The Raspberry Pi Foundation changed single-board computing when they released the Raspberry Pi computer, now they're ready to do the same for microcontrollers with the release of the brand new Raspberry Pi Pico W. This low-cost microcontroller board features their powerful new chip, the RP2040, and all the fixin's to get started with IoT embedded electronics projects at a stress-free price.

Raspberry Pi Pico W brings WiFi to the Pico platform while retaining complete pin compatibility with its older sibling, and now as of CircuitPython 8.0.0-beta.2, there is CircuitPython WiFi support for the Pico W! This guide includes examples for testing your WiFi connection, using requests to pull JSON feeds, ping API's and log sensor data for IoT projects; all using CircuitPython!

Status Bar

As of CircuitPython 8.0.0, if you have a smart terminal program like Thonny, tio or Screen, you will see the status of your CircuitPython board in the header bar of the terminal.

About the Code Examples

WiFi and networking are complicated and have many failure states. Rather than having extensive code to detect and recover from each specific kind of failure, the examples here use microcontroller.reset() which fully re-initialize both the microcontroller and the WiFi co-processor and start the code again with a clean slate.

The general pattern is:

try:
	your_application_here()
except Exception as e:
    print("Error:\n", str(e))
    print("Resetting microcontroller in 10 seconds")
    time.sleep(10)
    microcontroller.reset()

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try:
	your_application_here()
except Exception as e:
    print("Error:\n", str(e))
    print("Resetting microcontroller in 10 seconds")
    time.sleep(10)
    microcontroller.reset()

Parts

CircuitPython is a derivative of MicroPython designed to simplify experimentation and education on low-cost microcontrollers. It makes it easier than ever to get prototyping by requiring no upfront desktop software downloads. Simply copy and edit files on the CIRCUITPY drive to iterate.

CircuitPython Quickstart

Follow this step-by-step to quickly get CircuitPython working on your board.

Flash Resetting UF2

If your Pico W ever gets into a really weird state and doesn't even show up as a disk drive when installing CircuitPython, try installing this 'nuke' UF2 which will do a 'deep clean' on your Flash Memory. You will lose all the files on the board, but at least you'll be able to revive it! After nuking, re-install CircuitPython

CircuitPython works with WiFi-capable boards to enable you to make projects that have network connectivity. This means working with various passwords and API keys. As of CircuitPython 8, there is support for a settings.toml file. This is a file that is stored on your CIRCUITPY drive, that contains all of your secret network information, such as your SSID, SSID password and any API keys for IoT services. It is designed to separate your sensitive information from your code.py file so you are able to share your code without sharing your credentials.

CircuitPython previously used a secrets.py file for this purpose. The settings.toml file is quite similar.

CircuitPython settings.toml File

This section will provide a couple of examples of what your settings.toml file should look like, specifically for CircuitPython WiFi projects in general.

The most minimal settings.toml file must contain your WiFi SSID and password, as that is the minimum required to connect to WiFi. Copy this example, paste it into your settings.toml, and update:

• your_wifi_ssid
• your_wifi_password

CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID = "your_wifi_ssid"
CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD = "your_wifi_password"

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CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID = "your_wifi_ssid"
CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD = "your_wifi_password"

Many CircuitPython network-connected projects on the Adafruit Learn System involve using Adafruit IO. For these projects, you must also include your Adafruit IO username and key. Copy the following example, paste it into your settings.toml file, and update:

• your_wifi_ssid
• your_wifi_password
• your_aio_username
• your_aio_key

CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID = "your_wifi_ssid"
CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD = "your_wifi_password"
ADAFRUIT_AIO_USERNAME = "your_aio_username"
ADAFRUIT_AIO_KEY = "your_aio_key"

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CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID = "your_wifi_ssid"
CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD = "your_wifi_password"
ADAFRUIT_AIO_USERNAME = "your_aio_username"
ADAFRUIT_AIO_KEY = "your_aio_key"

Some projects use different variable names for the entries in the settings.toml file. For example, a project might use ADAFRUIT_AIO_ID in the place of ADAFRUIT_AIO_USERNAME. If you run into connectivity issues, one of the first things to check is that the names in the settings.toml file match the names in the code.

settings.toml File Tips

Here is an example settings.toml file.

# Comments are supported
CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID = "guest wifi"
CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD = "guessable"
CIRCUITPY_WEB_API_PORT = 80
CIRCUITPY_WEB_API_PASSWORD = "passw0rd"
test_variable = "this is a test"
thumbs_up = "\U0001f44d"

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# Comments are supported
CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID = "guest wifi"
CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD = "guessable"
CIRCUITPY_WEB_API_PORT = 80
CIRCUITPY_WEB_API_PASSWORD = "passw0rd"
test_variable = "this is a test"
thumbs_up = "\U0001f44d"

In a settings.toml file, it's important to keep these factors in mind:

• Strings are wrapped in double quotes; ex: "your-string-here"
• Integers are not quoted and may be written in decimal with optional sign (+1, -1, 1000) or hexadecimal (0xabcd).
  • Floats (decimal numbers), octal (0o567) and binary (0b11011) are not supported.
• Use \u escapes for weird characters, \x and \ooo escapes are not available in .toml files
  • Example: \U0001f44d for 👍 (thumbs up emoji) and \u20ac for € (EUR sign)
• Unicode emoji, and non-ASCII characters, stand for themselves as long as you're careful to save in "UTF-8 without BOM" format

Accessing Your settings.toml Information in code.py

In your code.py file, you'll need to import the os library to access the settings.toml file. Your settings are accessed with the os.getenv() function. You'll pass your settings entry to the function to import it into the code.py file.

import os

print(os.getenv("test_variable"))

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import os

print(os.getenv("test_variable"))

In the upcoming CircuitPython WiFi examples, you'll see how the settings.toml file is used for connecting to your SSID and accessing your API keys.

In this example, you'll test your Pico W WiFi connection by connecting to your SSID, printing your MAC address and IP address to the REPL and then pinging Google.

Add Your settings.toml File

Remember to add your settings.toml file as described in the Create Your settings.toml File page earlier in the guide. You'll need to include your CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID and CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD in the file. 

CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID = "your-ssid-here"
CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD = "your-ssid-password-here"

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CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID = "your-ssid-here"
CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD = "your-ssid-password-here"

Code the Basic WiFi Test

Once you've finished setting up your Pico W with CircuitPython, you can access the code by downloading the Project Bundle.

To do this, click on the Download Project Bundle button in the window below. It will download as a zipped folder.

# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2022 Liz Clark for Adafruit Industries
#
# SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT

from os import getenv
import ipaddress
import wifi
import socketpool

# Get WiFi details, ensure these are setup in settings.toml
ssid = getenv("CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID")
password = getenv("CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD")

if None in [ssid, password]:
    raise RuntimeError(
        "WiFi settings are kept in settings.toml, "
        "please add them there. The settings file must contain "
        "'CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID', 'CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD', "
        "at a minimum."
    )

print()
print("Connecting to WiFi")

#  connect to your SSID
try:
    wifi.radio.connect(ssid, password)
except TypeError:
    print("Could not find WiFi info. Check your settings.toml file!")
    raise

print("Connected to WiFi")

pool = socketpool.SocketPool(wifi.radio)

#  prints MAC address to REPL
print("My MAC addr:", [hex(i) for i in wifi.radio.mac_address])

#  prints IP address to REPL
print(f"My IP address is {wifi.radio.ipv4_address}")

#  pings Google
ipv4 = ipaddress.ip_address("8.8.4.4")
print("Ping google.com: %f ms" % (wifi.radio.ping(ipv4)*1000))

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# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2022 Liz Clark for Adafruit Industries
#
# SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT

from os import getenv
import ipaddress
import wifi
import socketpool

# Get WiFi details, ensure these are setup in settings.toml
ssid = getenv("CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID")
password = getenv("CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD")

if None in [ssid, password]:
    raise RuntimeError(
        "WiFi settings are kept in settings.toml, "
        "please add them there. The settings file must contain "
        "'CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID', 'CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD', "
        "at a minimum."
    )

print()
print("Connecting to WiFi")

#  connect to your SSID
try:
    wifi.radio.connect(ssid, password)
except TypeError:
    print("Could not find WiFi info. Check your settings.toml file!")
    raise

print("Connected to WiFi")

pool = socketpool.SocketPool(wifi.radio)

#  prints MAC address to REPL
print("My MAC addr:", [hex(i) for i in wifi.radio.mac_address])

#  prints IP address to REPL
print(f"My IP address is {wifi.radio.ipv4_address}")

#  pings Google
ipv4 = ipaddress.ip_address("8.8.4.4")
print("Ping google.com: %f ms" % (wifi.radio.ping(ipv4)*1000))

Upload the Code and Libraries to the Pico W

After downloading the Project Bundle, plug your Pico W into the computer's USB port with a known good USB data+power cable. You should see a new flash drive appear in the computer's File Explorer or Finder (depending on your operating system) called CIRCUITPY. Unzip the folder and copy the following items to the Pico W's CIRCUITPY drive. 

• code.py

Your Pico W CIRCUITPY drive should look like this after copying the code.py file.

Once everything is saved to the CIRCUITPY drive, connect to the serial console to see the data printed out!

