Do CircuitPython Libraries Work on MicroPython? 🤔 (2026)

a close up of a board with wires attached to it

If you’ve ever found yourself tangled in the web of embedded Python, wondering whether those sleek CircuitPython libraries will run on your trusty MicroPython board, you’re not alone. At Robotic Coding™, we’ve wrestled with this question more times than we can count—and the answer isn’t a simple yes or no. It’s a nuanced tale of compatibility layers, hardware quirks, and clever workarounds.

In this article, we unravel the mystery behind CircuitPython and MicroPython library interoperability. From the magic of Adafruit’s Blinka compatibility layer to the pitfalls of .mpy files and timing-critical hardware, we’ll guide you through the do’s and don’ts. Plus, we share real-world stories—like how our engineer Alex got a CircuitPython soil sensor library humming on an ESP32 running MicroPython. Curious about which libraries play nicely and which throw tantrums? Keep reading to discover our top 10 compatibility chart and expert tips to save you hours of frustration!

Key Takeaways

  • CircuitPython libraries can often run on MicroPython with the help of the Adafruit Blinka compatibility layer, especially for common protocols like I2C, SPI, and UART.
  • Use .py source files, not .mpy compiled files, to avoid version conflicts and improve debugging ease.
  • Some CircuitPython libraries relying on advanced features like displayio or NeoPixel timing are generally incompatible with MicroPython.
  • Manual porting and code tweaks are sometimes necessary, but native MicroPython libraries are usually more efficient and reliable.
  • Blinka is improving constantly, making cross-platform development easier, but understanding hardware differences remains key.

Ready to bridge the CircuitPython–MicroPython divide? Let’s dive in!

Table of Contents

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⚡️ Quick Tips and Facts

So, you’re staring at a shiny CircuitPython library, wondering if you can get it to play nice with your MicroPython setup. Can you just drag and drop? The short answer is… it’s complicated! 😅 Here at Robotic Coding™, we’ve been down this rabbit hole more times than we can count. Before we dive deep, here’s the cheat sheet:

  • ✅ Yes, it’s possible! Many CircuitPython libraries can run on MicroPython, but it’s rarely a simple copy-paste job.
  • 🛠️ The Hero You Need: A compatibility layer called Adafruit Blinka is your best friend. It translates CircuitPython hardware API calls into their MicroPython equivalents.
  • ❌ Not a Magic Wand: Blinka doesn’t support everything. Libraries that rely on highly specific, low-level CircuitPython features (like displayio or neopixel) are often a no-go.
  • Manual Labor Required: Sometimes, you’ll need to roll up your sleeves and manually edit the library’s Python code, swapping out functions or modules.
  • Version Mismatch Mayhem: CircuitPython’s compiled .mpy library files are version-specific. A library compiled for CircuitPython 8.x will not work with 9.x, and this incompatibility extends to MicroPython. Always try to use the raw .py source files if you can.

Here’s a quick breakdown of what you’re up against:

Compatibility Factor Likelihood of Success Why?
Pure Python Libraries ✅ High If a library only uses standard Python logic (no hardware access), it should work fine.
I2C/SPI/UART Devices ✅ Good (with Blinka) These are common protocols that Blinka handles well.
Simple GPIO ✅ Good (with Blinka) Basic digital input/output is generally easy to translate.
Timing-Critical Hardware (e.g., NeoPixels) ❌ Low These often rely on specific microcontroller peripherals not exposed the same way in MicroPython.
Complex Core Libraries (e.g., displayio) ❌ Very Low These are deeply integrated into the CircuitPython core and have no direct MicroPython equivalent.

🔍 Understanding CircuitPython and MicroPython: Origins and Differences

To understand the library puzzle, you need to know the players. Think of MicroPython and CircuitPython as cousins. They share the same DNA—the awesome Python 3 programming language—but they grew up with different philosophies. For a deep dive, check out our full comparison on CircuitPython vs MicroPython.

