Some of the CircuitPython compatible boards come with CircuitPython installed. Others are CircuitPython-ready, but need to have it installed.
If you're using a Feather M0 RFM9x, you'll need to install CircuitPython on your board.
- If you're using a RFM9x breakout and a Feather Express or a Python Linux board, you can ignore this page and continue to the library installation.
If you have Arduino IDE downloaded and installed, this process is as simple as uploading a sketch to your board then dragging and dropping a file.
First, we need to flash the UF2 bootloader onto the Feather.
Navigate to the latest release page for the UF2 bootloader on the Adafruit GitHub.
Click update-bootloader-feather_m0-v2.x.x-adafruit.7.ino to download the file.
Double click the file to open it in the Arduino IDE.
The .ino sketch should download to your computer. Open the file in the Arduino IDE by double-clicking the file. The Arduino IDE should load and the sketch should appear. The sketch will have a lot of hexadecimal numbers and might look daunting if you scroll down - don't worry, we're not touching any of it.
From the Arduino IDE, select the Port associated with your Feather.
Not seeing a port displayed? Ensure your Feather M0 RFM9x has been properly set up for the Arduino IDE.
Click Upload (CTRL/CMD+U) to upload the bootloader to your Feather. The sketch will flash the bootloader onto the board.
The board should reset. After resetting, the board should connect to your computer and appear as a volume on your computer named FEATHERBOOT. If you see this volume, you've successfully loaded the UF2 bootloader onto your Feather.
We're almost done, but not yet - we still need to load CircuitPython on the board.
Navigate to the CircuitPython release page and select the latest build for the Feather M0 RFM9x.
Click on the build for your region and Feather to download it to your computer. Put it somewhere you can remember, like your Desktop.
Make sure you select a .UF2 file, not a .BIN file.
- For example, if I'm using a Feather M0 RFM9x in the United States, I'll select the build: adafruit-circuitpython-feather_m0_rfm9x-en_US-4.0.0.uf2
Next, we're going to load CircuitPython (UF2 file) onto our board.
If you see the board on your computer as a volume, FEATHERBOOT, you can proceed with these steps.
Don't see FEATHERBOOT? Tap the small, black, reset button on your board twice to enter the bootloader. If it doesn't work on the first try, don't be discouraged. The rhythm of the taps needs to be correct and sometimes it takes a few tries.
Now find the UF2 file you downloaded. Drag that file to the FEATHERBOOT drive on your computer.
The lights should flash again, FEATHERBOOT will disappear and a new drive will show up on your computer called CIRCUITPY.
Congratulations! You've successfully installed CircuitPython!
Text editor powered by tinymce.
