📄️ Thonny IDE Installation
Development software refers to the tools we use to write code. Python has many editors available. If you're already proficient in Python or have been developing with Python, you can directly use your preferred IDE. If you're a beginner or prefer simplicity and quick application, we recommend using the officially recommended Thonny Python IDE.
📄️ Serial Driver Installation
The WalnutPi PicoW (ESP32-S3) uses USB virtual serial port for programming and debugging, so the main step is installing the USB-to-Serial driver. Connect the WalnutPi PicoW development board to your computer via a Type-C data cable:
📄️ REPL Serial Interactive Debugging
The MicroPython firmware on the WalnutPi PicoW (ESP32-S3) integrates an interactive interpreter called REPL [Read-Eval-Print-Loop]. Developers can directly debug the development board through the serial terminal.
📄️ File System
The WalnutPi PicoW has a built-in file system, which can be simply understood as Python script files that run after power-on. This can be easily browsed, read, and written using Thonny IDE's file functionality.
📄️ Example Testing
We have already installed Thonny IDE. Now let's use the simplest approach to do an experiment lighting up the blue LED. Don't worry about understanding the code yet — later chapters will explain it. The main goal here is to familiarize you with how to use the MicroPython programming software Thonny and understand its principles. Here's the procedure:
📄️ Offline Code Execution
In the previous section, running functional code directly in the IDE saves it to the development board's RAM (memory), which is convenient for debugging but is lost when power is removed. So how do we make the development board run our code on power-up? Here's the method:
📄️ Firmware Update
The WalnutPi PicoW development board comes with firmware pre-programmed at the factory. Firmware update refers to reprogramming the factory file onto the development board or upgrading the firmware.