There are lots of alternatives for programming microcontrollers other than C/C++. Python has become very popular, with MicroPython and CircuitPython exploding in popularity in recent years. But Lua has always had a presence in the embedded field. It’s an exceptionally flexible scripting language, giving users the power to essentially make any data structure they want from Lua tables. The ELM11 Microcontroller Board from Brisbane Silicon is a powerful, multi-core chip specifically designed to quickly interpret Lua.
I had the opportunity to play with a couple of these boards over the last months, and they are extremely cool! Not only has the documentation been continually improving, but Brisbane Silicon recently launched a new IDE specifically for developing for this board. This simplifies a lot of the process, especially in creating “hardware overlays” which are custom implementations of whatever hardware interfaces you need for your project — from the basic serial buses like SPI to whatever you can dream up, if you’re willing to roll up your sleeves and design your own.
It’s easy to get up and running quickly. When plugged in to a computer, you get a serial port that allows direct access to the Lua REPL running internally. You can play around with importing different modules and prototyping basic code. When you’re ready to push a project to the board, you can use either their new Arvore IDE or the original command line tools. Their website has a ton of information about using and programming this chip.
The ELM11 is the brainchild of two guys from, you guessed it, Brisbane, Australia. Craig Haywood designed the software side, and I asked him why they chose Lua for this project. His response was “Lua is quite simple to use, and it’s great for low-resource environments like embedded platforms. It’s also easily extensible; users can rapidly and easily add their own modules and expand functionality as they see fit. And because Lua is such a lightweight language, implementing a lightning-fast interpreter is not only feasible but easier to do than with other scripting languages.” I couldn’t agree more – I’ve always had a soft spot for Lua, and if you are curious about the board, make sure to check out the product page!
source https://blog.tindie.com/2026/07/lua-based-microcontroller-platform/
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