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Welcome to the latest Python on Microcontrollers newsletter! I had expected this week to be one of the more quiet ones. As is said in Europe, it’s almost Midsummer, summer vacation. But things are happening at a rapid pace nonetheless. There are new versions of mainline Python. But the just-in-time compilation features future versions have been promised is in doubt due to disagreements.
Two very cool developments I found: serial access to the filesystem of devices without native USB and using a sandboxed MicroPython via WebAssembly, much safer than the browser version of MicroPython. And will Raspberry Pi 6 drop in the next month or three? Very unlikely given the state of hardware worldwide at the moment. All of this and more in a packed issue you’ll want to scroll for interesting tidbits. - Anne Barela, Editor
Happy Midsummer! Glad midsommar! Hyvää juhannusta! Glædelig Sankt Hans! God sankthans! Gleðilega miðsumarhátíð!
We’re on Discord, Twitter/X, BlueSky and for past newsletters - view them all here. If you’re reading this on the web, please subscribe here. Here’s the news this week:
Python JIT compiler project under threat after steering council says proper process wasn’t followed
The Python steering council has surprised onlookers by asking for the suspension of new development on the JIT (just in time) compiler project from the main branch of the Python code repository, pending creation and acceptance of a new PEP (Python enhancement proposal) for the project. The announcement is unexpected because an improved JIT compiler is one of the key features of Python 3.15, for which features are frozen, and for which full release is expected in October - The Register.
Python 3.14.6 and 3.13.14 Are Now Available
Python 3.14.6 is the sixth maintenance release of 3.14, containing around 179 bugfixes, build improvements and documentation changes since 3.14.5. In addition, Python 3.13.14 is the fourteenth maintenance release of 3.13, containing around 240 bugfixes, build improvements and documentation changes since 3.13.13 - Python Blog.
CircuitPython/MicroPython Filesystem: Access via Serial
Access a CircuitPython / MicroPython device’s filesystem over the serial REPL. Ideal for boards without native USB (original ESP32, ESP32-C3, ESP32-C6 and others using USB-UART CP2102/CH340/CH9102…). Exposed three ways: FUSE, FTP, or WebDAV. All three sit on the shared library cpfs.py (raw-REPL transport + a filesystem API). cpfs.py is also usable directly and as a small CLI - GitHub. Via X.
RoSys - The Python-Based Robot Operating System
RoSys provides an easy-to-use robot system based on Python. Its purpose is similar to ROS, but RoSys is fully based on modern web technologies and focusses on mobile robotics - RoSys.io and GitHub.
Docker for Microcontrollers? AkiraOS combines Zephyr RTOS with WebAssembly (WASM) applications
AkiraOS is a Zephyr-based embedded OS that runs sandboxed WebAssembly applications on microcontrollers and lets users deploy and update firmware OTA without reflashing. In other words, it’s similar to Docker containers, but for microcontrollers. The open-source embedded platform separates the OS from the application. That means the firmware stays stable, while apps are independent .wasm binaries deployable over-the-air without touching the OS, and portable so a single binary works on ESP32-S3, nRF5x, or STM32 MCU boards - CNX.
The Raspberry Pi 6 Delay Until 2028 Solves a Problem Nobody’s Talking About
Raspberry Pi 5 arrived in 2023, almost three years ago, and brought some interesting changes. The founders recently hinted at the release date of the upcoming version in a Reddit interaction. The company doesn’t have plans to release the Raspberry Pi 6 until early 2028. It continues the tradition of a longer wait cycle and is the first good thing to hear about since the unpredictable price surge of Raspberry Pi boards - XDA.
“Raspberry Pi Zero 3W is also not possible in the near future, until the LPDDR4/4X memory prices come down. Design changes would become necessary for the Zero 3W because it would need a separate space for faster memory.”
Running Python Code in a Sandbox with MicroPython and WASM
micropython-wasm is an experimental Python package for running small snippets of MicroPython in a fresh WebAssembly sandbox Under an Apache 2.0 license - Simon Willison and GitHub.
