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Porting Python to a $3 smartwatch [video]
- dmitrygr 2y agoLet me save you an hour: Micropython, not real python, on an aliexpress LT716 smartwatch with an el-cheap-o 24MHz TC32 SoC (512KB flash + 16KB of RAM, BLE hardware).
- eddywebs 2y agowhat is battery life like on such inexpensive device ?
- zdw 2y agoIf you run the CPU in a loop at 100% load, it lasts around 40m or so, per the video. Using it interrupted and allowing to sleep it would last much longer - with the default firmware the screen is only on when the user taps the device button.
- endofreach 2y agoHonestly, your comment is very misleading & unfair. The video seems very in-depth and educational. Sure, it is micro-python not python. But your copying the typical implicit "just clickbait waste of time" rhetoric, which is really not applicable here. Haven't watched the dhole video yet, but it seems very genuine & interesting. What a downer your type of comment is. I wouldn't even have commented on it, but i didn't want your comment to be the only one here.
- dmitrygr 2y agoWhich part of my factual and emotion-free comment do you find misleading? Which of my two sentences is wrong?
- bsaul 2y ago« Save an hour » means there isn’t a lot more interesting to see about that video than your two sentences.
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- dbcurtis 2y agoWhat part of “Let me save you an hour” is factual and emotion-free?
- kbutler 2y agoIt provided useful information (micropython, hardware details) but was disparaging rather than emotion-free (save you an hour, not real, el-cheap-o). You seem to not realize the emotional connotation of the post, so thought I'd clarify which aspects I felt were not helpful.
- throwaway81523 2y agoPython is a language, MicroPython and CPython are both implementations of the language. MicroPython is more limited but in a few ways, it is better.
- GaggiX 2y agoThis is literally just the description under the video, no idea how it should have saved me an hour, more like 10 seconds.
- dbcurtis 2y agoI am a huge fan of Micropython. Sure, there are things that it can’t do because of the limits of highly constrained systems. But it is a great toolkit for limited systems, and greatly lowers the barrier to embedded experimentation.
- nmtrand 2y agoI think the comment you replied to was just unfortunately worded. I also think that the title should contain "Micropython" to honor the efforts of the project to provide a lean and non-bloated implementation. Porting the bloat of CPython to this watch would be astonishing indeed.
- antirez 2y agoMicroPython is mostly compatible with Python 3, not much missing. There are even a few things MP has and Python has not, like the Viper code emitter. So the fact it's MicroPython does not make it less interesting.
- gabrielsroka 2y agoFor context > MicroPython is a lean and efficient implementation of the Python 3 programming language that includes a small subset of the Python standard library and is optimised to run on microcontrollers and in constrained environments. https://micropython.org/ https://micropython.org/
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- raminf 2y agoThe amount of effort put into all the porting and reverse-engineering is impressive. Especially, getting the toolchain working. That's usually where most of the hair-pulling comes in. For those wanting to hack their own tracker, for slightly more money ($5), you can get one with a Nordic nrf52832 which has lots more documentation and support, including Micropython: - https://forum.micropython.org/viewtopic.php?t=6498 https://forum.micropython.org/viewtopic.php?t=6498 - https://github.com/fanoush/ds-d6 https://github.com/fanoush/ds-d6
- MisterDizzy 2y agoThis reminds me of an XKCD[1] where the character marveled about an obscure piece of single-purpose hardware running Java. [1] https://xkcd.com/801/ https://xkcd.com/801/
- paulddraper 2y agoThis is also what I thought of
- jimbobthrowawy 2y agoI think this is less marvellous nowadays with ARM0 chips being super common, and micropython already being ported to many devices containing them. Edit: I hadn't watched the video yet. This thing is not an ARM chip.
- netc 2y agohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Java_processor https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Java_processor
- fnord77 2y agocan't find the LT716 smartwatch on aliexpress. Is it discontinued?
- david-given 2y agoSearch for 'm4 wristband' and you should find them (there's also an affiliate link in the Youtube description). Bear in mind that there are several very nearly identical ones, based on different architectures, so it's possible you won't get the same one as mine.
- david-given 2y agoHello --- I made this! Thank you for the kind words. I have, BTW, just received a $6.50 watch with touchscreen, microphone and speaker, much better build quality, BT 3, 4.2 and 5, plus the traditional fake heart rate sensor and a bigger battery with an actual label on it. It's powered by a YC1133 which contains an ARM Cortex M0 with 56kB RAM and 4MB flash. This would be an awesome device for hacking if there was any information about it whatsoever. Weirdly, it runs a more complex version of what's clearly the same software stack as the LT716!
