Arduino IDE: Writing python sketches for Microcontrollers

 

ARDUINO 1.8.13

"The open-source Arduino Software (IDE) makes it easy to write code and upload it to the board. It runs on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. The environment is written in Java and based on Processing and other open-source software. "

Go to the Getting Started page for Installation instructions.

The Arduino IDE has been an excellent solution for creating python sketches on my MacBook Pro and testing them with the Raspberry Pi & ESP32-POE-ISO Microcontrollers. Python was an obvious choice since it is native to all of the Microcontrollers used and can be used in TouchDesigner, MSP/MAX, and Processing, and there are a ton of open source libraries and resources available. The main reasons I went with the Arduino IDE is because it was familiar to the other programmers that I've been interacting with as an intern at a startup company. The other reason was because it's open source, easy to use, and is cross platform (meaning it works with OSX, Windows, and Linux). As a creative technologist intern, I have to create prototypes and code them in a way that allows smooth integration into a larger network of devices throughout a 12,000 sq ft space.

When prototyping & debugging, I've been able to quickly alter code and write to the board, which has allowed me to see results almost immediately. A lot of things look great on paper, but until you actually try it/ do it, you don't really know.