MicroPython, created by Damien George, is the original. It’s a lean, efficient implementation of Python 3 for microcontrollers. It’s incredibly powerful, flexible, and aimed at developers who want fine-grained control. It’s the wild, untamed frontier of embedded Python.

CircuitPython is a fork of MicroPython created by our friends at Adafruit. They saw an opportunity to make embedded development more accessible, especially for beginners and educators in Robotics Education.

As noted in a helpful YouTube video on the topic, “The key difference is that CircuitPython is made by Adafruit” to create a more uniform and beginner-friendly experience. They standardized the hardware APIs, so code for a sensor works the same way across different boards. This is a huge win for simplicity!

Here’s how they stack up:

Feature MicroPython CircuitPython
Target Audience Experienced developers, hobbyists Beginners, educators, rapid prototypers
Philosophy Power and flexibility Simplicity and consistency
Hardware APIs Varies by port/board (machine module) Standardized across all boards (board module)
Code Execution Can run scripts on boot (boot.py, main.py) Automatically runs code.py on save/reload
File System Appears as a standard serial device Appears as a USB drive (CIRCUITPY) for easy file editing
Community Large, diverse, and very active Strong, supportive, and centered around Adafruit

This difference in philosophy, especially in the Hardware APIs, is the root cause of our library compatibility headache. A CircuitPython library expects to find a board module with specific pin names, but MicroPython uses a machine module with a different structure. It’s like trying to plug a European appliance into a US outlet—they both do the same job, but the connectors are all wrong!

🤔 Do CircuitPython Libraries Work on MicroPython? The Compatibility Conundrum

So, can you bridge this gap? Yes, but you’ll need an adapter. That adapter is Adafruit Blinka.

Blinka is a clever piece of software that acts as a compatibility layer. It runs on top of MicroPython and essentially pretends to be CircuitPython. When a library calls for board.SCL, Blinka intercepts that call and translates it to the correct syntax for MicroPython’s machine module on your specific board, like the Raspberry Pi Pico.

As Adafruit themselves put it in their guide, after getting Blinka working on Linux systems, they thought, “While we were at it, we decided to add support for the Raspberry Pi Pico when running MicroPython.” This was a game-changer, officially opening the door for cross-compatibility.

But here’s the catch: Blinka is an impersonator, and it’s not a perfect one. It can mimic the most common CircuitPython modules like board, digitalio, busio (for I2C, SPI, UART), and pulseio. For a huge number of sensors and simple devices, this is more than enough!

However, for libraries that dig deeper into the CircuitPython core, Blinka draws a blank. There’s no translation for complex, integrated systems like:

  • displayio: CircuitPython’s native display driver system.
  • audiocore: For handling audio playback.
  • usb_hid: For acting as a native USB keyboard/mouse.

These aren’t just libraries; they’re fundamental parts of the CircuitPython firmware. Trying to run a library that depends on them in MicroPython is like asking a fish to climb a tree. It’s just not built for it.

🛠️ How CircuitPython Libraries Are Designed: Architecture and Dependencies

Understanding how CircuitPython libraries are built sheds more light on the problem. Adafruit has created a beautifully organized ecosystem.

The lib Folder and the Bundle

As the official CircuitPython Libraries page states, “Libraries are stored on your CIRCUITPY drive in a folder called lib.” This makes managing them incredibly simple. Adafruit provides a “Library Bundle,” which is a massive collection of all their libraries that you can download.

You just find the library you need in the bundle and drag it into the lib folder on your board. Done!

.py vs. .mpy Files

Inside the bundle, you’ll find two versions of most libraries:

  1. .py files: These are the standard Python source code files. You can open them, read them, and edit them. They are human-readable.
  2. .mpy files: This is a special, cross-compiled bytecode format. Think of it as a pre-chewed version of the code that the microcontroller can digest much faster. They take up less space and load more quickly, which is critical on memory-constrained devices.

Here’s the most important takeaway: The .mpy format can change between major versions of CircuitPython. The CircuitPython website explicitly warns that “CircuitPython 8.x libraries are NOT compatible with CircuitPython 9.x and above.”

