Installing Modules

Your MicroPython installation comes with a set of modules built-in to the firmware. If you are using any external components such as sensors, displays or neopixels, you will need to install these manually.

There are currently two methods available when installing a module on your board running MicroPython:

• Using the

  mip

  module on your board, (download and install via Wi-Fi® connection),
• using

  mpremote

  on your computer (download and install through a USB connection),

In this article, we will cover these two methods, as well as how to remove them from your board.

Please note: installing packages that contain 2-byte characters (such as emojis, Chinese symbols), is currently not supported in the Arduino Lab for MicroPython editor. You will however receive a "successful installation" response, which is a bug being investigated.

Hardware & Software Needed

• A MicroPython compatible board,

• Arduino Lab for MicroPython editor,

• mpremote (optional).

Option 1: MIP

Please note that the

mip

mip is a module that allows you to install external packages/libraries/modules remotely. This module is built in to your MicroPython firmware.

To use the

mip

Note: Replace "YOUR_NETWORK_NAME" and "" YOUR_NETWORK_PASSWORD" with the SSID and password for your Wi-Fi® network.

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1import network
2
3WIFI_NETWORK='YOUR_NETWORK_NAME'
4WIFI_PASSWORD='YOUR_NETWORK_PASSWORD'
5
6wlan = network.WLAN(network.STA_IF)
7wlan.active(True)
8wlan.connect(WIFI_NETWORK, WIFI_PASSWORD)
9
10print()
11print("Connected to ",WIFI_NETWORK)

Once you are connected, you can use the

mip

You can install by specifying the organisation and repository:

Copy
1import mip
2mip.install(github:org/repo)

Or you can specify the url to the file you want to install:

Copy
1mip.install("https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tinypico/tinypico-micropython/master/lis3dh%20library/lis3dh.py")

Files are added to a folder named

lib

There are a number of ways you can use the

install()

Complete Example

In this example, we first connect to Wi-Fi®, and then proceed to install the `arduino-iot-cloud-py module.

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1import network
2import mip
3
4# enter wi-fi creds
5WIFI_NETWORK='YOUR_NETWORK_NAME'
6WIFI_PASSWORD='YOUR_NETWORK_PASSWORD'
7
8# connect to wi-fi
9wlan = network.WLAN(network.STA_IF)
10wlan.active(True)
11wlan.connect(WIFI_NETWORK, WIFI_PASSWORD)
12
13print()
14print("Connected to ",WIFI_NETWORK)
15
16# install the arduino-iot-cloud module
17mip.install("github:arduino/arduino-iot-cloud-py")

Running this example twice will result in a

202

mip.install()

Failed Installation

Installation via

mip

This is typically not an issue with smaller installations (like single files), but when installing larger packages it is increased.

You can install the same module again, it will only overwrite the existing version.

Option 2: Mpremote

To install a MicroPython module on your board, you can use the Python based tool

mpremote

mpremote

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1$ pip install mpremote

Run

mpremote connect list

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1/dev/cu.usbmodem3871345733302 335B34603532 2341:055b Arduino Portenta Virtual Comm Port in HS Mode

Pass this serial number (the second value) to the install command:

Copy
1$ mpremote connect id:335B34603532 mip install github:arduino/arduino-iot-cloud-py

This will install the library and all required dependencies on the board.

Error: Certificate Verify Fail (MacOS)

On some computers, you may receive error:

Copy
1[SSL: CERTIFICATE_VERIFY_FAILED] certificate verify failed:
2unable to get local issuer certificate (_ssl.c:1002)

This indicates a problem with the Python version installed, and that it is unable to locate the SSL certificate. To work around this, navigate to your Python installation (typically Applications > Python 3.X), and run the

Install Certificates.command

Delete Files

To delete a file from your board, open the Arduino Lab for MicroPython editor, connect to your board, and click the "File" button. This will open your local files as well as your board's files.

If you want to remove a file, simply mark it and click on the trashcan icon in the top right of the file window, as the image below shows: