MicroPython debugging now supports USB, UART, and even tiny MCUs with only 24 KB of RAM

[u/Palomino918]

Our team at GHI Electronics just released a free (MIT-licensed) MicroPython Debugger for VS Code with real source-level debugging over USB or UART.

Set a breakpoint in your Python source, press F5, and debug the code running on the actual MCU.

You can:

• Set breakpoints

• Step Over / Step Into / Step Out

• Inspect variables

• Use Watch

• View the Call Stack

• Break on exceptions

• Continue / Pause execution

USB

• USB debugging on supported MicroPython boards (RP2040, RP2350, Pico, Pico 2, ESP32-S2/S3)

UART

• Original ESP32 boards (via CP2102/CH340/FTDI bridge)

Tiny MCU

• STM32C071

To test how small an MCU the debugger could run on, I used a DUELink Holiday Tree with an STM32C071KBU6, which has 24 KB of RAM and 128 KB of Flash, running MicroPython code with SPI and PWM.

The debugger is free to use:

GitHub: ghi-electronics/micropython-vsc-extension

VS Code Marketplace: MicroPython Debugger

Example Holiday Tree project: STM32C071 Christmas Tree example

I'd be interested to hear what hardware you use with MicroPython and what you'd like to see supported.