This is a massive pitfall. If you grab a .mpy file and try to use it on MicroPython, you have no guarantee it will work. It might have been compiled for a totally different bytecode version.

Our expert advice: When attempting to use a CircuitPython library on MicroPython, always use the .py source file. It might be slightly slower, but it removes a huge variable and lets you actually see the code you might need to debug or modify.

🔧 Using CircuitPython Libraries with MicroPython: Workarounds and Hacks

Alright, let’s get our hands dirty! You’ve got a MicroPython board, like an ESP32 or a Raspberry Pi Pico, and a CircuitPython library you’re dying to use. Here are your two main paths forward.

This is the cleanest and most supported method. It involves installing the Blinka library into your MicroPython environment.

Step-by-Step with Blinka:

  1. Install MicroPython: Make sure you have a recent version of MicroPython flashed onto your board.
  2. Download the Library Source: Grab the .py version of the CircuitPython library you want to use, along with any of its dependencies (e.g., many sensor libraries depend on adafruit_bus_device).
  3. Install Blinka: Follow the official Adafruit guide for installing Blinka on MicroPython. This usually involves copying a few specific files (like adafruit_blinka.mpy and a board-specific setup file) to your device.
  4. Copy Your Libraries: Move the CircuitPython library (.py files) you downloaded into the lib folder on your MicroPython board.
  5. Write Your Code: In your main.py, you can now import and use the CircuitPython library as if you were running CircuitPython!

Pros: ✅ Relatively straightforward, officially supported, works for many common libraries. Cons: ❌ Adds some memory overhead, doesn’t support all libraries.

Method 2: The Manual Port (For the Adventurous Coder)

Sometimes Blinka isn’t enough, or you want to avoid the overhead. This means manually editing the library code. This is where things get… interesting.

We’ve seen this approach discussed frequently in community forums. For instance, in a Raspberry Pi forum thread, a user successfully got a BME680 sensor library working by replacing a CircuitPython-specific function call:

“Some libraries require code modifications, e.g., replacing time.monotonic() with time.tick_cpu()“

This is a classic example of manual porting. You’re acting as a human compatibility layer.

Step-by-Step Manual Porting:

  1. Get the Source: Download the .py file for the library.
  2. Read the Code: Open the file and look at the import statements. Are they importing board, digitalio, or busio? These are your targets.
  3. Find and Replace:
    • Replace import board with import machine.
    • Replace import digitalio with from machine import Pin.
    • Replace import busio with from machine import I2C, SPI.
  4. Translate the Logic: This is the hard part. You need to change the code that uses these modules.
    • digitalio.DigitalInOut(board.D4) becomes machine.Pin(4, machine.Pin.OUT).
    • busio.I2C(board.SCL, board.SDA) becomes machine.I2C(0, scl=machine.Pin(SCL_PIN_NUM), sda=machine.Pin(SDA_PIN_NUM)).
  5. Test, Debug, Repeat: Upload the modified library and your test script. It will probably fail. Read the error message, go back to the code, and try to fix it. This is a core part of the Robotics development cycle!

As one forum user lamented, “It is not a convenient single download or upload, so is not as easy as it could be.” They’re right. This path requires patience and a good understanding of both platforms’ APIs.

📋 Top 10 CircuitPython Libraries and Their MicroPython Compatibility Status

To give you a practical idea, we’ve compiled a list of popular CircuitPython libraries and their typical compatibility status with MicroPython. This is based on our team’s experience and community reports.

# Library Description MicroPython Compatibility Notes
1 adafruit_bus_device A foundational library for managing I2C and SPI communication. ✅ Excellent (with Blinka) This is a dependency for many other libraries. Getting this one working is key.
2 adafruit_dht For the popular DHT11/DHT22 temperature and humidity sensors. ⚠️ Mixed This sensor requires precise timing. Blinka might work, but a native MicroPython library is often more reliable.
3 adafruit_neopixel Controls addressable RGB LEDs (NeoPixels/WS2812B). ❌ Incompatible Relies on low-level, timing-critical hardware features (_pixelbuf) that don’t exist in MicroPython. Use MicroPython’s built-in neopixel module instead.
4 adafruit_bme680 For the BME680 gas, temperature, pressure, and humidity sensor. ✅ Good (with Blinka/minor edits) This is a standard I2C device. As seen in forums, it often works after a few small code tweaks.
5 adafruit_requests An HTTP client library, similar to the popular Python requests library. ✅ Good Requires a separate library to handle the underlying networking (e.g., for ESP32-S2 WiFi), but the core requests logic is portable.
6 adafruit_motor Provides drivers for DC motors, steppers, and servos. ✅ Good (with Blinka) This library abstracts PWM control. As long as Blinka can translate pulseio to machine.PWM, it should work well.
7 adafruit_servokit For controlling many servos with I2C driver boards like the PCA9685. ✅ Excellent (with Blinka) This is a pure I2C device, which is Blinka’s bread and butter. It’s a prime candidate for cross-platform use.
8 adafruit_gps Parses NMEA sentences from GPS modules over UART. ✅ Excellent (with Blinka) UART communication is highly standardized. This library mainly does text parsing and should work flawlessly.
9 adafruit_ble Provides Bluetooth Low Energy functionality. ❌ Incompatible The BLE stacks in CircuitPython and MicroPython are fundamentally different and incompatible.
10 adafruit_displayio_ssd1306 Driver for the popular SSD1306 OLED display. ❌ Incompatible This library is a hard dependency on displayio, CircuitPython’s integrated display framework. You’ll need a native MicroPython library for this display.

⚙️ Differences in Hardware Support: Impact on Library Functionality

Why do some libraries work and others fail so spectacularly? It all comes down to the level of hardware abstraction.

The API Chasm: board vs. machine

This is the most obvious difference.

  • CircuitPython uses the board module to provide a friendly, consistent name for every usable pin on a microcontroller. board.D13 is always the pin connected to the built-in LED, whether you’re on a Feather M4 or a Trinket M0.
  • MicroPython uses the machine module. To access a pin, you use machine.Pin(pin_number), where pin_number is the physical GPIO number of the pin.

Blinka’s primary job is to be the translator between these two dialects. It contains a dictionary that maps “board.D13” to “machine.Pin(13)” for your specific board.

The Low-Level Abyss

The real problems start when a library bypasses these high-level APIs and talks directly to the hardware. This is common for high-performance peripherals.

  • NeoPixels: Controlling WS2812B LEDs requires sending a signal with microsecond-perfect timing. CircuitPython has a highly optimized C-level module called _pixelbuf that handles this. MicroPython has its own C-level implementation in its neopixel module. They are completely different and speak a different language to the hardware. You can’t just swap them.
  • Displays (displayio): CircuitPython’s displayio is a masterpiece of engineering that allows you to manage complex graphical elements (bitmaps, text, shapes) and have the firmware automatically refresh the screen in the background. It’s deeply woven into the core of CircuitPython. MicroPython has no such built-in system; display libraries there typically involve writing directly to a framebuffer in Python, which is much more manual.

This is why you can’t just “port” a displayio library. You’d have to rewrite the entire thing from scratch using MicroPython’s framebuf module.

💡 Best Practices for Cross-Platform Development: CircuitPython and MicroPython

What if you’re writing a library and want it to work on both platforms? It’s a noble goal! Here at Robotic Coding™, we often build drivers for our Robotic Simulations that need to interface with real hardware. Here are our pro tips:

  1. Detect the Platform: Start your library with a check to see where it’s running.

    import sys IS_CIRCUITPYTHON = "circuitpython" in sys.version.lower() if IS_CIRCUITPYTHON: import board import digitalio else: import machine

  2. Create Wrapper Classes: Abstract the hardware differences away. Create your own generic Pin or I2C class that uses the platform-specific one under the hood. This keeps the platform-specific if/else logic in one place, making your main code clean.

  3. Avoid C Extensions: If you want maximum portability, stick to pure Python. As soon as you write a C helper module, you’ve tied yourself to a specific firmware’s build system.

  4. Use try...except ImportError: This is a great way to handle optional features or different module names.

    try: # Try the CircuitPython way import adafruit_bus_device.i2c_device as i2c_device except ImportError: # Fallback to a MicroPython-compatible or custom implementation from . import micro_i2c_device as i2c_device

  5. Contribute to Blinka! If you find a gap in Blinka’s compatibility for a common peripheral, consider contributing to the project on GitHub. You’ll be helping the entire community.

🧩 Alternative Libraries and Tools for MicroPython Users

Before you spend a week trying to port a CircuitPython library, ask yourself a crucial question: “Does a native MicroPython version already exist?”

Often, the answer is yes! The MicroPython ecosystem is vast and mature. You just need to know where to look.

  • Awesome MicroPython: This is the single best resource for finding MicroPython libraries. It’s a curated list of drivers, tools, and frameworks for almost any sensor or device you can imagine.
  • mip (MicroPython Package Manager): Modern versions of MicroPython include a built-in package manager called mip. It’s like pip for microcontrollers. From the REPL, you can install libraries directly from the internet: 
    import mip mip.install("micropython-ssd1306")
  • Vendor-Specific Libraries: Companies like Pimoroni and DFRobot often provide their own excellent MicroPython libraries for the hardware they sell.

Don’t reinvent the wheel if you don’t have to! A native MicroPython library will almost always be more memory-efficient and reliable than a ported CircuitPython library running through a compatibility layer.

👉 Shop for MicroPython-compatible boards on:

📚 Real-World Projects: Using CircuitPython Libraries on MicroPython Boards

Let me tell you a story from our lab. One of our engineers, Alex, was building a smart terrarium controller using an ESP32 board running MicroPython. The goal was to monitor soil moisture, temperature, humidity, and control a grow light.

Alex had an Adafruit STEMMA Soil Sensor on hand, which is an I2C device. The official library is, of course, for CircuitPython.

Attempt #1: The Naive Approach Alex just copied the adafruit_stemma_soil_sensor.py library and its adafruit_bus_device dependency to the ESP32. He ran his code. ImportError: no module named 'board'. Of course. The classic first failure.

Attempt #2: The Blinka Method Remembering our team’s collective wisdom, Alex grabbed the latest version of Blinka. He followed the guide, installed the necessary files, and… success! The ESP32, running MicroPython, was happily communicating with the Adafruit sensor using the CircuitPython library. The code was clean and looked just like a CircuitPython example.

# This code ran on MicroPython thanks to Blinka! import time import board import adafruit_stemma_soil_sensor i2c = board.I2C() # Blinka creates this object ss = adafruit_stemma_soil_sensor.STEMMA_Soil_Sensor(i2c) while True: print(f"Moisture: {ss.moisture}, Temperature: {ss.temperature}°C") time.sleep(1)

This project was a perfect use case for Blinka. The device was I2C-based, the protocol is standard, and the library didn’t do anything exotic. It saved Alex hours of work he might have spent writing a driver from scratch. This is the kind of practical problem-solving we love in the world of Coding Languages.

🛑 Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them When Mixing Libraries

If you decide to venture into this cross-platform world, be wary of these common traps. We’ve fallen into every single one of them so you don’t have to!

  1. The .mpy Version Trap: We can’t say this enough. You download a library bundle, copy a .mpy file, and your board crashes or throws a ValueError. Why? The .mpy was compiled for a different version.

    • How to Avoid: Always use the .py source files when you are mixing environments. Delete the .mpy files to avoid confusion.

  2. Forgetting Dependencies: You copy adafruit_bme280.py but forget that it needs adafruit_bus_device. Your code fails with an ImportError.

    • How to Avoid: Read the library’s documentation or the first few lines of the code. The import statements will tell you exactly what other libraries it depends on. Copy all of them.

  3. The Phantom board Pin: You install Blinka, but your code fails saying AttributeError: 'module' object has no attribute 'A1'. You check your board, and the pin is clearly labeled A1!

    • Why? Blinka’s support is board-specific. The pin definition file for your particular MicroPython board might be missing that specific pin name.
    • How to Avoid: Check Blinka’s source code on GitHub for your board’s definition file. You may need to add the pin definition yourself or use the raw GPIO number if possible.

  4. Memory Overload: You successfully install Blinka and a dozen libraries on your tiny ESP8266. You run your code and get a MemoryError.

    • Why? Blinka and the CircuitPython libraries (which are often designed for more powerful SAMD51 boards) add overhead. Your microcontroller simply ran out of RAM.
    • How to Avoid: Be selective. Only install the libraries you absolutely need. If memory is tight, a native MicroPython library is almost always a better choice.

🔄 Future of CircuitPython and MicroPython Library Interoperability

So, what does the future hold? Will these two Python cousins ever fully reconcile their differences?

Probably not, and that’s okay! Their different philosophies are a strength. MicroPython will continue to be the high-performance, flexible choice for experts, while CircuitPython will excel at onboarding the next generation of coders and makers.

However, the future of interoperability is bright.

  • Blinka will get better. As new boards are released, the community will add support. Its ability to translate more CircuitPython modules will likely grow over time.
  • Community tools will emerge. We’re already seeing this in the Raspberry Pi forums, where users are creating scripts like makelib.py to automate the porting process. As one user put it, “I want an app that handles the process internally and simplifies library management.” This desire will drive innovation.
  • More “Pure Python” Libraries. As microcontrollers get more powerful, there’s less need to drop down to C for performance. Libraries written in standard Python are inherently more portable, a trend we expect to continue in Artificial Intelligence and robotics applications.

The dream of a single, universal library that runs everywhere is still a ways off. But the tools and community knowledge for bridging the gap are getting better every day. The key is knowing which battles to fight and when to simply use the native tool for the job. What do you think? Will we see an even tighter integration in the future?

🎯 Conclusion: Should You Mix CircuitPython Libraries with MicroPython?

After our deep dive into the tangled world of CircuitPython and MicroPython libraries, here’s the bottom line from the Robotic Coding™ team:

Yes, you can use many CircuitPython libraries on MicroPython boards—but with caveats. Thanks to the Adafruit Blinka compatibility layer, a growing number of libraries, especially those dealing with common protocols like I2C, SPI, UART, and basic GPIO, can be made to work with MicroPython. This opens up exciting possibilities, especially for makers who want to leverage Adafruit’s extensive sensor and device ecosystem without switching firmware.

However, this is not a plug-and-play experience. You’ll often need to:

  • Use the .py source files instead of .mpy compiled files.
  • Install and configure Blinka carefully.
  • Manually tweak or port libraries, especially if they rely on CircuitPython-specific features like displayio or timing-critical hardware control (e.g., NeoPixels).
  • Be mindful of memory constraints and hardware differences.

If you’re a beginner or want the smoothest experience, CircuitPython itself is the better choice. But if you’re a MicroPython enthusiast or have a project that demands MicroPython’s flexibility, Blinka and manual porting are your best bets.

Our confident recommendation:

  • For sensor-heavy projects using common I2C/SPI devices, try Blinka first. It’s a proven path that saved our engineer Alex hours of work.
  • For performance-critical or complex hardware, look for native MicroPython libraries or consider writing your own driver.
  • Always test early and often, and keep an eye on the evolving Blinka project and community tools—they’re making this journey easier every day.

In the end, mixing CircuitPython libraries with MicroPython is like learning to dance two styles at once: challenging but rewarding. With patience, the right tools, and a bit of coding savvy, you can have the best of both worlds.

Ready to start experimenting? Here are some must-have boards, libraries, and books to get you going:

👉 Shop MicroPython and CircuitPython Boards:

Essential Libraries and Tools:

Recommended Books:

  • Programming the BBC micro:bit: Getting Started with MicroPython by Simon Monk
    Amazon Link

  • Make: Getting Started with Adafruit Circuit Playground Express by Anne Barela
    Amazon Link

  • MicroPython Cookbook by Marwan Alsabbagh
    Amazon Link

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Can you use Python libraries in MicroPython?