Having Problems?

If you get the message "TypeError: object with buffer protocol required", likely CircuitPython cannot find the file settings.toml on your CIRCUITPY drive. Check to be sure the file name is correct and that it contains the CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID and CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD values as noted in the "Create Your settings.toml File" section.

If you get "Connecting to WiFi" but don't get to "Connected to WiFi", check to make sure the CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID and CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD values in settings.toml are valid for your 2.4GHz network. There is no retry in this code, you might have to run the program a second time to get a response.

How the Pico W Basic WiFi Test Works

In the basic WiFi test, the Pico W connects to your SSID by importing your SSID and SSID password from the settings.toml file.

wifi.radio.connect(ssid, password)

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wifi.radio.connect(ssid, password)

Then, your MAC address and IP address are printed to the REPL.

#  prints MAC address to REPL
print("My MAC addr:", [hex(i) for i in wifi.radio.mac_address])

#  prints IP address to REPL
print("My IP address is", wifi.radio.ipv4_address)

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#  prints MAC address to REPL
print("My MAC addr:", [hex(i) for i in wifi.radio.mac_address])

#  prints IP address to REPL
print("My IP address is", wifi.radio.ipv4_address)

Finally, google.com is pinged. The amount of time it takes to ping is printed to the REPL and the code stops running.

#  pings Google
ipv4 = ipaddress.ip_address("8.8.4.4")
print("Ping google.com: %f ms" % (wifi.radio.ping(ipv4)*1000))

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#  pings Google
ipv4 = ipaddress.ip_address("8.8.4.4")
print("Ping google.com: %f ms" % (wifi.radio.ping(ipv4)*1000))

By successfully running this WiFi test code, you can confirm that your Pico W is connecting to WiFi with CircuitPython successfully and you can move on to more advanced projects.

In this example, you'll use the adafruit_requests library to fetch a text response from the Adafruit Quotes PHP script. Each time the URL is requested, it returns a new quote from a large database of quotes.

Code the Requests Test

Once you've finished setting up your Pico W with CircuitPython, you can access the code and necessary libraries by downloading the Project Bundle.

To do this, click on the Download Project Bundle button in the window below. It will download as a zipped folder.

# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2022 Liz Clark for Adafruit Industries
#
# SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT

import os
import time
import ssl
import wifi
import socketpool
import microcontroller
import adafruit_requests

#  adafruit quotes URL
quotes_url = "https://www.adafruit.com/api/quotes.php"

#  connect to SSID
try:
    wifi.radio.connect(os.getenv('CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID'), os.getenv('CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD'))
except TypeError:
    print("Could not find WiFi info. Check your settings.toml file!")
    raise

pool = socketpool.SocketPool(wifi.radio)
requests = adafruit_requests.Session(pool, ssl.create_default_context())

while True:
    try:
        #  pings adafruit quotes
        print("Fetching text from %s" % quotes_url)
        #  gets the quote from adafruit quotes
        response = requests.get(quotes_url)
        print("-" * 40)
        #  prints the response to the REPL
        print("Text Response: ", response.text)
        print("-" * 40)
        response.close()
        #  delays for 1 minute
        time.sleep(60)
    # pylint: disable=broad-except
    except Exception as e:
        print("Error:\n", str(e))
        print("Resetting microcontroller in 10 seconds")
        time.sleep(10)
        microcontroller.reset()

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# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2022 Liz Clark for Adafruit Industries
#
# SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT

import os
import time
import ssl
import wifi
import socketpool
import microcontroller
import adafruit_requests

#  adafruit quotes URL
quotes_url = "https://www.adafruit.com/api/quotes.php"

#  connect to SSID
try:
    wifi.radio.connect(os.getenv('CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID'), os.getenv('CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD'))
except TypeError:
    print("Could not find WiFi info. Check your settings.toml file!")
    raise

pool = socketpool.SocketPool(wifi.radio)
requests = adafruit_requests.Session(pool, ssl.create_default_context())

while True:
    try:
        #  pings adafruit quotes
        print("Fetching text from %s" % quotes_url)
        #  gets the quote from adafruit quotes
        response = requests.get(quotes_url)
        print("-" * 40)
        #  prints the response to the REPL
        print("Text Response: ", response.text)
        print("-" * 40)
        response.close()
        #  delays for 1 minute
        time.sleep(60)
    # pylint: disable=broad-except
    except Exception as e:
        print("Error:\n", str(e))
        print("Resetting microcontroller in 10 seconds")
        time.sleep(10)
        microcontroller.reset()

Upload the Code and Libraries to the Pico W

After downloading the Project Bundle, plug your Pico W into the computer's USB port with a known good USB data+power cable. You should see a new flash drive appear in the computer's File Explorer or Finder (depending on your operating system) called CIRCUITPY. Unzip the folder and copy the following items to the Pico W's CIRCUITPY drive. 

• lib folder
• code.py

Your Pico W CIRCUITPY drive should look like this after copying the lib folder and the code.py file.

Add Your settings.toml File

Remember to add your settings.toml file as described in the Create Your settings.toml File page earlier in the guide. You'll need to include your WIFI_SSID and WIFI_PASSWORD in the file.

CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID = "your-ssid-here"
CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD = "your-ssid-password-here"

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CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID = "your-ssid-here"
CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD = "your-ssid-password-here"

Run code.py

Once everything is saved to the CIRCUITPY drive, connect to the serial console to see the data printed out!

Every 60 seconds, a request will be made to the Adafruit quotes URL. Then, the response will be printed to the REPL. The response includes the quote text and the author of the quote.

In this example, you'll use the OpenWeatherMap API to receive and parse a JSON feed of your location's weather.

You'll need to register for an account with OpenWeatherMap and get your API key. Go to this link and register for a free account. Once registered, you'll get an email containing your API key. This key will be added to your settings.toml file as the 'openweather_token'.

Code the JSON Feed Test

Once you've finished setting up your Pico W with CircuitPython, you can access the code and necessary libraries by downloading the Project Bundle.

To do this, click on the Download Project Bundle button in the window below. It will download as a zipped folder.

# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2022 Liz Clark for Adafruit Industries
#
# SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT

import time
import os
import ssl
import wifi
import socketpool
import microcontroller
import adafruit_requests

try:
    wifi.radio.connect(os.getenv('CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID'), os.getenv('CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD'))
except TypeError:
    print("Could not find WiFi info. Check your settings.toml file!")
    raise

# Use cityname, country code where countrycode is ISO3166 format.
# E.g. "New York, US" or "London, GB"
location = "Manhattan, US"

# openweathermap URL, brings in your location & your token
try:
    url = "http://api.openweathermap.org/data/2.5/weather?q="+location
    url += "&appid="+os.getenv('openweather_token')
except TypeError:
    print("Could not find OpenWeatherMap token. Check your settings.toml file!")
    raise

pool = socketpool.SocketPool(wifi.radio)
requests = adafruit_requests.Session(pool, ssl.create_default_context())

while True:
    try:
        #  pings openweather
        response = requests.get(url)
        #  packs the response into a JSON
        response_as_json = response.json()
        print()
        #  prints the entire JSON
        print(response_as_json)
        #  gets location name
        place = response_as_json['name']
        #  gets weather type (clouds, sun, etc)
        weather = response_as_json['weather'][0]['main']
        #  gets humidity %
        humidity = response_as_json['main']['humidity']
        #  gets air pressure in hPa
        pressure = response_as_json['main']['pressure']
        #  gets temp in kelvin
        temperature = response_as_json['main']['temp']
        #  converts temp from kelvin to F
        converted_temp = (temperature - 273.15) * 9/5 + 32
        #  converts temp from kelvin to C
        #  converted_temp = temperature - 273.15

        #  prints out weather data formatted nicely as pulled from JSON
        print()
        print("The current weather in %s is:" % place)
        print(weather)
        print("%s°F" % converted_temp)
        print("%s%% Humidity" % humidity)
        print("%s hPa" % pressure)
        #  delay for 5 minutes
        time.sleep(300)
    # pylint: disable=broad-except
    except Exception as e:
        print("Error:\n", str(e))
        print("Resetting microcontroller in 10 seconds")
        time.sleep(10)
        microcontroller.reset()

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# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2022 Liz Clark for Adafruit Industries
#
# SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT

import time
import os
import ssl
import wifi
import socketpool
import microcontroller
import adafruit_requests

try:
    wifi.radio.connect(os.getenv('CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID'), os.getenv('CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD'))
except TypeError:
    print("Could not find WiFi info. Check your settings.toml file!")
    raise

# Use cityname, country code where countrycode is ISO3166 format.
# E.g. "New York, US" or "London, GB"
location = "Manhattan, US"

