Episode 5: Pandas and Breadboards

Welcome

Welcome to The Bootloader, a bi-weekly podcast bringing you news, project updates, and product talk from the tech and maker scenes. Paul and Tod will bring you three interesting things and chat about them for a few minutes each.

Full transcript available here.

Episode Intro

Welcome!

Micropython by Arduino Labs (Tod #1)

• It works well! Simple and clean, with what you need: code editor + terminal window
• Works with any MicroPython device with USB serial, from my limited testing
• No serial plotter, no library manager, no board manager. This is a first step
• However, it is yet-another-Electron app, so it’s fairly pudgy memory-wise
• Alternatives:
  • Thonny – beloved by many. I do not like it, find it unattractive and confusing
  • Mu – cleaner and has a nice serial plotter like Arduino IDE
  • Any text editor + picotool – my preferred choice
  • What I do not recommend: any “micropython extension” for VS Code/Atom/etc. The ones I’ve tried are flaky and presume too much, taking over other Python projects

Home Assistant and the State of the Open Home (Paul #1)

• Home automation platform focused on local control and privacy
  • No vendor log-in
  • Your smart home shouldn’t require the cloud
• State of the Open Home is an annual look at the smart home ecosystem and Home Assistant
  • Livestreamed Nov 13, 2022
  • #2 open source project on Github by contributor contributions
  • Home Assistant Cloud from Nabu Casa processed 50,000 webhooks per second
  • 190,000 instances of HA opted in to reporting
    • Estimated 500,000 - 600,000 installations of HA
  • 2023: Year of Voice
    • Rhasspy voice assistant: https://github.com/rhasspy/rhasspy by Michael Hansen
      • Can function completely disconnected from the Internet
      • Are entirely free/open source with a permissive license (MIT)
      • Works well with freely available home automation software
      • Optimized for working with MQTT, HTTP and Websockets with Home Assistant having built in support
      • Support for over 25 different languages
    • Hired by Nabu Casa to work on and integrate Rhasspy full-time
    • Summary video

WithDiode.com – 3d breadboard simulation in the browser (Tod #2)

• omg. this is the best. so fun
• Created by Kennth Cassel
  • (who also created a nice Vim tutorial site called vim.so
• I saw it first from Clive Thompson (@clive@saturation.social) on Mastodon
• I was able to implement some of the oscillators we did during Deep Fried Neurons
  • DeepFriedNeurons breadboard oscillators
• But… it’s actually kinda harder to use than real breadboards
• Other tools I find useful in this space:
  • Wokwi simulator lets you simulate Arduino, Micropython, and CircuitPython
  • Fritzing lets you visually breadboard up circuits, with accompanying breadboard & PCB layout

GitHub in the news (Paul #2)

• Follow-up: the investigation has spawned a GitHub Copilot lawsuit
  • Verge
• Hey Github
  • Imagine being able to code hands free
  • This could be big for accessibility
  • Use natural speech, for example: Saying “Import pandas” results in import pandas as pd
  • In the features, Github shares:
    • Write / edit code (using GitHub Copilot)
    • Go to the next method with code navigation (“Hey GitHub go to line 34 or method X)
    • Run the program and control your IDE using any VS Code command
    • Code Summarization: Ask “Hey GitHub!” to explain lines 3-10 and get a summary of what the code does

RNBO “rainbow” – Turn Max patches into VST plugins (Tod #3)

• Ever wonder how people make virtual synths / audio effects, or even real synths & effects?
• Max is a way to create custom virtual instruments or effects, and custom UI. Make it look like a real thing if you want
• Max is often a good solution to mocking up ideas for these, kinda like CircuitPython and Arduino is for microcontroller projects
  • Max is a stand-alone application or part of Ableton Live
  • It’s what’s called a “patching environment”, a “nodes & flows” graphical programming tool
  • The “flows” are audio & MIDI, kinda like modular synths cabling stuff together
  • I’ve used in on-n-off (mostly off) since the 90s (could never quite get into it)
  • But Max patches have to live inside Max (or inside Max in Live)
• RNBO let’s you create a “compilable” versions of Max patch
  • It is inclucded with Max or $299 for permanent license or $10/month subscription
  • RNBO is actually a parallel thing to Max, but implements most all of Max
  • But does Turns any Max patch into a C++-based stand-alone VST
  • Can even target Raspberry Pi, so you can make custom Pi-based synths & pedals
  • Or can export to Web Audio, with Javascript control!
• good CDM article about RNBO
• good synthanatomy article too about why this is cool
• Online (paid) class for how to use it by Music Hackspace Here’s a preview on youtube
• Open source alternative to Max is PureData (aka ‘Pd’)
  • Pd & Max have common roots, Pd is a bit rougher looking than Max, but very capable
  • And it runs on a Raspberry Pi
  • And there’s a huge community of existing Pd patches.
  • And there’s the free online Heavy compiler for Pd patches

Mastodon (Paul #3)

• Hope for a Post-Musk Net by Jeff Jarvis
• Choosing a Mastodon instane by Sage Sharp
• A Warning about Mastodon.social by Sumuna Harihareswara
• How to Move from Twitter to Mastodon - Toms Hardware by Les Pounder
• How to get Started on Mastodon - Wired by Justin Pot
• Custom emoji on Fosstodon

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