2023 was an unexpectedly tough yr for me. My mother was recognized with late stage pancreatic most cancers in November and handed away on the finish of December. In that point we spent a bunch of household time collectively and I’m grateful to Limor, Phil, the remainder of my Adafruit colleagues and the CircuitPython group for permitting me to do this. I really like working with all of you.

Final yr, I wrote about how 2023 can be rebalancing in direction of extra CircuitPython and it was… till November. Earlier than then, Ari began daycare (dependable childcare is splendidly liberating) and I moved my workplace out of the home right into a separate area. That left me with extra, devoted time to work on CircuitPython, re-engage with the CircuitPython group, and begin streaming Deep Dives once more. It makes me completely satisfied.

CircuitPython is one thing particular to me. I’ve spent the final seven-ish years of my profession working to make computing extra accessible by means of CircuitPython. Dropping my mother has made me take into consideration how I’m spending my time and I feel CircuitPython is worth it. Computer systems are unimaginable instruments that everybody ought to have entry to.

I’m wanting ahead to persevering with to push CircuitPython’s ease-of-use, openness and capabilities in 2024 so extra of us are empowered by know-how.

Workflows

Yearly I speak about how of us can edit CircuitPython code and this yr is not any totally different. I name this the “workflow” and it’s important to who has the know-how to develop their very own code for CircuitPython. The unique USB workflow required a cable between a CircuitPython-capable machine and desktop or laptop computer.

Cellular

Final yr I highlighted how a lot progress we made on cell modifying by way of PyLeap and File Glider on iOS and Android. Now you can wirelessly edit from a cell machine over BLE and WiFi. Not many individuals do although. To many individuals it’s nonetheless a fantasy. They don’t know you possibly can. It’s now not a technical downside, it’s a data downside. In 2024, I’m hoping we are able to develop the quantity of people that know they’ll edit from a cell machine. There are just a few methods I can see us rising cell use:

• Presenting about CircuitPython at a convention or two this yr about our workflows.
• Tasks and corresponding guides that require wi-fi programming when in an enclosure.
• Internet workflow from a desktop leads of us to the wi-fi world.

In fact, as extra of us use these workflows, they’ll discover bugs that we are able to repair to enhance the expertise. This workflow is tremendous new and is a long run wager.

Standalone

In 2024 I’m wanting forwards to exploring a standalone CircuitPython workflow. In 2023 we add DVI video help with picodvi and  RGB “dotclock” show help which offer larger decision shows from CircuitPython. We additionally added USB Host help with native keyboard help. So now you possibly can view the serial output on a show and enter serial knowledge by way of a keyboard. These actions are the core of a workflow.

This yr we should always mix these two options into one board that can be utilized as a standalone CircuitPython laptop. This may permit of us to program a CircuitPython machine with out one other laptop in any respect. Proper now will probably be tough as a result of there isn’t a inbuilt textual content editor. Nevertheless, we are able to pull inspiration from the 8-bit period of computer systems and extra fashionable “fantasy consoles” to discover modifying and operating code on one CircuitPython machine.

Return of Adabox

I’m excited to see Adabox return in 2024. As I’ve talked about, documenting, explaining and advertising new capabilities of CircuitPython is important to their adoption. Implementation alone isn’t sufficient. Adabox is an effective way to spotlight the newest and best issues that CircuitPython can do.

Conclusion

I’m wanting ahead to this yr! We’ve achieved many cool issues with CircuitPython to this point and it’s simply going to get higher. We’ve got a backlog of cool stuff to show individuals and can inevitably provide you with extra cool concepts this yr.

Thanks to everybody who makes CircuitPython and it’s group wonderful. I’m so completely satisfied to be right here.

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