This repo contains MicroPython (MP) modules for use in exercising the hardware and interfaces of the using the RP2040 microcontroller based Bus Pirate 5 (BP5) from Dangerous Prototypes.
These modules are not intended to be a replacement for the C-based native BP5 firmware. Instead, they are an simply alternate means of operating with the BP5 from MicroPython rather than the command line.
NOTE: This code is experimental, and still has problems ( see below ). Do not use it for anything important.
- clone this project
- program the BP5 with Micropython (see below)
- copy flash directory to the BP5
|-- bin <== project related scripts, progs
|-- datasheets <== various datatsheets
|-- docs <== misc documents, spreadsheets, etc.
|-- ext <== external libraries, submodules
| |-- micropython_eeprom
| |-- spi_flash
| +-- st7789_mpy
|-- flash <== files to upload to BP5
| |-- demos
| |-- fonts
| +-- lib
|-- micropython <== BP5 board description file
| +-- ports for MicroPython, optional
| +-- rp2
| +-- boards
| +-- BUS_PIRATE5
+-- rp2 <== pre-built MicroPython UF2 for BP5
flash
|-- boot.py <== standard MP bootup
|-- main.py <== main program
|-- buspirate5.py <== main BP5 class
|-- demos
| |-- demo_eeprom.py
| |-- demo_io.py
| |-- demo_uart.py
| |-- boxlines.py
| |-- color_test.py
| |-- feathers.py
| +-- hello.py
|-- lib
| |-- bp5pins.py <== RP2040 pin definition constants
| |-- bp5io.py <== Manages BP5 I/O pins and devices
| |-- sr595.py <== on-board I/O expansion shift register
| |-- lamps.py <== BP5 board ring multicolor LEDs
| |-- analog.py <== manages analog-to-digital converters
| |-- display.py <== controls the BP5 OLED display
| |-- power.py <== adjustable power supply / current limiter
| |-- splash.py <== splash screen on TFT
| |-- nand.py <== nand flash driver (not working)
| |-- hexdump.py <== block hex dump utility
| |-- dplogo.py <== dangerous prototypes logo, RGB565
| |-- wrencher.py <== hackaday wrencher logo, RGB565
| |-- busloto.py <== bus pirate 5 logo, RGB565
| |
| |-- eeprom_spi.py <== eeprom driver code (EXT1)
| |-- bdevice.py <== block device driver (EXT1)
| |-- flash_spi.py <== spi flash driver code (EXT1)
| |-- flash_test.py <== flash utility functions (EXT1)
| |
| |-- spiflash.py <== spi flash driver code (EXT2)
| |-- flashbdev.py <== block device driver (EXT2)
| |
| |-- st7789py.py <== OLED driver code (EXT3)
These modules will work with the default v1.24 MicroPython build for the Raspberry Pi RP2040 Pico. There is a MicroPython board definition folder in this repository BUS_PIRATE5 for making a custom MP build. Note: Testing with the default Thonny MicroPython to install MP failed. It seems that the code fails when run under v1.23 of MP.
A pre-built UF2 image is provided in the repository in the RP2 folder.
I attempted to make MP make use of the full capacity of the RP2040-connected 16 MiB QSPI NOR flash. There is a standard MicroPython setting for specifying a portion of the QSPI flash to be used for the local flash drive.
Pico RP2040: Winbond W25Q16JV 16 Mib / 2 MiB
Bus Pirate 5: Winbond W25Q128JV 128 Mib / 16 MiB
When I tried to increaase the size of the flash drive to 8 MB as a quick test, the build failed. It turns out there is a 2 GB hard-limit in the Pico-SDK. Exceeding that requires an edit to a Pico-SDK file, and maybe a re-compilation of the SDK. I decided to skip this and just live with the default 1.4 GB flash drive for now.
#define MICROPY_HW_FLASH_STORAGE_BYTES (1408 * 1024)
// #define MICROPY_HW_FLASH_STORAGE_BYTES (8 * 1024 * 1024)
Since this is meant to be a demo, and be convenient to run from the REPL, I wanted to add help to all the modules and functions. To save memory, doc strings are disabled default. There is configuration parameter to enable doc strings. However, it turns out there the help() function doesn't process doc strings like on the desktop. So this switch turns out to be not very helpful.
// Whether to include doc strings (increases RAM usage)
#define MICROPY_ENABLE_DOC_STRING (1)
BP5 BP5-firmware MicroPython
I/O defined project
Pin pinouts pinouts
===== ============= =============
IO0 SDA TX1* SDA
IO1 SCL RX1* SCL
IO2
IO3
IO4 TX SCLK TX0 MISO*
IO5 RX MOSI RX0 CS*
IO6 MISO SCLK*
IO7 CS MOSI*
The BP5 C-based firmware uses RP2040 PIO programming for the interfaces. MicroPython supports PIO programming as well, but I didn't want to go down that route on this project. Instead, I used the normal I/O peripheral support built into MP. For the most part, these line up with the pin definitions of the BP5 firmware, except that the SPI port is arranged differently. A second UART is provided for convenience and loopback testing.
BP5 hardware requires I/O direction control (GPIO pins 0-7). The direction is static for UART and SPI ports. But is dynamic for I2C ports, and therefore I did not include it in this initial release. Porting existing BP5 PIO code into MicroPython will solve this.
The Micron MT29F1G01AB, 1 Gib / 128 MiB, SPI-connected NAND flash memory is not currently supported. Several attempts were made to access this memory using a couple of standard libraries without success. Getting this to work is just a matter of additional time and focus.
-
MicroPython drivers for memory chips, Peter Hinch
-
SPI Block Device Driver, Robert Hammelrath
-
MicroPython LCD Driver in Python, Russ Hughes