It is designed around:
- A custom MicroPython WASI artifact, not the Emscripten browser/Node build.
- The official wasmtime Python package.
- A fresh Wasmtime instance for one-shot execution, plus an optional persistent session API backed by a background thread.
- No host filesystem access unless an explicit read-only directory is preopened.
- No network capability.
- Configurable WebAssembly memory, fuel, and wall-clock controls.
Why Python Dependency Management Trips Up So Many New Developers
Transitioning to Python as a systems engineer turned analyst can feel like stepping into a minefield. Every attempt to execute code may hit a wall: missing dependencies, version conflicts, or cryptic errors. It’s not just about writing algorithms, it’s about wrestling with an ecosystem that seems designed to resist newcomers. Python’s promise of simplicity collides with the reality of its decentralized package management, creating a paradox where the language’s flexibility becomes its barrier to entry - HackerNoon.
This Week’s Python Streams
Python on Hardware is all about building a cooperative ecosphere which allows contributions to be valued and to grow knowledge. Below are the streams within the last week focusing on the community.
CircuitPython Deep Dive Stream
Last Friday, Tim subs for Scott and streamed work on Circup Run and pytest integration.
You can see the latest video and past videos on the Adafruit YouTube channel under the Deep Dive playlist - YouTube.
CircuitPython Parsec
John Park’s CircuitPython Parsec this week is on LCD Character Button Movement - Adafruit Blog and YouTube.
Catch all the episodes in the YouTube playlist.
Deep Dive with Tim
Last week, Tim streamed work on HIL testing for CircuitPython libraries with PyTest.
You can see the latest video and past videos on the Adafruit YouTube channel under the Deep Dive playlist - YouTube.
CircuitPython Weekly Meeting
CircuitPython Weekly Meeting for June 8th, 2026 (notes) on YouTube.
Project of the Week: Examples for CircuitPython on Picopad
Maker Class updated a set of examples for CircuitPython on Picopad. Verified functionality for CircuitPython 10. Overall, there are already more than 30 examples - X and GitHub.
Popular Last Week
What was the most popular, most clicked link, in last week’s newsletter? Python Projects for Raspberry Pi: the book you’ve been waiting for to level up your skills.
Did you know you can read past issues of this newsletter in the Adafruit Daily Archive? Check it out.
New Notes from Adafruit Playground
Adafruit Playground is a new place for the community to post their projects and other making tips/tricks/techniques. Ad-free, it’s an easy way to publish your work in a safe space for free.
CairoVolt CircuitPython Battery Helper - Adafruit Playground.
Linux on Fruit Jam - Adafruit Playground.
RobCo AE7P Laser Tag Project - Adafruit Playground.
News From Around the Web
Build a Cyberpunk holographic terminal clock with Raspberry Pi Pico 2 and CircuitPython - Instructables and YouTube. Via X.
RISC-V International CEO, Andrea Gallo kicks off the day with an update full of announcements including that RISC-V market penetration set to go from 2.5% to 33.7% in just 10 years - X.
The Raspberry Pi everyone stopped talking about is still worth buying - MUO.
circuitpython-sevenseg is a lightweight CircuitPython library for controlling single digit 7 segment displays (common cathode or common anode) by Kritish Mohapatra - GitHub. Via X.
How to use virtual environments in Python - InfoWorld and YouTube.
Pi-based Peppe’s ghost LiDAR scanner - Raspberry Pi News and YouTube.
Not all ESP32 boards are built equal—here’s why the manufacturer actually matters - How-To Geek.
“Disassembly, swapping out the LiPo, reassembly, a bit of hacking and Python, and we’ve got an FPV explorer robot” - X.
Alexander Mitzkus writes: “If a colleague asks you if they can build a DIY keyboard-shortcut-button-box-for-powerpoint-ui-papercuts, you should always agree to do it. The large 30 mm arcade buttons are a great touch. The Adafruit Kee Boar is a super fun board. I’d argue CircuitPython is a little too easy. I was able to get the button input as HID device with the documentation in minutes” - Mastodon.
