Circuit Python Beginners guide?

[kcl1s]

Hi,
Is there a Circuit Python Beginners guide with links to all your tutorials with a suggested order for learning? I can search your learn guides and get lots of hits with tutorials, projects, and videos. I can try and guess where to start but it would be nice to have some guidance. Also are the Micro Python guides and videos still relevant?

Coming from the Arduino world with their great basic starter guides I am a little spoiled. With a decade or more for Arduino to get it right I am not surprised if Circuit Python is not there yet.

As a volunteer Arduino teacher at several local libraries I would like to expand into Circuit Python but if I can't wade through the learning tutorials I am not going to ask my students to.

Thanks for the hard work
Keith

[Franklin97355]

I'll see if anything is in the works.

[Franklin97355]

Would this help? https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-cir ... nd-express

[kcl1s]

Thanks Franklin,
Yes. I actually bought the Feather M0 Express board. I followed the guide linked in the description and had no problem getting all the way to Blinky. So far so good, but if Adafruit is targeting this for education as a stand alone platform without Arduino or other microcontroller prerequisite knowledge, the purchaser has no clue what to do next . With my Arduino background I know to go and search for digital I/O, Analog I/O, then libraries/modules for different peripherals. If this is someones first microcontroller experience they will be truly lost. If Adafruit is content on just getting converts from the Arduino world what they have will be fine. If they truly want to make this a stand alone platform for the beginner as Lady Ada states, Adafruit needs to take this to the next level. Adafruit is great at producing great tutorials. With Arduino the basics were already covered by Arduino.cc . To make Circuit Python world class Adafruit needs to have a cohesive beginner friendly directory to all their Circuit Python content. Even after 5 years experience Arduino.cc/reference is one of my most used bookmarks.

I love Adafruit and all that they do. I just want to let you know what I see from the other side.

Thanks
Keith

[Franklin97355]

The Circuit Playground Classic and Circuit Playground Express are designed for education. While the Feather M0 piggybacks on the Circuit Python development it is not the entry-level option.

[alexandrepal]

Thanks Franklin,
To make Circuit Python world class Adafruit needs to have a cohesive beginner friendly directory to all their Circuit Python content.
Keith

I'm in the same boat as you Keith.
I can orient myself around but to ask non-experienced students to do the same is another story.
Right now there is a confusing overlap between micropython videos and circuitpython videos.
A clean-up is definitely in order.

[kcl1s]

It seems a shame. Adafruit has put so much effort, time and money into the Circuit Python code and hardware. They have lots of videos and project guides but the content is scattered and hard to search for. Then you have the code editor and repl choices. The videos use different ones. They should pick one set of cross platform software and support that. The beginner does not need to spend energy trying to figure out which one works best for them.

I did recently see this page link in the forums https://circuitpython.readthedocs.io/en/2.x/ It seems to be a useful reference tool once you get up and running but again I search the Adafruit site quite often and I have never seen a link to it.

I am sure Arduino took a while to get the documentation right (I have only been using Arduinos for 5 years) so maybe if we keep urging them Adafruit will work on a better beginner guide for Circuit Python.

Keith

[danhalbert]

Thanks for the feedback. We're actively working on some top-level pages and guides to help folks get started with CircuitPython more easily. It's a work in progress. Concrete suggestions are welcome.

[kcl1s]

Thanks Danhalbert,
Here are my suggestions most are stated above.

A detailed links page for beginners with the steps to get started.

Pick one free, cross platform and easy to use code editor and repl for all your beginner tutorials.

If you are wanting to get new users (not Arduino crossovers) you will need to to address wiring of circuits (schematics and Fritzing) in the module examples.

I will add more if I think of them. Thanks for looking at this.

Keith