CircuitPython 11.0.0-alpha.3 adds ESP32-P4 video pipeline, async SPI, and hardware crypto

Adafruit has released CircuitPython 11.0.0-alpha.3, the third alpha toward the major 11.0.0 milestone, bringing substantial hardware-facing capabilities to the Python-based embedded runtime. The release adds a video pipeline framework debuting on Espressif's ESP32-P4 with MIPI-CSI camera input, video core processing, and GIF output support, alongside async_spi for awaitable SPI transfers and hardwarekey for HMAC and RSA cryptographic signing. Display and audio subsystems see significant optimization, with rotated display redraw performance improving roughly fivefold and JPEG decoding accelerated. Several ports were removed or consolidated: broadcom, litex, and renode are gone, while Zephyr gains new boards and initial NXP i.MX RT1011 support.

Compatibility changes warrant attention for upgraders from 10.x: OnDiskBitmap now accepts only filenames rather than open file handles, SDIO pin names changed on select Adafruit RP2040/RP2350 boards, and Espressif processor UIDs shift to canonical ordering affecting USB serial numbers and boot_out.txt. The 10.x library bundles remain compatible with 11.0.0 builds, easing transition for existing projects.

Hardware and subsystem changes in alpha.3

• ESP32-P4 video pipeline: Initial mipicsi, videocore, and videogif modules provide camera input, processing, and GIF output on Espressif's ESP32-P4, marking CircuitPython's first structured video capture and manipulation stack.
• Asynchronous SPI: New async_spi module enables await-able SPI transfers, allowing cooperative multitasking during bus transactions without blocking the interpreter.
• Hardware cryptography: hardwarekey adds HMAC and RSA signing with initial Espressif support; separate cryptography components bring P-256 ECDSA signature verification, also Espressif-first.
• Display and audio optimization: displayio and rotozoom receive speedups; rotated displays redraw approximately 5x faster. audiodelay gains smoother pitch control, and audiopwmio expands to ESP32-S2 and ESP32-S3.
• Web workflow and board APIs: Display mirroring arrives in the web workflow, and Raspberry Pi Pico boards now expose board.I2C(), board.SPI(), and board.UART() convenience constructors.

Why it matters

The ESP32-P4 video pipeline and hardware crypto primitives position CircuitPython to compete with lower-level frameworks in vision and secure-boot applications, potentially attracting IoT and edge-AI developers who previously avoided interpreted environments for performance or security reasons. For educators and hobbyists, the async SPI and consolidated board bus APIs reduce boilerplate and teaching friction on the widely used Raspberry Pi Pico and Espressif families. The removal of broadcom, litex, and renode ports concentrates maintainer effort on actively deployed silicon, though downstream users of those targets must freeze on 10.x or migrate to alternative runtimes.