2.1. How to Get Started with PikaScript using KEIL Simulator

Open the pikascript official website

Select simulation-keil and click “Start Generation”

Unzip the downloaded zip archive and open the project

Make sure you have select the simulator as the debugging target

Compile and debug:

Once entering the debug session, make sure you have opened the serial windows as shown below:

run and check the output:

Python scripts can be run interactively by typing them directly in the UART window.

Open the in any editor, e.g. vscode:

In main.py, you might see something similar to:

This script uses standard python3 syntax. Suppose we have already modified this script, so how to run it on the device?

The interesting part is, pikascript uses a method similar to java, i.e. it is semi-compiled and semi-interpreted. For example, the pikascript compiler compiles classes and methods, while PikaVM interprets method-calls and object-creation/destruction at runtime.

The pikascript compilation is a two-step process:

1. Using pikascript compiler to compile the .py files into .c and .h files and store them in the pikascript-api folder.

2. Using the ordinary c compiler to compile all the c source files and generate an executable image for the target device.

Double-click rust-msc-vxx.yy.zz.exe to run the pika precompiler which is written in Rust.

NOTE: Here xx.yy.zz is the version number.

If you want to ensure that the updated script is compiled as expected, please

1. delete all files in the pikascript-api folder,

3. check whether the new .c and .h files have been generated or not.

IMPORTANT: Please do NOT remove the pikascript-api folder but only the files inside.

Here is an example that shows the *.c and files generated in the pikascript-api folder

Now, let’s modify main.py as a practice:

import PikaStdLib
led = Device.LED()
uart = Device.Uart()
mem = PikaStdLib.MemChecker()
print('hello wrold')
uart.setName('com1')
uart.send('My name is:')
mem.max()
print('mem used now:')
mem.now()
# new code start
print('add new code start')
uart.setName('com2')
uart.printName()
# new code end

As you can see, we have added 4 new lines to the main.py. Let’s compile and run:

Compile pikascript-api

Compile the keil project and enter the debugging session:

run and observe the output

As shown above, there are 3 new lines in the output, indicating that our modification works as expected.

That’s all, enjoy!!