TinyGo Embedded Workshop - Assignment 1: Install TinyGo

Assignment 1: Install TinyGo

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You will need Go and TinyGo installed on your computer for this workshop. This assignment will guide you through the installation process.

Install Go

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First, install the Go programming language if you don’t have it already.

go version

go version go1.26.x windows/amd64

go version

go version go1.26.x darwin/amd64

brew install go

rm -rf /usr/local/go && tar -C /usr/local -xzf go1.26.x.linux-amd64.tar.gz

export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/go/bin

source ~/.profile

go version

go version go1.26.x linux/amd64

Install TinyGo

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TinyGo requires additional setup depending on your operating system.

# Download latest release
# Visit: https://github.com/tinygo-org/tinygo/releases

# Extract to C:\Program Files\tinygo
# Add C:\Program Files\tinygo\bin to your PATH

tinygo version

tinygo version 0.41.0 linux/amd64 (using go version go1.22.5)

brew install llvm

brew tap tinygo-org/tools
brew install tinygo

brew update
brew upgrade tinygo

tinygo version

tinygo version 0.41.0 darwin/amd64 (using go version go1.26.x)

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt-get install llvm clang liblld-dev

# Fedora
sudo dnf install llvm clang lld

# Arch Linux
sudo pacman -S llvm clang lld

# Download latest release
wget https://github.com/tinygo-org/tinygo/releases/download/v0.41.0/tinygo_0.41.0_amd64.deb

# Install package
sudo dpkg -i tinygo_0.41.0_amd64.deb

tinygo version

tinygo version 0.41.0 linux/amd64 (using go version go1.22.5)

Install USB Drivers (Windows Only)

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If you’re on Windows, you may need USB drivers for your board.

M5Stack Core2:

• Uses CP2104 USB-to-serial chip
• Download drivers from SiLabs

M5Stack StampC3 / XIAO-ESP32C3:

• Uses native USB (no drivers needed)

Install IDE (Optional)

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Choose your preferred development environment. JetBrains GoLand offers excellent TinyGo support, or you can use Visual Studio Code with the TinyGo extension.

JetBrains GoLand (Recommended)

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JetBrains GoLand provides comprehensive TinyGo support with intelligent code completion, debugging, and project management.

1. Download and install GoLand
2. Install the TinyGo plugin:
   • Open GoLand
   • Go to File > Settings > Plugins
   • Search for “TinyGo”
   • Install the official TinyGo plugin
3. Configure TinyGo SDK in GoLand settings

Visual Studio Code (Alternative)

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Visual Studio Code with the TinyGo extension provides a lightweight development experience.

1. Download and install VS Code
2. Install the TinyGo extension:
   • Open VS Code
   • Press Ctrl+Shift+X (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+X (macOS)
   • Search for “TinyGo”
   • Install the extension

Verify Board Detection

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Connect your board via USB-C cable and verify it’s detected:

[System.IO.Ports.SerialPort]::GetPortNames()

ls -la /dev/cu.usb*

crw-rw-rw-  1 root  wheel   9,  3 Apr 22 10:00 /dev/cu.usbserial-1420

ls -la /dev/ttyUSB* /dev/ttyACM*

crw-rw----  1 uucp dialout 188,  0 Apr 22 10:00 /dev/ttyUSB0

sudo usermod -a -G dialout $USER
# Log out and log back in for changes to take effect

Get the Source Code

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The complete source code for this assignment is available in the developer-portal-codebase repository:

git clone https://github.com/espressif/developer-portal-codebase.git
cd developer-portal-codebase/content/workshops/tinygo/assignment_1

The codebase contains a simple test program to verify your TinyGo installation.

Test Installation

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Create a test file to verify your installation:

1. Create a new directory:

mkdir tinygo-test
cd tinygo-test
go mod init tinygo-test

2. Create main.go:

package main

import (
    "fmt"
    "time"
)

func main() {
    for i := 0; i < 5; i++ {
        fmt.Println("Hello from TinyGo!", i)
        time.Sleep(time.Millisecond * 500)
    }
}

3. Build for your host:

tinygo build .

4. Run:

./tinygo-test

Expected output:

Hello from TinyGo! 0
Hello from TinyGo! 1
Hello from TinyGo! 2
Hello from TinyGo! 3
Hello from TinyGo! 4

Available Targets

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TinyGo supports many boards. Check available targets:

tinygo targets

Common ESP32 targets:

• esp32-generic - ESP32
• esp32c3-generic - ESP32-C3
• esp32s3-generic - ESP32-S3
• xiao-esp32s3 - Seeed Studio XIAO ESP32-S3

Troubleshooting

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“tinygo: command not found”

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• Ensure TinyGo is installed and in your PATH
• Try opening a new terminal window
• Check your PATH environment variable

“llvm-config not found”

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• Install LLVM for your operating system
• Ensure LLVM is in your PATH
• Try reinstalling TinyGo after installing LLVM

Board not detected

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• Check USB cable (must support data, not just power)
• Try a different USB port
• Install USB drivers (Windows only)
• Check board is powered (LED should be lit)

Permission denied accessing serial port

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Linux:

sudo usermod -a -G dialout $USER
# Log out and log back in

macOS:

sudo chmod 666 /dev/cu.usbserial-*

Windows:

• Run as Administrator
• Check Device Manager for port conflicts

Summary

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You should now have:

• Go 1.26+ installed
• TinyGo 0.41 installed
• VS Code with TinyGo extension (optional)
• USB drivers installed (Windows)
• Board detected and ready

Let’s verify everything is working with our first embedded program!

Assignment 2: Blinky