# openweathermap URL, brings in your location & your token
try:
    url = "http://api.openweathermap.org/data/2.5/weather?q="+location
    url += "&appid="+os.getenv('openweather_token')
except TypeError:
    print("Could not find OpenWeatherMap token. Check your settings.toml file!")
    raise

pool = socketpool.SocketPool(wifi.radio)
requests = adafruit_requests.Session(pool, ssl.create_default_context())

while True:
    try:
        #  pings openweather
        response = requests.get(url)
        #  packs the response into a JSON
        response_as_json = response.json()
        print()
        #  prints the entire JSON
        print(response_as_json)
        #  gets location name
        place = response_as_json['name']
        #  gets weather type (clouds, sun, etc)
        weather = response_as_json['weather'][0]['main']
        #  gets humidity %
        humidity = response_as_json['main']['humidity']
        #  gets air pressure in hPa
        pressure = response_as_json['main']['pressure']
        #  gets temp in kelvin
        temperature = response_as_json['main']['temp']
        #  converts temp from kelvin to F
        converted_temp = (temperature - 273.15) * 9/5 + 32
        #  converts temp from kelvin to C
        #  converted_temp = temperature - 273.15

        #  prints out weather data formatted nicely as pulled from JSON
        print()
        print("The current weather in %s is:" % place)
        print(weather)
        print("%s°F" % converted_temp)
        print("%s%% Humidity" % humidity)
        print("%s hPa" % pressure)
        #  delay for 5 minutes
        time.sleep(300)
    # pylint: disable=broad-except
    except Exception as e:
        print("Error:\n", str(e))
        print("Resetting microcontroller in 10 seconds")
        time.sleep(10)
        microcontroller.reset()

Upload the Code and Libraries to the Pico W

After downloading the Project Bundle, plug your Pico W into the computer's USB port with a known good USB data+power cable. You should see a new flash drive appear in the computer's File Explorer or Finder (depending on your operating system) called CIRCUITPY. Unzip the folder and copy the following items to the Pico W's CIRCUITPY drive. 

• lib folder
• code.py

Your Pico W CIRCUITPY drive should look like this after copying the lib folder and the code.py file.

Add Your settings.toml File

Remember to add your settings.toml file as described in the Create Your settings.toml File page earlier in the guide. You'll need to include your WIFI_SSID, WIFI_PASSWORD and openweather_token in the file.

CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID = "your-ssid-here"
CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD = "your-ssid-password-here"

openweather_token = "your-openweather-token-here"

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CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID = "your-ssid-here"
CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD = "your-ssid-password-here"

openweather_token = "your-openweather-token-here"

Run code.py

Once everything is saved to the CIRCUITPY drive, connect to the serial console to see the data printed out!

The code makes a request to the OpenWeatherMap API and receives a JSON feed of your location's weather. That JSON output is printed to the REPL. Then, the location, weather, humidity, pressure and temperature converted to Fahrenheit is printed to the REPL. This call is repeated every five minutes.

In this example, you'll use the AHT20 temperature and humidity sensor to log temperature and humidity data to Adafruit IO.

Prerequisite Guides

AHT20 Wiring

Code the Adafruit IO Test

Once you've finished setting up your Pico W with CircuitPython, you can access the code and necessary libraries by downloading the Project Bundle.

To do this, click on the Download Project Bundle button in the window below. It will download as a zipped folder.

# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2022 Liz Clark for Adafruit Industries
# SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT

import os
import time
import ssl
import wifi
import socketpool
import microcontroller
import board
import busio
import adafruit_requests
import adafruit_ahtx0
from adafruit_io.adafruit_io import IO_HTTP, AdafruitIO_RequestError

try:
    wifi.radio.connect(os.getenv('CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID'), os.getenv('CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD'))
except TypeError:
    print("Could not find WiFi info. Check your settings.toml file!")
    raise

try:
    aio_username = os.getenv('ADAFRUIT_AIO_USERNAME')
    aio_key = os.getenv('ADAFRUIT_AIO_KEY')
except TypeError:
    print("Could not find Adafruit IO info. Check your settings.toml file!")
    raise

pool = socketpool.SocketPool(wifi.radio)
requests = adafruit_requests.Session(pool, ssl.create_default_context())
# Initialize an Adafruit IO HTTP API object
io = IO_HTTP(aio_username, aio_key, requests)
print("connected to io")

#  use Pico W's GP0 for SDA and GP1 for SCL
i2c = busio.I2C(board.GP1, board.GP0)
aht20 = adafruit_ahtx0.AHTx0(i2c)

try:
# get feed
    picowTemp_feed = io.get_feed("pitemp")
    picowHumid_feed = io.get_feed("pihumid")
except AdafruitIO_RequestError:
# if no feed exists, create one
    picowTemp_feed = io.create_new_feed("pitemp")
    picowHumid_feed = io.create_new_feed("pihumid")

#  pack feed names into an array for the loop
feed_names = [picowTemp_feed, picowHumid_feed]
print("feeds created")

clock = 300

while True:
    try:
        #  when the clock runs out..
        if clock > 300:
            #  read sensor
            data = [aht20.temperature, aht20.relative_humidity]
            #  send sensor data to respective feeds
            for z in range(2):
                io.send_data(feed_names[z]["key"], data[z])
                print("sent %0.1f" % data[z])
                time.sleep(1)
            #  print sensor data to the REPL
            print("\nTemperature: %0.1f C" % aht20.temperature)
            print("Humidity: %0.1f %%" % aht20.relative_humidity)
            print()
            time.sleep(1)
            #  reset clock
            clock = 0
        else:
            clock += 1
    # pylint: disable=broad-except
    #  any errors, reset Pico W
    except Exception as e:
        print("Error:\n", str(e))
        print("Resetting microcontroller in 10 seconds")
        time.sleep(10)
        microcontroller.reset()
    #  delay
    time.sleep(1)
    print(clock)

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# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2022 Liz Clark for Adafruit Industries
# SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT

import os
import time
import ssl
import wifi
import socketpool
import microcontroller
import board
import busio
import adafruit_requests
import adafruit_ahtx0
from adafruit_io.adafruit_io import IO_HTTP, AdafruitIO_RequestError

try:
    wifi.radio.connect(os.getenv('CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID'), os.getenv('CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD'))
except TypeError:
    print("Could not find WiFi info. Check your settings.toml file!")
    raise

try:
    aio_username = os.getenv('ADAFRUIT_AIO_USERNAME')
    aio_key = os.getenv('ADAFRUIT_AIO_KEY')
except TypeError:
    print("Could not find Adafruit IO info. Check your settings.toml file!")
    raise

pool = socketpool.SocketPool(wifi.radio)
requests = adafruit_requests.Session(pool, ssl.create_default_context())
# Initialize an Adafruit IO HTTP API object
io = IO_HTTP(aio_username, aio_key, requests)
print("connected to io")

#  use Pico W's GP0 for SDA and GP1 for SCL
i2c = busio.I2C(board.GP1, board.GP0)
aht20 = adafruit_ahtx0.AHTx0(i2c)

try:
# get feed
    picowTemp_feed = io.get_feed("pitemp")
    picowHumid_feed = io.get_feed("pihumid")
except AdafruitIO_RequestError:
# if no feed exists, create one
    picowTemp_feed = io.create_new_feed("pitemp")
    picowHumid_feed = io.create_new_feed("pihumid")

#  pack feed names into an array for the loop
feed_names = [picowTemp_feed, picowHumid_feed]
print("feeds created")

clock = 300

while True:
    try:
        #  when the clock runs out..
        if clock > 300:
            #  read sensor
            data = [aht20.temperature, aht20.relative_humidity]
            #  send sensor data to respective feeds
            for z in range(2):
                io.send_data(feed_names[z]["key"], data[z])
                print("sent %0.1f" % data[z])
                time.sleep(1)
            #  print sensor data to the REPL
            print("\nTemperature: %0.1f C" % aht20.temperature)
            print("Humidity: %0.1f %%" % aht20.relative_humidity)
            print()
            time.sleep(1)
            #  reset clock
            clock = 0
        else:
            clock += 1
    # pylint: disable=broad-except
    #  any errors, reset Pico W
    except Exception as e:
        print("Error:\n", str(e))
        print("Resetting microcontroller in 10 seconds")
        time.sleep(10)
        microcontroller.reset()
    #  delay
    time.sleep(1)
    print(clock)

Upload the Code and Libraries to the Pico W

After downloading the Project Bundle, plug your Pico W into the computer's USB port with a known good USB data+power cable. You should see a new flash drive appear in the computer's File Explorer or Finder (depending on your operating system) called CIRCUITPY. Unzip the folder and copy the following items to the Pico W's CIRCUITPY drive. 

• lib folder
• code.py

Your Pico W CIRCUITPY drive should look like this after copying the lib folder and the code.py file.

Add Your settings.toml File

Remember to add your settings.toml file as described in the Create Your settings.toml File page earlier in the guide. You'll need to include your CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID, CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD, aio_username and aio_key in the file.

CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID = "your-ssid-here"
CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD = "your-ssid-password-here"

aio_username = "your-aio-username-here"
aio_key = "your-aio-key-here"

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CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID = "your-ssid-here"
CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD = "your-ssid-password-here"

aio_username = "your-aio-username-here"
aio_key = "your-aio-key-here"

Run code.py

Once everything is saved to the CIRCUITPY drive, connect to the serial console to see the data printed out!

In the code, two feeds for Adafruit IO are created for each of the streams of data from the AHT20.

try:
# get feed
    picowTemp_feed = io.get_feed("pitemp")
    picowHumid_feed = io.get_feed("pihumid")
except AdafruitIO_RequestError:
# if no feed exists, create one
    picowTemp_feed = io.create_new_feed("pitemp")
    picowHumid_feed = io.create_new_feed("pihumid")

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try:
# get feed
    picowTemp_feed = io.get_feed("pitemp")
    picowHumid_feed = io.get_feed("pihumid")
except AdafruitIO_RequestError:
# if no feed exists, create one
    picowTemp_feed = io.create_new_feed("pitemp")
    picowHumid_feed = io.create_new_feed("pihumid")

In the loop, every 5 minutes the AHT20's temperature and humidity measures are sent to Adafruit IO. When the data is sent, it is printed to the REPL.

#  when the clock runs out..
        if clock > 300:
            #  read sensor
            data = [aht20.temperature, aht20.relative_humidity]
            #  send sensor data to respective feeds
            for z in range(2):
                io.send_data(feed_names[z]["key"], data[z])
                print("sent %0.1f" % data[z])
                time.sleep(1)
            #  print sensor data to the REPL
            print("\nTemperature: %0.1f C" % aht20.temperature)
            print("Humidity: %0.1f %%" % aht20.relative_humidity)
            print()
            time.sleep(1)
            #  reset clock
            clock = 0

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#  when the clock runs out..
        if clock > 300:
            #  read sensor
            data = [aht20.temperature, aht20.relative_humidity]
            #  send sensor data to respective feeds
            for z in range(2):
                io.send_data(feed_names[z]["key"], data[z])
                print("sent %0.1f" % data[z])
                time.sleep(1)
            #  print sensor data to the REPL
            print("\nTemperature: %0.1f C" % aht20.temperature)
            print("Humidity: %0.1f %%" % aht20.relative_humidity)
            print()
            time.sleep(1)
            #  reset clock
            clock = 0

On Adafruit IO, you can add the feeds to your dashboard to view your data over time.

In this example, you'll use the AHT20 temperature and humidity sensor to log temperature and humidity data to Microsoft Azure IoT Central.

Prerequisite Guides

AHT20 Wiring

Code the Azure IoT Central Test

Once you've finished setting up your Pico W with CircuitPython, you can access the code and necessary libraries by downloading the Project Bundle.

To do this, click on the Download Project Bundle button in the window below. It will download as a zipped folder.

# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2022 Liz Clark for Adafruit Industries
# SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT

import time
import os
import json
import busio
import microcontroller
import board
import rtc
import socketpool
import wifi
import adafruit_ntp
import adafruit_ahtx0
from adafruit_azureiot import IoTCentralDevice

#  use Pico W's GP0 for SDA and GP1 for SCL
i2c = busio.I2C(board.GP1, board.GP0)
aht20 = adafruit_ahtx0.AHTx0(i2c)

print("Connecting to WiFi...")
try:
    wifi.radio.connect(os.getenv('CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID'), os.getenv('CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD'))
except TypeError:
    print("Could not find WiFi info. Check your settings.toml file!")
    raise

print("Connected to WiFi!")

#  ntp clock
pool = socketpool.SocketPool(wifi.radio)
ntp = adafruit_ntp.NTP(pool)
rtc.RTC().datetime = ntp.datetime

if time.localtime().tm_year < 2022:
    print("Setting System Time in UTC")
    rtc.RTC().datetime = ntp.datetime

else:
    print("Year seems good, skipping set time.")

# Create an IoT Hub device client and connect
esp = None
pool = socketpool.SocketPool(wifi.radio)
try:
    device = IoTCentralDevice(
        pool, esp, os.getenv('id_scope'), os.getenv('device_id'), os.getenv('device_primary_key')
    )
except TypeError:
    print("Could not find Azure IoT info. Check your settings.toml file!")
    raise

print("Connecting to Azure IoT Central...")

device.connect()

print("Connected to Azure IoT Central!")

#  clock to count down to sending data to Azure
azure_clock = 500

while True:
    try:
		#  when the azure clock runs out
        if azure_clock > 500:
			#  pack message
            message = {"Temperature": aht20.temperature,
                       "Humidity": aht20.relative_humidity}
            print("sending json")
            device.send_telemetry(json.dumps(message))
            print("data sent")
			#  reset azure clock
            azure_clock = 0
        else:
            azure_clock += 1
		#  ping azure
        device.loop()
	#  if something disrupts the loop, reconnect
    # pylint: disable=broad-except
    #  any errors, reset Pico W
    except Exception as e:
        print("Error:\n", str(e))
        print("Resetting microcontroller in 10 seconds")
        time.sleep(10)
        microcontroller.reset()
	#  delay
    time.sleep(1)
    print(azure_clock)

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# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2022 Liz Clark for Adafruit Industries
# SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT

import time
import os
import json
import busio
import microcontroller
import board
import rtc
import socketpool
import wifi
import adafruit_ntp
import adafruit_ahtx0
from adafruit_azureiot import IoTCentralDevice

#  use Pico W's GP0 for SDA and GP1 for SCL
i2c = busio.I2C(board.GP1, board.GP0)
aht20 = adafruit_ahtx0.AHTx0(i2c)

print("Connecting to WiFi...")
try:
    wifi.radio.connect(os.getenv('CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID'), os.getenv('CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD'))
except TypeError:
    print("Could not find WiFi info. Check your settings.toml file!")
    raise

print("Connected to WiFi!")

#  ntp clock
pool = socketpool.SocketPool(wifi.radio)
ntp = adafruit_ntp.NTP(pool)
rtc.RTC().datetime = ntp.datetime

if time.localtime().tm_year < 2022:
    print("Setting System Time in UTC")
    rtc.RTC().datetime = ntp.datetime

else:
    print("Year seems good, skipping set time.")

# Create an IoT Hub device client and connect
esp = None
pool = socketpool.SocketPool(wifi.radio)
try:
    device = IoTCentralDevice(
        pool, esp, os.getenv('id_scope'), os.getenv('device_id'), os.getenv('device_primary_key')
    )
except TypeError:
    print("Could not find Azure IoT info. Check your settings.toml file!")
    raise

print("Connecting to Azure IoT Central...")

device.connect()

print("Connected to Azure IoT Central!")

#  clock to count down to sending data to Azure
azure_clock = 500

while True:
    try:
		#  when the azure clock runs out
        if azure_clock > 500:
			#  pack message
            message = {"Temperature": aht20.temperature,
                       "Humidity": aht20.relative_humidity}
            print("sending json")
            device.send_telemetry(json.dumps(message))
            print("data sent")
			#  reset azure clock
            azure_clock = 0
        else:
            azure_clock += 1
		#  ping azure
        device.loop()
	#  if something disrupts the loop, reconnect
    # pylint: disable=broad-except
    #  any errors, reset Pico W
    except Exception as e:
        print("Error:\n", str(e))
        print("Resetting microcontroller in 10 seconds")
        time.sleep(10)
        microcontroller.reset()
	#  delay
    time.sleep(1)
    print(azure_clock)

Upload the Code and Libraries to the Pico W

After downloading the Project Bundle, plug your Pico W into the computer's USB port with a known good USB data+power cable. You should see a new flash drive appear in the computer's File Explorer or Finder (depending on your operating system) called CIRCUITPY. Unzip the folder and copy the following items to the Pico W's CIRCUITPY drive. 

• lib folder
• code.py

Your Pico W CIRCUITPY drive should look like this after copying the lib folder and the code.py file.

Add Your settings.toml File

Remember to add your settings.toml file as described in the Create Your settings.toml File page earlier in the guide. You'll need to include your WIFI_SSID and WIFI_PASSWORD in the file. Additionally, you'll need your Azure IoT Central id_scope, device_id and device_primary_key. 

CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID = "your-ssid-here"
CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD = "your-ssid-password-here"

id_scope = "your-id-scope-here"
device_id = "your-device-id-here"
device_primary_key = "your-device-primary-key-here"

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CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID = "your-ssid-here"
CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD = "your-ssid-password-here"

id_scope = "your-id-scope-here"
device_id = "your-device-id-here"
device_primary_key = "your-device-primary-key-here"

You'll need to setup a Microsoft Azure account and create an Azure IoT Central application to properly use this example. Be sure to reference the getting started with Microsoft Azure and CircuitPython guide to follow all of the steps for this process successfully.

Run code.py

Once everything is saved to the CIRCUITPY drive, connect to the serial console to see the data printed out!

Every five minutes, the AHT20's temperature and humidity data will be packed into a JSON message and transmitted to your Azure IoT Central app. In the REPL, you'll see DEBUG messages from adafruit_requests and messages from the loop letting you know when the JSON message has been sent and the sensor readings from the AHT20.

#  when the azure clock runs out
        if azure_clock > 500:
			#  pack message
            message = {"Temperature": aht20.temperature,
                       "Humidity": aht20.relative_humidity}
            print("sending json")
            device.send_telemetry(json.dumps(message))
            print("data sent")
			#  reset azure clock
            azure_clock = 0

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#  when the azure clock runs out
        if azure_clock > 500:
			#  pack message
            message = {"Temperature": aht20.temperature,
                       "Humidity": aht20.relative_humidity}
            print("sending json")
            device.send_telemetry(json.dumps(message))
            print("data sent")
			#  reset azure clock
            azure_clock = 0