micropython-builder

Bleeding edge micropython firmware with ulab included.

Contents

1. Overview
2. Platforms and firmware
3. Compiling locally
4. Contributing and issues
   1. Testing the build process on github

Overview

This project aims to bring ulab to those microcontrollers that are supported by micropython. Every second day, the github CI automatically clones the latest micropython, and ulab repositories, compiles the firmware, and uploads the binary files to Releases.

The github workflow file simply calls the platform-specific build scripts one after the other, and contains no other steps. This approach results in build steps that can easily be reproduced on any linux computer. We hope that by offering the community build scripts that are proven to run on a freshly installed system, we can significantly lower the threshold to firmware customisation.

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Platforms and firmware

Unless otherwise specified, firmware is built with default settings (i.e., those given in the mpconfigboad.h file), and with support for 2-dimensional complex arrays. On platforms, where flash size is a concern, the dimensionality might be reduced, complex support might be switched off, and certain functions might be excluded from the firmware. Compilation details, pre-processor switches etc., can always be read out of the corresponding build script. Again, the build scripts are the only place holding information on the binary output.

Each firmware file is named after the board on which it is supposed to run, and, in addition, the binary contains the short git hash of micropython (in micropython's welcome prompt), and the short git hash of ulab (in the ulab.__sha__ variable). Hence, it is always possible to determine, which micropython, and ulab commits, respectively, are included by looking at the micropython welcome prompt, and then

import ulab
ulab.__sha__

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Compiling locally

If you would like to compile (or customise) the firmware on a local machine, all you have to do is clone this repository with

git clone https://github.com/v923z/micropython-builder.git

then

cd micropython-builder

and there run

./scripts/some_port/some_board.sh

The rest is taken care of.

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Contributing and issues

If your board is not listed, but you would like to see it here, you can submit a build script by means of a pull request. Alternatively, you can open an issue with the specifications of your board. Note that, by definition, only those boards can be included in the CI that are supported by micropython.

Issues concerning micropython, or ulab themselves should be opened in their respective repositories, i.e., micropython issues, and ulab issues.

Testing the build process on github

If you have a script that compiles the firmware on the local computer, you can easily test it on github. All you have to do is fork this repository, and create a branch called testing on your copy. In .github/workflows/template.yml, add a section with a link to your script, and create a pull request against your master branch. This should trigger the job to run. Your script should complete without errors, and at the end of the workflow run, you should see the artifacts listed. Once you are satisfied with the results, you can modify the .github/workflows/build.yml file to include the new section, and open a pull request against this repository.

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