# CircuitPython 101: Basic Builtin Data Structures ## Overview ![](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/058/727/medium800/circuitpython_blinka.png?1533733642) This guide is part of a series on some of the more advanced features of Python, and specifically CircuitPython. Are you new to using CircuitPython? No worries, [there is a full getting started guide here](https://learn.adafruit.com/welcome-to-circuitpython). Adafruit suggests using the Mu editor to edit your code and have an interactive REPL in CircuitPython. [You can learn about Mu and its installation in this tutorial](https://learn.adafruit.com/welcome-to-circuitpython/installing-mu-editor). With the introduction of [the new SAMD51 (M4) based boards](https://www.adafruit.com/?q=m4), CircuitPython gets far more interesting. Not only do they have a clock speed almost three times faster than the SAMD21 (M0 boards) and they have six times as much RAM. Not only do CircuitPython programs run significantly faster, they can be much larger and/or work with much more data. With this space comes the capability to move beyond simple scripts to more elaborate programs. The goal of this series of guides is to explore Python's mechanisms and techniques that will help make your more ambitious CircuitPython programs more manageable, understandable, and maintainable. In this guide, we'll look at several basic ways to organize data in Python: **Tuples** , **Lists** , and **Dictionaries**. We'll use examples that deal with playing tunes using the Adafruit `pulseio` library. Below is the circuit used featuring an [Adafruit ItsyBitsy M4 Express](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3800 "Adafruit ItsyBitsy M4 Express"). With a few minimal tweaks to the wiring and code, this will work with any of the M4 Express boards. Note that only the final example makes use of the buttons and an OLED display. ![](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/057/566/medium800/circuitpython_song_book_player_bb.png?1531413715) Parts Any of these M4 boards will do nicely. ### Part: ItsyBitsy M4 Express quantity: 1 ATSAMD51 based ItsyBitsy with extra flash. [ItsyBitsy M4 Express](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3800) ### Part: Feather M4 Express quantity: 1 ATSAMD51 based Feather with extra flash. [Feather M4 Express](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3857) ### Part: Metro M4 Express quantity: 1 ATSAMD51 based Metro with extra flash. [Metro M4 Express](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3382) To play the notes, you'll need a buzzer. For the interface you'll need an OLED display and a couple buttons. ### Part: Piezo buzzer quantity: 1 Piezo buzzer that you can drive with any frequency square wave. [Piezo buzzer](https://www.adafruit.com/product/160) ### Part: Breadboardable tactile button quantity: 1 Little clicky switches are standard input "buttons" on electronic projects. [Breadboardable tactile button](https://www.adafruit.com/product/367) ### Part: 128x32 I2C OLED display quantity: 1 Small, but very readable OLED display with an I2C interface. [128x32 I2C OLED display](https://www.adafruit.com/product/931) ## Tools and Materials - A small solderless breakboard - wires for use of the breadboard - microUSB data cable fro connecting the M4 board to your computer Key image by Jorge Stolfi an is CC BY-SA 3.0 - [Next Page](https://learn.adafruit.com/basic-datastructures-in-circuitpython/tuple.md) ## Featured Products ### Adafruit ItsyBitsy M4 Express featuring ATSAMD51 [Adafruit ItsyBitsy M4 Express featuring ATSAMD51](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3800) What's smaller than a Feather but larger than a Trinket? It's an **Adafruit ItsyBitsy M4 Express** featuring the **Microchip ATSAMD51**! Small, powerful, with a ultra fast ATSAMD51 Cortex M4 processor running at 120 MHz - this microcontroller board is perfect... Out of Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3800) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/3800/guides) ### Adafruit Feather M4 Express - Featuring ATSAMD51 [Adafruit Feather M4 Express - Featuring ATSAMD51](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3857) It's what you've been waiting for, the Feather M4 Express featuring ATSAMD51. This Feather is fast like a swift, smart like an owl, strong like a ox-bird (it's half ox, half bird, OK?) This feather is powered by our new favorite chip, the **ATSAMD51J19** -  with... In Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3857) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/3857/guides) ### Adafruit Metro M4 feat. Microchip ATSAMD51 [Adafruit Metro M4 feat. Microchip ATSAMD51](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3382) Are you ready? Really ready? Cause here comes the fastest, most powerful Metro ever. The **Adafruit Metro M4** featuring the **Microchip ATSAMD51**. This Metro is like a bullet train, with its 120MHz Cortex M4 with floating point support. Your code will zig and zag... In Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3382) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/3382/guides) ### Piezo