Supported boards¶
Snakie knows about lots of MicroPython boards. This page lists the ones it can draw in the Board View and the ones it can flash with fresh MicroPython firmware.
Two different lists
A board is a small computer you can program (a "microcontroller"). Snakie can do two things with boards:
- Draw a picture of the exact board in the Board View.
- Flash (install) MicroPython onto a board — see Flash firmware.
These are separate lists, so a board might be on one and not the other.
Boards the Board View can draw¶
The Board View has these boards built in. It reads your code, finds the pins you use, and draws them on a life-like picture of the real board.
| Board | Chip | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W | RP2350 | The default board. Has Wi‑Fi; the onboard light is Pin("LED"). |
| Pimoroni Pico Plus 2 | RP2350 | Same shape as a Pico, but with a USB‑C socket and extra memory. |
| Pimoroni Tiny 2040 | RP2040 | A very small board with pads down its two long edges and an RGB light. |
| Pimoroni Tiny 2350 | RP2350 | Like the Tiny 2040, with the newer RP2350 chip. |
| ESP32 DevKit | ESP32 | The common 30‑pin ESP32‑WROOM‑32 dev board. |
Not on the list? Make your own
You can add any board yourself with the visual Board Creator. Your board then appears in the Board View just like the built-in ones. Snakie saves it as a small file, so you can share it with friends too.
The Board View can also try to guess your board from the message a board prints when it starts up, so the right picture often appears on its own.
Boards Snakie can flash¶
Flashing means copying a fresh copy of MicroPython onto a board. Snakie shows a built-in catalog (a big list) of official MicroPython builds, so you do not have to hunt for a file on the internet. You pick your board, pick a version, and Snakie does the rest.
The catalog covers three big families of boards:
| Family | Example chips | Firmware file |
|---|---|---|
| Raspberry Pi RP2 | RP2040, RP2350 (Pico, Pico W, Pico 2, Pico 2 W, and many more) | .uf2 |
| Espressif ESP | ESP32, ESP32‑S2/S3, ESP32‑C2/C3/C5/C6, ESP32‑P4, ESP8266 | .bin |
| BBC micro:bit | micro:bit v1 and v2 | .hex |
It is a live list
The flashing catalog is downloaded when you open the flash window, so the exact boards and versions can grow over time. You will need an internet connection the first time to fetch it.
Because Snakie uses the official MicroPython builds, hundreds of boards are flashable — far more than the five drawn in the Board View. For a full catalogue of every board with an official MicroPython build, see the repo file docs/micropython-boards.md.
Match the file to your board
Always choose the build that matches your exact board and chip. Flashing the wrong file can stop a board working until you flash the right one. When in doubt, pick the entry with your board's name in it.
What next?¶
- Ready to install MicroPython? Head to Flash firmware.
- Want to see your pins come alive? Open the Board View.