This book assumes that the reader has a basic understanding of Python and that they have at least built a few embedded systems projects previously. The material is written so that a beginner will not have any problems and a more experienced embedded software developer will be able to quickly learn how to write MicroPython-based applications. I also assume that you are able to read flowcharts and basic wiring diagrams. The reader should also understand how to use a Git repository and install software on their computer.

The projects are not necessarily designed to be done in order. With that in mind, I would recommend that developers read the first two chapters in order before jumping to the project that is most interesting to them. These chapters give the background on MicroPython and how to schedule tasks. After that, it's up to the developer to decide on the order. As strange as this may sound, I would also encourage readers to make sure they read the last chapter as well, which introduces the pyboard-D, which may be the development board they decide to go with for most of their experimentation.

If you are using the digital version of this book, we advise you to type the code yourself or access the code via the GitHub repository (link available in the next section). Doing so will help you avoid any potential errors related to the copying and pasting of code.

You can download the example code files for this book from your account at www.packt.com. If you purchased this book elsewhere, you can visit www.packtpub.com/support and register to have the files emailed directly to you.

You can download the code files by following these steps:

1. Log in or register at www.packt.com.
2. Select the Support tab.
3. Click on Code Downloads.
4. Enter the name of the book in the Search box and follow the onscreen instructions.

Once the file is downloaded, please make sure that you unzip or extract the folder using the latest version of:

• WinRAR/7-Zip for Windows
• Zipeg/iZip/UnRarX for Mac
• 7-Zip/PeaZip for Linux

The code bundle for the book is also hosted on GitHub at https://github.com/PacktPublishing/MicroPython-Projects. In case there's an update to the code, it will be updated on the existing GitHub repository.

We also have other code bundles from our rich catalog of books and videos available at https://github.com/PacktPublishing/. Check them out!

We also provide a PDF file that has color images of the screenshots/diagrams used in this book. You can download it here: https://static.packt-cdn.com/downloads/9781789958034_ColorImages.pdf.

There are a number of text conventions used throughout this book.

CodeInText: Indicates code words in text, database table names, folder names, filenames, file extensions, pathnames, dummy URLs, user input, and Twitter handles. Here is an example: "Create new modules for each module that will be tested with _tests.py appended to the filename."

A block of code is set as follows:

def system_init():
    print("Initializing system ...")
    print("Starting application ...")

When we wish to draw your attention to a particular part of a code block, the relevant lines or items are set in bold:

 try:
        PushButton = RGB_Button.DeviceIO.Read()
 except Exception as e:
        sys.print_exception(e)
        print("Exiting application ...")
        sys.exit(0)

Any command-line input or output is written as follows:

pip install pySerial

Bold: Indicates a new term, an important word, or words that you see onscreen. For example, words in menus or dialog boxes appear in the text like this. Here is an example: "See the MicroPython documentation | Quick reference for the pyboard | MicroPython tutorial for the pyboard | 3. Getting a MicroPython REPL prompt for details."