Compatibility with Arduino IDE

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  • Hello all,

    This may sound like a silly question, but... is the Espruino Pico at all compatible with the Arduino IDE? I've looked and haven't seen anyone online using the hardware with the IDE, but since it's based on the Cortex M4 and the Teensy has software and compilers available for the IDE, I was wondering.

    I'm looking to use a couple of the Picos for a project I'm working on (a small 12 servo robot) and have everything I need except microcontrollers, and this would be perfect - largely due to the size and the availability of multiple serial ports.

    The major reason I ask is that every other microcontroller I've used for other robots use the IDE and a ton of libraries I have are Arduino specific. Given the time I have to work on this project I'd rather not port over to Javascript, and would much rather use the Arduino IDE.

  • Espruino and Arduino run under quite different premises... if you already have all in one environment - the Arduino - environment, you may go with that.

    I'd though consider taking a closer look what you *really+ have to port over, because Espruino way more powerful and not only from computing power assuming you talk Arduino Uno or a like - which is 8 bit vs 32 Espruino - but also from high-level programming and programming style: Espruino gives you the event-drivenness, where as with Arduino you are stuck in the execution loop. Agreed, the loop is faster as long as you do not over-load it... but when you get there, it is a hard limit.

    Espruino has tons of modules that most likely cover what have to cover, such as the Arduino libs do. When it though comes to do the higher level programming, you will be glad have event-driven-ness available. Furthermore - while connected - you have a much more powerful debugging compared to Arduino, because JavaScript is available to you to do anything to your code in the robot: inspect, give commands, do step-by-step debugging... etc. When you have some experience in JavaScript programming using the event model, you may be surprised how quickly you will advance in your project.

  • Hi,

    You may have some luck with these tools (Arduino STM32 libraries) and the Pico, but it's not something I've tried, or that we support in any way so you'd definitely be on your own. You can however solder over some pads on the back of the board to make the button force it into USB DFU mode so you can update the firmware that way.

    However, it would take you a lot less time and pain to get started with JavaScript and Espruino vs. trying to get the Arduino IDE set up to program STM32s - but if you really can't stomach it then it is an option :)

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Compatibility with Arduino IDE

Posted by Avatar for MrEvilBreakfast @MrEvilBreakfast

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