What is PyMite

PyMite is a flyweight Python interpreter written from scratch to execute on 8-bit microcontrollers. It is a work-in-progress, but is developed enough to run demonstration programs. Because PyMite runs on 8-bit architectures, one should not expect the interpreter to do everything its desktop counterpart can do. However, it's capability is increasing daily. Since PyMite is a re-implementation of Python, written in ANSI C, it also has a few new features: stackless from the start; fast, easy, native function support and a hybrid mark-sweep garbage collector.

PyMite is not yet available for public consumption. The PyMite source will be posted to sourceforge in time for PyCon 2003. PyMite currently compiles to a Linux desktop and cross compiles (using avr-gcc) to an Atmel atmega103.

PyMite not just for micros

Since mentioning PyMite here, I have been approached by someone who suggested that PyMite might also be used to run on distributed/parallel hardware. Much like the QNX microkernel derives its high performance from runnning in the instruction cache of a Pentium, so too might the PyMite interpreter. If I can meet my target size for the interpreter, 32 KiB or less, it would definitely fit.

Feed forward

I would like to know how many people plan to attend this presentation. I would also like to target my presentation as best I can to those people attending. So please add questions/suggestions below; for example:

• I would attend if ...

• Will PyMite run on ...

• etc.

your question/comment here

Very Cool! I have an AVR board that is just itching to have this installed. I will definitely be in attendance! I'm especially interested in what kind of hardware interfaces you're providing (avr.porta.write(0x34)?) and what kind of simulation environment (if any) exists. -PyConBrianWarner

This is a fascinating project. I've been looking for an embeddable system-on-a-chip that would run a reduced-size python. It would be a great help to attendees of your talk without previous microcontroller background to see on this wiki a list of typical devices you are targeting, so that we might familiarize ourselves with them beforehand.

I'm specifically interested in the [http://developer.axis.com/products/etrax100lx/ AxisETRAX] as an embedded system. It seems capable enough (runs linux) that it might run a standard python, given enough RAM and eliminating unecessary libraries. PyMite is exciting because it might run (and run fast) on the standard [http://developer.axis.com/products/etrax100lx/ standard chip] or [http://developer.axis.com/products/mcm/index.html MCM] with no additional storage. -Jeff Kowalczyk

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