicroPython

11:10 Performance improvements in MicroPython

14:20 Where is MicroPython going next?

16:20 Which microcontroller?

Jim Mussared

An independent podcast with the people in and around CircuitPython. Created and hosted by Paul Cutler.