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I got this working on a RPi 2040 during my most recent microcontroller phase several months back. I know Zig can be oddly divisive here on HN but can we at leas

I got this working on a RPi 2040 during my most recent microcontroller phase several months back. I know Zig can be oddly divisive here on HN but can we at least agree that it's a good thing to have alternatives to Python in this space?

nrclark 3y ago
In the microcontroller space, I think Zig is more of a replacement for C/C++. It's a compiled language, intended to produce optimized code that hits cost/performance targets. Micropython and friends are well-suited for education/hobby use, protoptyping, and maybe some commercial applications that aren't sensitive to cost or realtime characteristics. But since they don't really compete with C/C++, they also don't really compete with Zig.
- throwawaymaths 3y ago
  it's true that micropython doesn't compete with zig, but zig is simple enough/no-fuss enough (imagine deployment strategies baked with one line in a build.zig) that it might compete with micropython.
- Cyberdog 3y ago
  You're right of course, but if you pick up a 2040 and you're a newbie to microcontrollers (as I am), all of the documentation and first-party tools push you towards using Python, which I've never been too fond of and I started looking for alternatives as soon as I finished the last chapter of the manual. The alternatives are always there but they presume a level of experience (and C skills) that I just don't have. Having experimented with Zig I was glad to eventually find MicroZig. I remember that using it wasn't quite as easy as "push button, watch LED blink" as it was when I was using Python and Thonny but if a n00b like me could figure it out, anyone can.
- pjmlp 3y ago
  BASIC, Pascal have been doing it for decades already, to the point the likes of Mikroe and Parallax don't have any issue staying in business selling compilers.
jakewins 3y ago
Agreed! I’ve similarly had good experiences with Rust on the rp2040, using embassy which builds on the rust HALs.
KerrAvon 3y ago
God, yes. Ruby is also at least somewhat usable in the space, FWIW; I've done RPi hacking with it in the past.

nrclark 3y ago

In the microcontroller space, I think Zig is more of a replacement for C/C++. It's a compiled language, intended to produce optimized code that hits cost/performance targets. Micropython and friends are well-suited for education/hobby use, protoptyping, and maybe some commercial applications that aren't sensitive to cost or realtime characteristics. But since they don't really compete with C/C++, they also don't really compete with Zig.

throwawaymaths 3y ago
it's true that micropython doesn't compete with zig, but zig is simple enough/no-fuss enough (imagine deployment strategies baked with one line in a build.zig) that it might compete with micropython.
Cyberdog 3y ago
You're right of course, but if you pick up a 2040 and you're a newbie to microcontrollers (as I am), all of the documentation and first-party tools push you towards using Python, which I've never been too fond of and I started looking for alternatives as soon as I finished the last chapter of the manual. The alternatives are always there but they presume a level of experience (and C skills) that I just don't have. Having experimented with Zig I was glad to eventually find MicroZig. I remember that using it wasn't quite as easy as "push button, watch LED blink" as it was when I was using Python and Thonny but if a n00b like me could figure it out, anyone can.
pjmlp 3y ago
BASIC, Pascal have been doing it for decades already, to the point the likes of Mikroe and Parallax don't have any issue staying in business selling compilers.

jakewins 3y ago

Agreed! I’ve similarly had good experiences with Rust on the rp2040, using embassy which builds on the rust HALs.

KerrAvon 3y ago

God, yes. Ruby is also at least somewhat usable in the space, FWIW; I've done RPi hacking with it in the past.