Porting Embedded Systems Part-1: (MicroPython to SensorTile)

This is about series of projects that will be focusing on software porting to various embedded hardware and microcontrollers.

In this first part of the series, we will be focusing on porting MicroPython to SensorTile from STMicroelectronics.

During the recently concluded hackster.io, SensorTile competition, I started to port micropython to SensorTile hardware and now in this article I am here to extending on that project to complete and documents the porting process. Also to show how the SensorTile can be programmed and driven with micropython.

Included in the diagram above is the pins connection for flashing SensorTile extracted from its user guide.

Below is a video showing the connection and how I flash MicroPython onto the board using an ST-Link v2 debugger/programmer.

Showing the SensorTile being recognised by my PC as an HID device. For now the board is being seen as a pyBoard hence PYBFLASH which is the default in MicroPython but everything is working as it should.

Below is the my first test drive using MicroPython REPL (Read Evaluate Print Loop), an interactive and code exploration environment. Later in the series, I will be extending this for my class/workshop/community teaching sessions. :) Also to get replit running locally for interactive workshop sessions (see: https://github.com/replit ) if you want to do similar things in your local Hackster live. Thank you everybody at hackster.io thumb up! :)

Our first "Hello World", well "Hello SensorTile" showing a running MicroPython on STMelectronics SensorTile.

Lookout for the my firmware and also you can download from Shaoziyang on his github repository (https://github.com/shaoziyang/MicroPython_firmware ). In the 3rd of this series, I will be covering on how you can setup your own environment on Linux box to compile MicroPython, SensorTile bootloader, demo apps, etc...

That is it! For our part-1: Yes this is the first part of the series.

In part-2, we will exploring various features including GPIO, sensors available on the board. Please stay tune and come back soon!

God blesses!!!

Best regards,

Sanyaade