micropython – access and control MicroPython internals

Warning

Though this MicroPython-based library may be available for use in some builds of CircuitPython, it is unsupported and its functionality may change in the future, perhaps significantly. As CircuitPython continues to develop, it may be changed to comply more closely with the corresponding standard Python library. You will likely need to change your code later if you rely on any non-standard functionality it currently provides.

Functions

micropython.const(expr)

Used to declare that the expression is a constant so that the compile can optimise it. The use of this function should be as follows:

from micropython import const

CONST_X = const(123)
CONST_Y = const(2 * CONST_X + 1)

Constants declared this way are still accessible as global variables from outside the module they are declared in. On the other hand, if a constant begins with an underscore then it is hidden, it is not available as a global variable, and does not take up any memory during execution.

This const function is recognised directly by the MicroPython parser and is provided as part of the micropython module mainly so that scripts can be written which run under both CPython and MicroPython, by following the above pattern.

micropython.opt_level([level])

If level is given then this function sets the optimisation level for subsequent compilation of scripts, and returns None. Otherwise it returns the current optimisation level.

The optimisation level controls the following compilation features:

  • Assertions: at level 0 assertion statements are enabled and compiled into the bytecode; at levels 1 and higher assertions are not compiled.

  • Built-in __debug__ variable: at level 0 this variable expands to True; at levels 1 and higher it expands to False.

  • Source-code line numbers: at levels 0, 1 and 2 source-code line number are stored along with the bytecode so that exceptions can report the line number they occurred at; at levels 3 and higher line numbers are not stored.

The default optimisation level is usually level 0.

micropython.mem_info([verbose])

Print information about currently used memory. If the verbose argument is given then extra information is printed.

The information that is printed is implementation dependent, but currently includes the amount of stack and heap used. In verbose mode it prints out the entire heap indicating which blocks are used and which are free.

micropython.qstr_info([verbose])

Print information about currently interned strings. If the verbose argument is given then extra information is printed.

The information that is printed is implementation dependent, but currently includes the number of interned strings and the amount of RAM they use. In verbose mode it prints out the names of all RAM-interned strings.

micropython.stack_use()

Return an integer representing the current amount of stack that is being used. The absolute value of this is not particularly useful, rather it should be used to compute differences in stack usage at different points.

micropython.heap_lock()
micropython.heap_unlock()

Lock or unlock the heap. When locked no memory allocation can occur and a MemoryError will be raised if any heap allocation is attempted.

These functions can be nested, ie heap_lock() can be called multiple times in a row and the lock-depth will increase, and then heap_unlock() must be called the same number of times to make the heap available again.

micropython.kbd_intr(chr)

Set the character that will raise a KeyboardInterrupt exception. By default this is set to 3 during script execution, corresponding to Ctrl-C. Passing -1 to this function will disable capture of Ctrl-C, and passing 3 will restore it.

This function can be used to prevent the capturing of Ctrl-C on the incoming stream of characters that is usually used for the REPL, in case that stream is used for other purposes.