The release of the MicroPythonOS project version 0.18.0 is now available. This operating system is designed for microcontrollers such as the ESP32 and is developed using the MicroPython toolkit. It features a graphical interface inspired by Android and iOS, allowing control through touch screens or navigation buttons. Applications for MicroPythonOS include Internet of Things (IoT) devices, home automation systems, interactive panels, robots, and smart wearable devices with gesture-based screen control. The project can also be used for rapid prototyping of new devices. The code is written in C and Python and is distributed under the MIT license.
MicroPythonOS provides a minimal base system responsible for initializing and interacting with hardware, mounting storage devices, multitasking, and user interface. All other functionalities, such as Wi-Fi configuration and update installation, are handled by applications. The base package includes an application menu, configurator, Wi-Fi setup widget, as well as an application installation and update program.
Applications are encouraged to use the MicroPython language (a stripped-down version of Python 3) and a subset of Python libraries. External applications can be installed through a centralized App Store catalog (for example, image viewer and camera application are distributed through the App Store). Updates are delivered over the air (OTA). Support for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, audio codecs, IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) sensors, touch screens, and cameras is included.
Among the changes in the new version:
- Support has been added for the Waveshare ESP32-S3-Touch-LCD-3.5 board with a built-in 3.5-inch screen (320×480) and ES8311 audio codec.
- A 'Scan QR' button has been added to the AppStore application catalog for scanning the QR code with the program identifier (https://badgehub.eu/page/project/APP_ID, micropythonos://app/APP_ID, or mpos://app/APP_ID) to display detailed information about the application. In the camera application, link recognition for scanned QR codes has been added, allowing the user to navigate to the app catalog.
- In AppManager, the ability to bind URL handlers to applications has been provided.
- The music player now supports the loop playback flag across all platforms. Improved support for sound systems connected via the I2S (Inter-IC Sound) bus.
- The font manager has implemented caching for emoji codes.
- A feature has been added to TaskManager to monitor the status of running tasks and restart them upon completion. The auto-restart mode has been applied to the aiorepl console.
- Static archive compression has been added to the FS (freezefs —compress), along with the cleaning of pycache files and leftover backups in the build environment, which has reduced the firmware size by 39 KB. Compression for Montserrat fonts 10-18 has been included, saving 19 KB.
Source: opennet.ru