Buzzer [Piezo Buzzer](https://www.adafruit.com/product/160) Piezo buzzers are used for making beeps, tones and alerts. This one is petite but loud! Drive it with 3-30V peak-to-peak square wave. To use, connect one pin to ground (either one) and the other pin to a square wave out from a timer or microcontroller. For the loudest tones, stay around 4 KHz,... In Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/160) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/160/guides) ### Tactile Button switch (6mm) x 20 pack [Tactile Button switch (6mm) x 20 pack](https://www.adafruit.com/product/367) Little clicky switches are standard input "buttons" on electronic projects. These work best in a PCB but [can be used on a solderless breadboard as shown in this tutorial](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-arduino-lesson-6-digital-inputs?view=all). The pins are normally... In Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/367) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/367/guides) ### Monochrome 128x32 I2C OLED graphic display [Monochrome 128x32 I2C OLED graphic display](https://www.adafruit.com/product/931) These displays are small, only about 1" diagonal, but very readable due to the high contrast of an OLED display. This display is made of 128x32 individual white OLED pixels, each one is turned on or off by the controller chip. Because the display makes its own light, no backlight is... No Longer Stocked [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/931) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/931/guides) ### Adafruit METRO M0 Express - designed for CircuitPython [Adafruit METRO M0 Express - designed for CircuitPython](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3505) Metro is our series of microcontroller boards for use with the Arduino IDE. This new **Metro M0 Express** board looks a whole lot like our [original Metro 328](https://www.adafruit.com/product/2488), but with a huge upgrade. Instead of the ATmega328, this Metro... In Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3505) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/3505/guides) ### Circuit Playground Express [Circuit Playground Express](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3333) **Circuit Playground Express** is the next step towards a perfect introduction to electronics and programming. We've taken the original Circuit Playground Classic and made it even better! Not only did we pack even more sensors in, we also made it even easier to... In Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3333) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/3333/guides) ## Related Guides - [Adafruit Feather M0 Express](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-feather-m0-express-designed-for-circuit-python-circuitpython.md) - [Adafruit Metro M0 Express](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-metro-m0-express.md) - [Adafruit Trinket M0](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-trinket-m0-circuitpython-arduino.md) - [Adafruit Circuit Playground Express](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-circuit-playground-express.md) - [Adafruit Metro M4 Express featuring ATSAMD51](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-metro-m4-express-featuring-atsamd51.md) - [Adafruit Feather M4 Express](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-feather-m4-express-atsamd51.md) - [CircuitPython Essentials](https://learn.adafruit.com/circuitpython-essentials.md) - [MakeCode Maker](https://learn.adafruit.com/makecode-maker.md) - [Watchmen's Sister Night NeoPixel Goggles](https://learn.adafruit.com/watchmen-sister-night-circuitpython-neopixel-goggles.md) - [CircuitPython Powered AT Hand-Raiser](https://learn.adafruit.com/at-hand-raiser.md) - [Animatronic Glowing Medusa Headdress](https://learn.adafruit.com/animatronic-glowing-medusa-headdress.md) - [Perfect Pitch Machine](https://learn.adafruit.com/perfect-pitch-machine.md) - [Circuit Playground Hourglass](https://learn.adafruit.com/circuit-playground-hourglass.md) - [CircuitPython Basics: Digital Inputs & Outputs](https://learn.adafruit.com/circuitpython-digital-inputs-and-outputs.md) - [Use circup to easily keep your CircuitPython libraries up to date](https://learn.adafruit.com/keep-your-circuitpython-libraries-on-devices-up-to-date-with-circup.md) - [Stand-alone programming AVRs using CircuitPython](https://learn.adafruit.com/stand-alone-programming-avrs-using-circuitpython.md) - [Scratch 3 Walkthrough and Demo](https://learn.adafruit.com/guide-to-scratch-3.md) - [Your First Power Switch Relay Project - Circuit Playground Smart Plug](https://learn.adafruit.com/beginner-first-project-power-switch-relay-circuit-playground-smart-plug.md) - [IoT Air Quality Sensor with Adafruit IO](https://learn.adafruit.com/diy-air-quality-monitor.md) - [MicroBlocks Circuit Playground Express Ornament](https://learn.adafruit.com/microblocks-circuitplayground-express-ornament.md) - [Installing CircuitPython on SAMD21 Boards](https://learn.adafruit.com/installing-circuitpython-on-samd21-boards.md)