- parhamn 2y agoIs anyone working on an OpenWhoop? The algorithms/scoring/etc seem ripe for a collaborative open project. A $100+ version of this thats broadly hackable would be cool I've been looking for one as the Whoop's data sync with Apple Health is bad.
- zeku 2y agoThere is an app on iOS called "athlytic" that is basically this. https://www.athlyticapp.com/ https://www.athlyticapp.com/
- abdellah123 2y agoWhy not a lillygo T-Watch? It's a bit more expensive, but it's a solid one with good specs and an esp32 https://github.com/Xinyuan-LilyGO/TTGO_TWatch_Library https://github.com/Xinyuan-LilyGO/TTGO_TWatch_Library
- neumann 2y agooh neat. It's a different sort of fun - but I just got one of these to play with it with the kidlet.
- mech4bg 2y agoMy friend wrote Micropython so I’ve passed this along to him! Very cool.
- xrd 2y agoI really love programming my banglejs. Chrome plus webusb plus JavaScript is really fun. But the GPS is really hard to use. I wrote a toy application that posted data to a webapp for tracking my runs. But the GPS is so unreliable it isn't worth it. I know GPS synchronization isn't an easy problem. But I would love to find another smart watch with GPS that is a much fun to hack as banglejs.
- saaspirant 2y agoI would love to buy a square shaped cheap Chinese smart watch and develop custom apps on it. Has anyone tried something similar before? Where can I start? Thanks!
- theblazehen 2y agoCheck out WaspOs, https://wasp-os.readthedocs.io/en/latest/install.html https://wasp-os.readthedocs.io/en/latest/install.html
- saaspirant 2y agoThank you The Chinese watches supported by WaspOS are not available in India. Considering purchasing the PineTime but shipping costs more than the device itself :(
- rurban 2y agohttps://rbaron.net/blog/2021/07/06/Reverse-engineering-the-M6-smart-fitness-band.html https://rbaron.net/blog/2021/07/06/Reverse-engineering-the-M... is the reverse engineering desc. he followed
- bottom999mottob 2y agoShame the smartwatch ecosystem doesn't have more stuff like this. Was hoping Bangle.js would take off, but it seems like most people would rather settle for Apple watches.
- dvh 2y agoWouldn't it be simpler to use just the chassis and display and made pcb with the mcu of your choice?
- Cieric 2y agoAfter watching this video on my own I got the urge to watch more similar videos. Does anyone know of any that are like this one, not really a tutorial, but also not just a dev log either. It feels closer to something like wood working videos where you just watch someone do something cool. I know of a few channels already like Ben Eater[1], Bisqwit[2], Pezzza's Work[3], Sebastian Lague[4] and sphaerophoria[5]. At least those are the ones I'm seeing when scrolling through my subscriptions really quick. [1] https://www.youtube.com/@BenEater https://www.youtube.com/@BenEater [2] https://www.youtube.com/@Bisqwit https://www.youtube.com/@Bisqwit [3] https://www.youtube.com/@PezzzasWork https://www.youtube.com/@PezzzasWork [4] https://www.youtube.com/@SebastianLague https://www.youtube.com/@SebastianLague [5] https://www.youtube.com/@sphaerophoria https://www.youtube.com/@sphaerophoria
- anamexis 2y agoMr. Carlson's Lab is great for electronics - mostly analog electronics like radio transceivers, oscilloscopes, etc. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU9SoQxJewrWb_3GxeteQPA https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU9SoQxJewrWb_3GxeteQPA
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- abeisgreat 2y agoBit of self promotion, but I do a lot of these types of tinkery projects (slightly less technical, but adjacent) on my channel "abe's projects"[1] [1] https://youtube.com/@abetoday https://youtube.com/@abetoday
- spamatica 2y agoBen Heck has done quite a few that might fit https://www.youtube.com/@BenHeckHacks https://www.youtube.com/@BenHeckHacks
- 3abiton 2y agoWould this ever get gadgetbridge support? Theoretically at least?
- timonoko 2y agoChinamen should amp their game. You can charge 30€ more on a shitty watch if it was "open-source". I have LilyGo T-Watch for 40€, and if it was waterproof, it would certainly to be only watch I ever need. https://github.com/timonoko/t-watch-2020-micropython-hacks https://github.com/timonoko/t-watch-2020-micropython-hacks