Picoware - v1.8.6

This is an update to the MicroPython version:

• Added Desktop Simulator for Mac/Linux (@Slasher006)
• Updated Apps: Cube, Snake, Minesweeper, Tetris, Flappy Bird, LatheCalc, FlipWorld, and Tower Defense
• Fixed PicoW support
• Added Settings class and implemented across apps/views that use settings
• Increased Pico2/Pico2W flash size to 2MB and lowered Pico/PicoW slash size to 868KB and 432KB
• Updated HTTP class with chunked send looping
• Added Agent application with App Creator and Device Manager modes
• Added OpenAI and DeepSeek API key settings (for use with agents)

Picoware - v1.8.5

This is a patch to v1.8.4 which fixes conflicting attributes in the LCD module and cleans up the documentation.

Picoware - v1.8.4

This is an update to the MicroPython version that adds support for the M5Stack Cardputer ADV and Elecrow CrowPanel 10.1", and contains many miscellaneous improvements that make the firmware lighter, faster, and easier to use.

Brief Changelog:

• Added device support for Cardputer ADV
• Added device support for CrowPanel 10.1"
• Added MCU frequency to the System class and System Info app (by @espcam)
• Fixed the position of arrows drawn in the List class (by @espcam)
• Added board and device name to the System Info app
• Added scale methods to the lcd module
• Replaced BMP image loading/writing with C methods
• Added a Stop System button in Settings that exits Picoware's program loop (for easier Thonny IDE connections)
• Updated the listdir method in the Storage class to catch exceptions
• Updated the mount_vfs method of the Storage class to return True if already mounted
• Updated the sd module to stabilize FAT32 access (by locking/unlocking during operations) and reduce Pico SDK SD SPI sensitivity from 25 to 12.5 MHz (by @Slasher006)
• Added audio_info_t struct with MP3 seeking support to the audio module (by @Slasher006)
• Updated JPEG scale and offset for JPEG parsing (by @Slasher006)
• Updated the File Browser, Menu, and List to render based on screen size
• Corrected spacing and character count in the Python Editor app and Textbox class
• Updated several apps with scaling

Notes:

• Picoware pulls the latest MicroPython commits before each release.
• The Pico W was not updated in this release because the WiFi driver is still failing and we need to define a custom PICO_FLASH_SIZE_BYTES to fit everything together (carefully) with LVGL and our C/C++ modules.

Picoware - v1.8.3

This is an update to the MicroPython version that adds an on-device REPL, a new Text Editor system app, and MP3 streaming support.

Brief Changelog:

• On-device REPL
• Audio speed fixes
• MP3 support
• Text Editor system app
• Ctrl + Up/Down to jump up/down functionality in TextEditor and TextBox instances
• Added contributing guide (straightforward steps for contribution)
• Several other improvements that make the firmware lighter and faster

Notes:

• MP3 streaming is not supported on the RP2040 (for now it's blocked in FileBrowser, but you can bypass this with a custom script)
• The PicoW's Wi-Fi driver is failing, so you'll need a Pico2W or Pimoroni 2W for networking.
• If exiting the Ghouls game causes the device to freeze, rebooting will resolve the issue and your stats should still be saved. The permanent fix is to delete the assets folder from picoware/apps/games/ghouls and let the firmware re-download the assets.

Picoware - v1.8.2

This is an update to the MicroPython version that updates the round-based survival game Ghouls to version 0.6. Here's the changelog from the game:

• Added 4 new maps (Maze, Forest, Tron, and Graveyard)
• Added a map pack system (maps can be created externally and loaded into the game via a .ghoulsmap file)
• Added a map selection screen before the game starts
• Updated wall collision to affect the entire area of the wall
• Increased ghoul speed
• Many optimizations to the game engine

Picoware - v1.8.1

This is an update to the MicroPython version that adds support for playing WAV files and updates the Ghouls game to v0.4, which introduces ground/sky rendering, sound effects, an in-game mini map, projectile effects, and many optimizations!

Notes:

• You can use the File Browser app to select .wav files to play (8, 16, and 24-bit are supported).
• Up to 4 WAV files can be played simultaneously (though this is only possible with a custom script).
• Occasionally, exiting Ghouls causes the device to freeze. Rebooting will resolve the issue, and your stats should still be saved.
• The PicoW's Wi-Fi driver is failing, so you'll need a Pico2W or Pimoroni 2W for networking.
• For audio to work in Ghouls, you'll need to download the assets folder from here and add it to your SD card in picoware/apps/games/ghouls/. The quickest way is to download this repository as a .zip file (clicking here will start the download from GitHub) and copy and paste the folder into the directory. This process will be streamlined in future updates.

Picoware - v1.8.0

This is an update to the MicroPython version that adds auto-uf2loader support (download updates over-the-air with auto-flashing), a 3D round-based survival game (Ghouls), and addresses many issues raised since v1.7.7.

Changelog:

• updated the sdcard module with a retry loop and increased the sd_wait_ready timeout for write operations
• fixed input handling in many views
• set the stack size for the WebSocketAsync class to 32 KB
• updated many C modules to fall through to locals_dict if an attribute is not found when called
• replaced the game engine with Pico Game Engine
• added a uf2loader C module and Python class (for flashing UF2s using PSRAM)
• updated the ViewManager's alert method to accept (any button except Back/Esc) and deny (returns a boolean)
• updated Desktop auto-updating to allow users to deny updates
• added a jsmn C module (lightweight JSON parsing)
• added http and websocket libraries for use in C modules
• added a Server Settings menu option (sets the username/password for FlipSocial, FlipWorld, Free Roam, Ghouls, and other apps requiring a JBlanked server)
• fixed left/right key assignment in the GameBoy Emulator

Picoware - v1.7.8

This is an update to the micropython version that patches reported issues in v1.7.7

Picoware - v1.7.7

This is an update to the MicroPython version with audio optimizations, screenshot functionality (press F1), correct font spacing, and a new button property in the ViewManager class that caches the last button pressed and resets it after the current view's run method is called.

Notes:

• The GameBoy emulator has the best experience with an RP2350. The RP2040 is not clocked high enough to smoothly handle ROM loading through PSRAM while streaming audio on core 1. It is playable on the RP2040, but you may experience lag.
• Screenshots can take up to 10 seconds and are saved to the root of the SD card as screenshot.bmp.
• The methods in the Draw class now accept floats for position and size coordinates and will convert them to integers, so there is no need to cast to integer anymore — which in some cases will greatly speed up your code.
• On WiFi-enabled devices that are connected to WiFi, files now save with the correct timestamp.

Picoware - v1.7.6

This is an update to the MicroPython version that fixes audio in the GameBoy Emulator, updates the Desktop view with auto-check for firmware updates, USB functionality via the USBKeyboard and USBMedia classes and three USB applications (Keyboard, Numpad, and Media Keys), and adds a new Wiki Reader app that fetches, views, and stores Wikipedia articles.