Six projects I’ve already built with my $15 Raspberry Pi Zero 2W - XDA.
Ten GitHub repositories for web development in Python - KDnuggets.
Package managers: uv vs pip in 2026, it’s 8x faster, tested - Tech Insider.
Five must-know Python concepts for AI engineers - KDnuggets.
Why Python is easy to start but hard to master - YouTube.
New
M5Stack Capsule v1.1 is a Stamp-S3A-based IoT controller with a microSD card slot, several sensors (6-axis IMU, microphone), an IR transmitter, a built-in 250 mAh battery, a few buttons, a buzzer, an RTC, and expansion capabilities through GPIO headers and a Grove connector. It’s an upgrade to the earlier Capsule based on the Stamp-S3 module. The new version still features an ESP32-S3 WiFi and Bluetooth microcontroller, 8MB flash, a USB-C port, and a few GPIOs - CNX.
The Armbian community has just released the Armbian Imager 2.0 GUI program to easily flash pre-built Armbian-built Ubuntu or Debian images for over 338 boards from 64 SBC vendors. The new version features a slick user interface rewritten from scratch and implements custom user profiles in the settings with username and password, SSH key, Wi-Fi network credentials and country code, timezone, locale, and shell. That means the board is ready to use after flashing. In some ways it’s similar to the Raspberry Pi Imager 2.0, except it covers a much broader ecosystem of single board computers - CNX.
New Boards Supported by CircuitPython
The number of supported microcontrollers and Single Board Computers (SBC) grows every week. This section outlines which boards have been included in CircuitPython or added to CircuitPython.org.
This week there were six new boards added:
Note: For non-Adafruit boards, please use the support forums of the board manufacturer for assistance, as Adafruit does not have the hardware to assist in troubleshooting.
Looking to add a new board to CircuitPython? It’s highly encouraged! Adafruit has four guides to help you do so:
New Adafruit Learning System Guides
The Adafruit Learning System has over 3,200 free guides for learning skills and building projects including using Python.
Use Blinka in Ubuntu Core on Raspberry Pi from Tim C
CircuitPython Libraries
The CircuitPython library numbers are continually increasing, while existing ones continue to be updated. Here we provide library numbers and updates!
To get the latest Adafruit libraries, download the Adafruit CircuitPython Library Bundle. To get the latest community contributed libraries, download the CircuitPython Community Bundle.
If you’d like to contribute to the CircuitPython project on the Python side of things, the libraries are a great place to start. Check out the CircuitPython.org Contributing page. If you’re interested in reviewing, check out Open Pull Requests. If you’d like to contribute code or documentation, check out Open Issues. We have a guide on contributing to CircuitPython with Git and GitHub, and you can find us in the #help-with-circuitpython and #circuitpython-dev channels on the Adafruit Discord.
You can check out this list of all the Adafruit CircuitPython libraries and drivers available.
The current number of CircuitPython libraries is 570!
New Libraries
Here is this week’s new CircuitPython library:
Updated Libraries
Here is this week’s updated CircuitPython library:
What’s the CircuitPython team up to this week?
What is the team up to this week? Let’s check in:
Dan
I fixed some Espressif BLE issues and I’m working on some more. I also tested a fix for BLE and WiFi workflow in CircuitPython that prevented writing files.
I did some performance tests running local LLM models on my regular Intel Ultra 7 265 development machine, and compared its performance with a Mac Mini M1. I don’t have a separate graphics card on the Intel box, so I tried the 20 core CPU and also its integrated GPU. Tokens/second performance was noticeably slower on the GPU than just using a lot of CPU cores. Also, interestingly, there was a noticeable difference between Windows and Linux, probably due to the underlying drivers. The Mac Mini M1 held its own against the newer Intel chip, but the Mini only has 8 GB of RAM, so the models it can use are limited.
