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MicroPython with NM-CYD-C5

This guide walks you through deploying MicroPython firmware on the NM-CYD-C5 and running the ST7789 LCD demo using a pure-Python driver.

NM-CYD-C5 MicroPython Demo

Hardware Preparation​

Before you start, prepare the following:

ItemQuantityNote
NM-CYD-C5 board×1ESP32-C5 with 2.8" ST7789 LCD
USB-C cable×1For power and data
Computer×1Windows / macOS / Linux

Deploying MicroPython Firmware​

Step 1: Install esptool​

esptool is the official flashing utility from Espressif. If you already have Python 3 installed, open a terminal and run:

pip install esptool

Step 2: Erase Flash​

Before installing MicroPython, erase the entire Flash memory to avoid boot conflicts:

esptool.py --chip esp32c5 erase_flash

Erase Flash

tip

If the board is not detected automatically, specify the port with --port COM3 (Windows) or --port /dev/ttyUSB0 (Linux/macOS).

Step 3: Download MicroPython Firmware​

Visit the official MicroPython download page for ESP32-C5:

👉 micropython.org/download/ESP32_GENERIC_C5

Choose the latest Release version, for example:

ESP32_GENERIC_C5-20260406-v1.28.0.bin

MicroPython Firmware Download

Step 4: Flash the Firmware​

Important: The starting address for ESP32-C5 is 0x2000 (not 0x1000 like ESP32).

esptool.py --chip esp32c5 --baud 961200 write_flash 0x2000 ESP32_GENERIC_C5-20260406-v1.28.0.bin

Deploy MicroPython

After flashing, open a serial terminal (PuTTY, Tera Term, or mpremote) at 115200 baud. You should see the ESP-ROM boot message followed by the MicroPython REPL prompt (>>>).

MicroPython REPL in PuTTY

Development Environment​

You can use either Thonny IDE or Visual Studio Code with the RT-Thread MicroPython extension.

  1. Download and install Thonny.
  2. Go to Tools → Options → Interpreter.
  3. Select MicroPython (ESP32) and choose the correct serial port.
  4. Click OK — the REPL will appear in the shell panel.

Option B: VS Code + RT-Thread MicroPython​

  1. Install Visual Studio Code.
  2. Install the RT-Thread MicroPython extension from the marketplace.
  3. Connect the NM-CYD-C5 and select the serial port in the extension panel.

RT-Thread MicroPython in VS Code

ST7789 Screen Demo​

The NM-CYD-C5 uses an ST7789 2.8" LCD. RockBase IoT provides a ready-to-use MicroPython driver and configuration for this board.

Step 1: Get the Driver and Config​

Clone or download the required files from GitHub:

git clone https://github.com/RockBase-iot/st7789py_mpy.git
git clone https://github.com/RockBase-iot/NM-CYD-C5.git

You need:

  • st7789py_mpy/st7789.py — Pure-Python ST7789 driver
  • NM-CYD-C5/Demos/MicroPython/tft_configs/nm-cyd-c5/tft_config.py — Board-specific pin config

Step 2: Create a MicroPython Project​

In your IDE, create a new project with the following file structure:

project/
├── st7789.py        # LCD driver
├── tft_config.py    # NM-CYD-C5 pin config
├── rotations.py     # Demo script

Step 3: Sync Files to the Board​

Using RT-Thread MicroPython in VS Code:

  1. Click Device connect and select the NM-CYD-C5 serial port.
  2. Click Sync to upload all .py files to the board.

Using mpremote:

mpremote connect COM3 fs cp st7789.py :
mpremote connect COM3 fs cp tft_config.py :
mpremote connect COM3 fs cp rotations.py :

Step 4: Run the Demo​

Execute rotations.py in the REPL or directly from the IDE:

mpremote connect COM3 run rotations.py

You should see colorful patterns rotating on the LCD:

Rotation Demo

Example: rotations.py​

import tft_config
import st7789
import vga1_16x32 as font

tft = tft_config.config(rotation=0)

tft.fill(st7789.BLACK)
tft.text(font, "RockBase IoT", 40, 100, st7789.CYAN, st7789.BLACK)
tft.text(font, "NM-CYD-C5", 60, 140, st7789.MAGENTA, st7789.BLACK)

Quick Reference​

TaskCommand
Erase Flashesptool.py --chip esp32c5 erase_flash
Flash Firmwareesptool.py --chip esp32c5 --baud 961200 write_flash 0x2000 firmware.bin
REPLmpremote connect COM3 repl
Upload filempremote connect COM3 fs cp file.py :
Run scriptmpremote connect COM3 run file.py

Troubleshooting​

IssueSolution
Board not detectedHold BOOT, press RST, then release BOOT to enter download mode
Flash write failsLower baud rate to 460800 or check USB cable
Screen stays blackVerify tft_config.py matches NM-CYD-C5 pinout (SPI pins: IO1=MOSI, IO5=SCLK, IO3=DC, IO6=BL)
Import errorEnsure st7789.py and tft_config.py are both uploaded to the board root

Reference​

  1. ESP32-C5 MicroPython Installation
  2. MicroPython LCD Driver in Python (st7789py_mpy)
  3. RockBase-iot NM-CYD-C5 Repository