MicroIDE Aims to Put an Entire Integrated Development Environment Into Your ESP32 or ESP8266
Built on MicroPython, MicroIDE puts an entire web server and browser-based IDE on an ESP32 — and soon, the ESP8266 too.
Developer Ronny Neufeld is aiming to make ESP32 development easier than ever with MicroIDE, an effort to embed not just the MicroPython programming language but an entire integrated development environment (IDE) into a microcontroller.
"MicroIDE is an Integrated Development Environment for microcontrollers," Neufeld writes of the project. "[It's] completely embedded into the firmware. Full access and control over internal/external files. Data visualization and Command Terminal emulation. Simple to add custom modules for rapid development."
"[MicroIDE] supports ESP32 chips with Wi-Fi (ESP8622 to follow). [It has an] Integrated Web Server (GET & PUT) for read/write, accessible from anywhere via Port Forwarding. Eliminates special software requirements. Wireless editing of code via local website."
The MicroIDE software is only one half of the puzzle: Neufeld is also working on a custom MicroIDE development board, taking an ESP32 module and fitting it to into a circuit board based on the Arduino Uno form factor. Still in the prototyping phase, these boards are said to be 5V and 12V tolerant, have a microSD card slot and lithium-polymer battery charging circuit, and offer an OLED header for an optional display module.
MicroIDE is currently available to download for the ESP32, but the project is still in its early stages with little in the way of documentation. Neufeld has indicated the software is free for non-commercial use, but cannot be distributed without written permission — a shift away from the permissive MIT license used by MicroPython proper.
More information, and the ESP32 firmware to try it yourself, can be found on the MicroIDE website.
