Build and Flash MicroPython¶

micro:bit V1¶

This applies to MicroPython for the micro:bit V1, the source of which can be found here: bbcmicrobit/micropython.

Dependencies¶

Build MicroPython¶

The yotta tool is used to build MicroPython, but before that takes place additional files have to be generated by the Makefile in preparation for the build, and additional data is added to the hex file after.

Clone the repository and change directory to it:

$ git clone https://github.com/bbcmicrobit/micropython

$ cd micropython

Configure yotta to use the micro:bit target:

yotta target bbc-microbit-classic-gcc-nosd@https://github.com/lancaster-university/yotta-target-bbc-microbit-classic-gcc-nosd

Run yotta update to fetch remote assets:

yotta up

Start the build using the makefile:

make all

The resulting firmware.hex can be found in the build/ directory which can then be copied to the micro:bit.

The Makefile does some extra preprocessing of the source, which is needed only if you add new interned strings to qstrdefsport.h. The Makefile also puts the resulting firmware at build/firmware.hex, and includes some convenience targets.

Preparing MicroPython with a Python program¶

Using tools/makecombinedhex.py you can combine the MicroPython firmware with a Python script and produce a hex file ready for uploading to the micro:bit.:

./makecombinedhex.py <firmware.hex> <script.py> [-o <combined.hex>]

The script will output to stdout if no output option (-o) is provided.

Using tools/hexlify.py you can turn a Python script into Intel HEX format to be concatenated at the end of the MicroPython firmware.hex. A simple header is added to the script.:

./hexlifyscript.py <script.py>

It also accepts data on standard input.

micro:bit V2¶

This applies to MicroPython for the micro:bit V2, the source of which can be found here: microbit-foundation/micropython-microbit-v2.

The repository also contains a history of MicroPython firmware builds.

Dependencies¶

Build MicroPython¶

Clone the repository and change directory to it:

$ git clone https://github.com/microbit-foundation/micropython-microbit-v2
$ cd micropython-microbit-v2

Update the submodules:

$ git submodule update --init

Then build the MicroPython cross-compiler:

$ make -C lib/micropython/mpy-cross

After setting up, go to the src/ directory and build:

$ cd src

$ make

The resulting firmware will be MICROBIT.hex in the src/ directory which can be copied to the micro:bit.

Flashing the micro:bit¶

The micro:bit mounts itself as a USB mass storage device named MICROBIT. When it detects that a .hex file has been copied to the USB drive, it will flash it, and start running the program.