MicroPython is a tiny implementation of Python, designed for very constrained environments such as microcontrollers and embedded devices. It can run on devices with as little as 64 kB of RAM and 256 kB of FLASH. Over the last 10 years, MicroPython has become a productive development environment and mature platform for firmware development. It has been used in many applications - and has been deployed on everything from smartwatches to medical devices and satellites.

There are many features of MicroPython that make it an attractive way of developing firmware, such as: the built-in file systems, first-class package management, built-in communication over WiFi/Ethernet/BLE/USB/etc, interactive programming via REPL, automated testing on PC and device. We will introduce these features briefly, and then discuss our favorite feature: the support for C modules, and how it enables building sensor systems that are both computationally efficient and fast to develop.