Noob to Pycom

[Matthew Felgate]

I have just found out about Pycom. Which board do you suggest I get to start with?
I see in the documentation there is a Hello World program I can run.
What's a good first project to do?

Why don't Pycom boards have USB?
Pytrack, Pysense, Expansion board which one should I get to connect my board?
Could I use an FTDI board to connect and save money on an expansion board?

Pycom boards seem expensive, why is that?

Is there a standalone IDE or command line too for Pycom boards?
Can you update code over-the-air to Pycom boards? I see this in the documentation. Is telnet/FTP/Wifi enabled by default? or will I need an extension board to set up the board first time?

I guess MicroPython is Python for microcontroller boards. Does that mean python libraries I find on the internet will work in MicroPython? Do you have to worry about library sizes?

It seems Pycom boards are good for network communications. As a noob which is easiest to try first: LoRa, SigFox BLE or LTE?

Thanks!

[robert-hh]

@Matthew-Felgate said in Noob to Pycom:
Many question. I try to give a few answers as a user.

Which board do you suggest I get to start with?

That's linked to your last question about communication. I would recommend LoPy4, which allows dealing with LoRa networks (TTN, Sigfox), BLE.

Why don't Pycom boards have USB?

That's partially history. The ESP32 chips has no built-in USB support. External FTDI board consume quite a bit of current, which is bad for battery operated devices. So Pycom decided to split that. The new expansion boards have a USB/UART bridge by Pycom, which can be powered down. The could have integrated that in newer development modules, but these would not be pin compatible any more. New ESP32 chips will have integrated USB. Then the picture may change.

Pytrack, Pysense, Expansion board which one should I get to connect my board?

Depends on your project.

Could I use an FTDI board to connect and save money on an expansion board?

Yes. You need one with 5V power output, while TX and RX are at 3.3V level.

Pycom boards seem expensive, why is that?

Quality.

Is there a standalone IDE or command line too for Pycom boards?

There is pymakr by Pycom, many other IDE and command line tools. Also basic tools like a VT100 terminal emulator and a ftp client like FileZilla will do.

Can you update code over-the-air to Pycom boards? I see this in the documentation.

There is the PyBytes management environment by Pycom, which allow to configure and update your devices remotely. As with all super perfect IDE and Environment, as long as it runs they are fine. If there is a problem, they may get obstacles.

Is telnet/FTP/Wifi enabled by default? or will I need an extension board to set up the board first time?

Can't remember. It could be that PyBytes is enabled by default. Someone else (@gijs) might tell, how uses recently off-the-shelf devices.

I guess MicroPython is Python for microcontroller boards. Does that mean python libraries I find on the internet will work in MicroPython?

Due to the limited resources of the boards, most libraries for CPython will not work. But there are many libs available for MicroPython through github and upip.

Do you have to worry about library sizes?

Yes.

It seems Pycom boards are good for network communications. As a noob which is easiest to try first: LoRa, SigFox BLE or LTE?

If you look at the forum, people seem to have more trouble with LTE than with LoRa. Both option depend on the service being available at your place. Pycom offers a SIM for LTE. That may help with LTE. For LoRa, TTN is usable without any access barrier.