The Micro:bit board is a compact and powerful educational microcontroller designed to inspire creativity and programming learning in young people. Launched in 2015 by the BBC in the UK as part of the “Make It Digital” initiative, the Micro:bit has quickly become a popular tool worldwide for teaching programming and computer science.
The Micro:bit measures approximately 4 centimetres by 5 centimetres and is equipped with a variety of features that make it an ideal choice for programming beginners.
It features an ARM Cortex-M0 processor, 25 programmable LEDs, motion sensors (accelerometer and magnetometer), a temperature sensor, programmable buttons, Bluetooth connectivity, input/output pins, and much more.
One of the main aims of the Micro:bit is to make programming accessible to everyone, whatever their level of experience. It is compatible with various programming languages, including MakeCode (a block-based visual programming environment), Python, JavaScript and many others.
This allows users to choose the language that best matches their skill level and preferences.
The first kit contains the Micro:bit V2 card on its own, with just what’s needed to program it. You’ll find a micro-usb cable for programming. You can also power it autonomously with the 2-battery pack.
If you’re looking for a kit to get you started in the world of electronics, this is the one for you! With over 45 components included in the kit, you’ll be able to use an LCD screen, a distance sensor or even an infrared remote control to guide your project from a distance.
If you’re looking for a fun, educational project, making a moving robot is a great way to get started in the world of Micro:bit. Please note, however, that the Micro:bit board is not included in this kit.
We’ll now look at an example of how to make the LEDs on the Micro:bit card flash. Here are the two figures we’re going to make: one smiling and one sad:
To do this, we’re going to use Tinkercad, a simulation program for electronics. You can program your Micro:bit as a block.
Here we can see that a happy face is displayed, then after 5 seconds, a sad face is displayed for the same amount of time: