This post was originally published on December 29, 2017 at https://sparklechicken.net/channel/jakessbc

Well, I bricked my Metro Express M0 board.  I was trying to install the CircuitPython package on it, and it did not go according to plan.  Yet another change of plans!

I’ve had a Beaglebone Black kicking around for a while, patiently waiting for me to get around to working with it.  I’ve also got a PocketBeagle that I’m really impressed with.  So the new plan is to use the BBB for the proof of concept, and port it over to the PocketBeagle for the prototype.  The PocketBeagle is the same price as the Metro Express, so it won’t add to the price at all.  However, being embedded Linux it may not run or boot fast enough for my tastes.  The other option would be to switch to the Adafruit Feather M0.  It has all of the power of the Metro Express but is in the smaller Feather form factor.  It is also $10USD cheaper than the Metro Express and the PocketBeagle.

The biggest issue with porting to the Beagles is the need to rewrite all of the libraries for the sensors and the display.  Intel’s imraa library provides the support for SPI and I2C that I need, but I may not be able to find prewritten libraries for anything else.

The other news is that I do have an OLED I2C display on its way, so I’ll at least have all of the parts I need to theoretically get it running!

Have a Happy New Year!