diff --git a/examples/readgpio.py b/examples/readgpio.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..66c9b05
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/readgpio.py
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+"""
+Very basic example showing how to read a GPIO pin from the ULP and access
+that data from the main CPU.
+
+In this case GPIO4 is being read. Note that the ULP needs to refer to GPIOs
+via their RTC channel number. You can see the mapping in this file:
+https://github.com/espressif/esp-idf/blob/v4.4.1/components/soc/esp32/include/soc/rtc_io_channel.h#L51
+
+If you change to a different GPIO number, make sure to modify both the channel
+number and also the RTC_IO_TOUCH_PAD0_* references appropriately. The best place
+to see the mappings might be this table here (notice the "real GPIO numbers" as
+comments to each line):
+https://github.com/espressif/esp-idf/blob/v4.4.1/components/soc/esp32/rtc_io_periph.c#L61
+
+The timer is set to a rather long period, so you can watch the data value
+change as you change the GPIO input (see loop at the end).
+"""
+
+from esp32 import ULP
+from machine import mem32
+
+from esp32_ulp import src_to_binary
+
+source = """\
+#define DR_REG_RTCIO_BASE            0x3ff48400
+#define RTC_IO_TOUCH_PAD0_REG        (DR_REG_RTCIO_BASE + 0x94)
+#define RTC_IO_TOUCH_PAD0_MUX_SEL_M  (BIT(19))
+#define RTC_IO_TOUCH_PAD0_FUN_IE_M   (BIT(13))
+#define RTC_GPIO_IN_REG              (DR_REG_RTCIO_BASE + 0x24)
+#define RTC_GPIO_IN_NEXT_S           14
+.set channel, 10  # 10 is the channel no. of gpio4
+
+state:      .long 0
+
+entry:
+            # connect GPIO to the RTC subsystem so the ULP can read it
+            WRITE_RTC_REG(RTC_IO_TOUCH_PAD0_REG, RTC_IO_TOUCH_PAD0_MUX_SEL_M, 1, 1)
+
+            # switch the GPIO into input mode
+            WRITE_RTC_REG(RTC_IO_TOUCH_PAD0_REG, RTC_IO_TOUCH_PAD0_FUN_IE_M, 1, 1)
+
+            # read the GPIO's current state into r0
+            READ_RTC_REG(RTC_GPIO_IN_REG, RTC_GPIO_IN_NEXT_S + channel, 1)
+
+            # set r3 to the memory address of "state"
+            move r3, state
+
+            # store what was read into r0 into the "state" variable
+            st r0, r3, 0
+
+            # halt ULP co-processor (until it gets woken up again)
+            halt
+"""
+
+binary = src_to_binary(source)
+
+load_addr, entry_addr = 0, 4
+
+ULP_MEM_BASE = 0x50000000
+ULP_DATA_MASK = 0xffff  # ULP data is only in lower 16 bits
+
+ulp = ULP()
+ulp.set_wakeup_period(0, 50000)  # use timer0, wakeup after 50.000 cycles
+ulp.load_binary(load_addr, binary)
+
+mem32[ULP_MEM_BASE + load_addr] = 0x0  # initialise state to 0
+ulp.run(entry_addr)
+
+while True:
+    print(hex(mem32[ULP_MEM_BASE + load_addr] & ULP_DATA_MASK))
+