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Installing the Circuit Playground Firmata Application for CodeAI

Alert: For Chromebook users on Chrome OS v133+ using Circuit Playground Express with CodeAI Maker activities:
To use Maker activities, the CodeAI Firmata application must be installed on the Circuit Playground Express. This is done by dragging the file onto the CPLAYBOOT drive, which appears in the Files app while the Circuit Playground is in bootloader mode.
However, on Chrome OS v133 and above, the CPLAYBOOT drive no longer appears, preventing users from installing the necessary Firmata application directly from their Chromebook.

UPDATE (Jan 16, 2026) : Updating to the latest version of ChromeOS (>= v141.0.7390.135) appears to resolve this issue for users who have x86 Chromebooks.

We've tested with x86 Chromebooks and updating to the latest ChromeOS version has resolved this issue, i.e., users can now see the CPLAYBOOT drive when in bootloader mode. However, we've seen that for ARM chromebooks, users continue to not see the CPLAYBOOT drive. However, the workaround described below does work on ARM chromebooks.

Workaround: 

  • Users have successfully installed the CodeAI Firmata by using a Windows or Mac computer to download and transfer the Firmata file to the board. Once installed, the board can still be used with Maker activities on the Chromebook. Please contact us if you cannot see the CPLAYBOOT drive AND the workaround does not work at support@code.org. We have reported this issue to the Google team, and we hope it will be resolved soon.

 

The Adafruit Circuit Playground (CP) is a pocket-sized computer that introduces you to how software and hardware work together. CodeAI's Creating Apps for Devices (Circuit Playground) curriculum is compatible with the CP Express and the CP Classic, but requires specific Firmata application to install onto the board.

To distinguish between the the different types of Circuit Playgrounds, the type (Express or Classic) is displayed in text on the back of the board. Note that CodeAI does not support the CP Bluefruit.

Table of Contents

Circuit Playground Express: Installation via Drag-and-Drop

To detect whether the CP Express has the required Firmata application installed, go to https://studio.code.org/maker/setup and click on the 'Connect to Board' button.

If 'No compatible devices found' is displayed on the pop-up window, then you will need to update the board with the required Firmata application.

You will need to download the Firmata application (.UF2 file) and follow the instructions on how to click and drag the file to the CP Express CPLAYBOOT drive. The CP Express must be in bootloader mode during this installation process. Detailed instructions are available here. 

 

Circuit Playground Classic: Installation via Arduino IDE

To detect whether the CP Classic has the required Firmata application installed, go to https://studio.code.org/maker/setup and click on the 'Connect to Board' button. Then select the Circuit Playground in the window that pops up and click on 'Connect'.

If the Firmata application is not installed, you will be see an X for the third setup check:

Click on the 'for Circuit Playground Classic boards with these instructions' link for detailed instructions. You will need to install the Arduino IDE in order to update the Firmata application.

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