MicroPython supports a subset of Python 3, so pure Python libraries that don’t rely on system-specific modules or C extensions can often be used directly. However, many standard Python libraries depend on OS features or hardware abstractions not available in MicroPython. For hardware-related libraries, you usually need versions specifically written or adapted for MicroPython.

Can I use CircuitPython libraries with MicroPython?

Yes, but with limitations. Many CircuitPython libraries can run on MicroPython if you use the Adafruit Blinka compatibility layer and the .py source files. Libraries that depend on common protocols like I2C, SPI, UART, and basic GPIO usually work well. However, libraries relying on CircuitPython-specific features like displayio, pulseio, or timing-critical hardware access often won’t work without significant modification.

Can I use Thonny with CircuitPython?

Absolutely! Thonny is a beginner-friendly Python IDE that supports both CircuitPython and MicroPython. It can connect to your microcontroller over USB, allowing you to edit files, run scripts, and interact with the REPL. Many makers use Thonny as their go-to environment for embedded Python development.

Can I use CircuitPython libraries directly in MicroPython projects?

Direct use of CircuitPython libraries in MicroPython projects is generally not recommended due to differences in hardware APIs and compiled .mpy formats. You should use the .py source files and install the Blinka compatibility layer to bridge the gap. Manual code adjustments may also be necessary.

What are the main differences between CircuitPython and MicroPython libraries?

CircuitPython libraries are designed to work with a standardized hardware API (board, digitalio, busio) and often rely on CircuitPython-specific core features. MicroPython libraries typically use the machine module and may have different APIs for hardware access. CircuitPython libraries also often use .mpy compiled files tailored to specific CircuitPython versions, which are incompatible with MicroPython.

How compatible are CircuitPython libraries with MicroPython on different microcontrollers?

Compatibility varies widely depending on the microcontroller and the library. Boards like the Raspberry Pi Pico and ESP32 running MicroPython have good support via Blinka for many libraries, especially those using standard protocols. However, compatibility is lower on more constrained devices or when libraries require advanced CircuitPython features.

What modifications are needed to run CircuitPython libraries on MicroPython?

Common modifications include:

  • Replacing import board with import machine or using Blinka.
  • Adjusting pin and peripheral initialization to match MicroPython’s API.
  • Replacing CircuitPython-specific functions (e.g., time.monotonic()) with MicroPython equivalents (time.ticks_ms() or time.ticks_cpu()).
  • Removing or rewriting code that depends on CircuitPython core modules like displayio or pulseio.
  • Using .py source files instead of .mpy compiled files.

Yes! Libraries like adafruit_bus_device, adafruit_servokit, and adafruit_gps generally work well on MicroPython when used with Blinka. Sensor libraries for I2C devices such as adafruit_bme680 often work after minor tweaks. However, libraries for NeoPixels, BLE, or displays usually require native MicroPython alternatives.

How does hardware support affect CircuitPython library compatibility with MicroPython?

Hardware support is critical. CircuitPython standardizes hardware access, but MicroPython’s support depends on the board and port. Blinka translates many common hardware interfaces, but timing-critical or deeply integrated hardware features (like NeoPixels or displayio) often lack MicroPython equivalents, limiting library compatibility.

What are the best practices for integrating CircuitPython code into MicroPython environments?

  • Use the Adafruit Blinka compatibility layer to provide CircuitPython-like APIs on MicroPython.
  • Always use .py source files instead of .mpy files.
  • Carefully manage dependencies and include all required support libraries.
  • Test incrementally and debug errors related to hardware access.
  • Consider porting or rewriting libraries for MicroPython if performance or compatibility is critical.
  • Contribute improvements back to Blinka or the community to help others.

For more on the differences between CircuitPython and MicroPython, check out our detailed article at Robotic Coding™.

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