I don’t have an immediate use for a local LLM but this testing was a good introduction for me.
Tim
This week I finished up the guide for using Blinka in Ubuntu Core on a Raspberry Pi and it’s now published. I’ve started working on moving some CircuitPython runner scripts I’ve been developing for on device testing into Circup. It will become a new circup run command. I’m also working on my next guide project: a Pi video feedback system inspired by this blogpost. Here are a few photos I’ve captured so far using the feedback effect and other filters.
Scott
I leave for vacation tomorrow, so I’ve been heads down on PCB design to order before I leave. I revised P4HIL to v2 with extra IO expanders to control the pin pulls. I also made a left handed Ploopy Classic Trackball. (I fried my v1 with a bad USB hub) Lastly, I’m revisiting the Gameboy cartridge project to use the RP2350 microcontroller.
Liz
I returned from vacation this week. I’ve started working on a new project: a chiptune player. This is based on an Arduino project that emulates the AY-3-8910. I’ve ported it to CircuitPython, taking advantage of synthio. I have decompiled YM format music files playing back through an I2S DAC. The next steps are to add a GUI with a TFT FeatherWing.
Upcoming Events
The next MicroPython Meetup in Melbourne will be on June 24 – Luma. You can see recordings of previous meetings on YouTube.
EuroPython 2026 is coming to Kraków, Poland 13-19 July, 2026. Join thousands of Python enthusiasts for a week of learning, networking, and community.
Other Events This Year
- PyOhio 2026 is from 25 July through 26 July, 2026 this year in Cleveland, USA.
- HOPE 26 Conference is from August 14th through 16th at the New Yorker Hotel, NY, NY.
- PyCon AU 2026 will be 26 Aug. 2026 – 30 Aug. 2026 in Brisbane, Australia
If you know of virtual events or upcoming events, please let us know via email to cpnews(at)adafruit(dot)com.
Latest Releases
CircuitPython’s stable release is 10.2.1 and its unstable release is 10.3.0-alpha.2. New to CircuitPython? Start with our Welcome to CircuitPython Guide.
20260606 is the latest Adafruit CircuitPython library bundle.
20260611 is the latest CircuitPython Community library bundle.
v1.28.0 is the latest MicroPython release. Documentation for it is here.
3.14.6 is the latest Python release. The latest pre-release version is 3.15.0b2.
4,513 Stars Like CircuitPython? Star it on GitHub!
Call for Help – Translating CircuitPython is now easier than ever
One important feature of CircuitPython is translated control and error messages. With the help of fellow open source project Weblate, we’re making it even easier to add or improve translations.
Sign in with an existing account such as GitHub, Google or Facebook and start contributing through a simple web interface. No forks or pull requests needed! As always, if you run into trouble join us on Discord, we’re here to help.
38,978 Thanks
The Adafruit Discord community, where we do all our CircuitPython development in the open, reached nearly 39,000 humans - thank you! Adafruit believes Discord offers a unique way for Python on hardware folks to connect. Join today at https://adafru.it/discord.
ICYMI - In case you missed it
Python on hardware is the Adafruit Python video-newsletter-podcast! The news comes from the Python community, Discord, Adafruit communities and more and is broadcast on ASK an ENGINEER Wednesdays. The complete Python on Hardware weekly videocast playlist is here. The video podcast is on iTunes, YouTube, Instagram, and XML.
The weekly community chat on Adafruit Discord server CircuitPython channel - Audio / Podcast edition - Audio from the Discord chat space for CircuitPython, meetings are usually Mondays at 2pm ET, this is the audio version on iTunes, Pocket Casts, Spotify, and XML feed.
Contribute
The CircuitPython Weekly Newsletter is a CircuitPython community-run newsletter emailed every Monday. To contribute your content, please email your news to cpnews (at) adafruit (dot) com with information and link(s) to your content.
Join the Adafruit Discord or post to the forum if you have questions.
