Getting Started Guide

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3/7/2018 Getting Started with the micro:bit - learn.sparkfun.com

https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/getting-started-with-the-microbit?_ga=2.181651687.1167766512.1520447360-204410570.1509632255 1/13

Hardware Overview

The micro:bit has a lot to offer when it comes to onboard inputs and outputs. In fact, there are so many things

packed onto this little board that you would be hard pressed to really need anything else if you were looking at just

exploring the basics of programming and hardware.

Front

On the front of the board there are a number of components that are pretty visible right off the bat!

1. LED Array — The micro:bit has a 5x5 LED array that you can use as a tiny screen to draw on and display

words, numbers and other information.

2. A/B Buttons — Two buttons in all of their clicky glory: A is on the left, B is on the right, and both are prime for

controlling a game of your design.

3. Edge “Pins” — The gold tabs at the bottom of the board are for hooking up external components. The tabs

with larger holes can be easily used with alligator clips to prototype things quickly!

4. Light Sensor — A bit of a hidden gem. The LED array doubles as a light sensor!

Back

The back is where a lot of the magic happens. Check it out…

Summary of content (13 pages)

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3/7/2018 Getting Started with the micro:bit - learn.sparkfun.com Hardware Overview The micro:bit has a lot to offer when it comes to onboard inputs and outputs. In fact, there are so many things packed onto this little board that you would be hard pressed to really need anything else if you were looking at just exploring the basics of programming and hardware. Front On the front of the board there are a number of components that are pretty visible right off the bat! 1.
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3/7/2018 Getting Started with the micro:bit - learn.sparkfun.com 1. Microcontroller — The brains of the outfit. The micro:bit is powered by a 16MHz ARM Cortex-M0 microcontroller with 256KB Flash and 16KB RAM. 2. Accelerometer/Compass — The micro:bit has an onboard accelerometer that measures gravitational force, as well as a compass that can detect its orientation using Earth’s magnetic field. 3. Bluetooth/Radio — Communication is huge with the micro:bit.
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/7/2018 Getting Started with the micro:bit - learn.sparkfun.com Once you plug your board in, you should see the small yellow LED on the back of your micro:bit light up and possibly blink a few times. Then whatever existing program that was put on the micro:bit will start running. If this is your first time plugging your micro:bit in, go ahead and play around with it a bit — push buttons, shake it, and you will get a bit of an Easter egg.
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3/7/2018 Getting Started with the micro:bit - learn.sparkfun.com If you are on a Chromebook, when you plug your micro:bit in you will be greeted with a dialog box to open the drive. Feel free to do so to make sure it works! Let’s get programming! Using MakeCode This guide and most of SparkFun’s content around the micro:bit will use MakeCode by Microsoft for programming. What Is MakeCode? MakeCode is an open programming environment built by Microsoft for the micro:bit, as well as other boards.
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3/7/2018 Getting Started with the micro:bit - learn.sparkfun.com Click on the image above for a larger view. Let’s take a quick tour and check out what is available to us! 1. 2. 3. 4. Projects — A cloud storage system connected to your computer with no account setup required. Share — Allows you to share your project code in a number of different ways with your friends! Blocks/JavaScript — Choose your own adventure by programming in blocks (default) or in JavaScript.
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3/7/2018 Getting Started with the micro:bit - learn.sparkfun.com But, if you so choose there is a JavaScript option to use as well. The choice is yours, and the good news is that you can switch back and forth from one to the other in the same program; one will populate the other, which is really nice if you are new to programming! Simulator MakeCode includes a simulator for the micro:bit, meaning if you don’t have your micro:bit in hand you can still write code for it.
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3/7/2018 Getting Started with the micro:bit - learn.sparkfun.com Hello, World! Now comes the good stuff — writing your first program for your micro:bit in the MakeCode programming environment! “Hello World” is the term we use to define that first program you write in a programming language or on a new piece of hardware. Essentially it is a simple piece of code that gives you a quick win (fingers crossed) and a first step in learning.
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3/7/2018 Getting Started with the micro:bit - learn.sparkfun.com First, click on the Basics category. These blocks are, well, the basic building blocks of a BuildCode program. It will expand into a number of options. Click and drag the show leds block over and place it inside of your forever block. Notice that the block is keyed to fit inside of the forever block, and if you have the volume up on your computer you will hear a satisfying ‘click’ noise when you let go of the block.
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3/7/2018 Getting Started with the micro:bit - learn.sparkfun.com To turn this static image into an animation we need another show leds block to place just under the first block. You can then make a second drawing with this set of rectangles. In your simulator you will see the images switching really, really fast. We need to slow this down! To slow your animation down you will use the pause block, which is under the basic block set.
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3/7/2018 Getting Started with the micro:bit - learn.sparkfun.com The reason we are using two and placing one at the end is that this program is a loop. Without the block at the end, the image in your animation will change really, really fast. We have built up an example in the next section where you can download the file and try it out on your own micro:bit, or use the simulator.
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3/7/2018 Getting Started with the micro:bit - learn.sparkfun.com This will download your program file to your standard download location, probably the Downloads folder on your computer, or whatever location you have set in your download preference. You then simply click and drag your program file from its download location to your micro:bit drive, which shows up as an external device. That’s it! Your micro:bit will flash for a few seconds, and then your program will start automatically.
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3/7/2018 Getting Started with the micro:bit - learn.sparkfun.com Powering the micro:bit You have your program running on your micro:bit, but it is still tethered to your computer. There are a number of ways to solve this problem…batteries, batteries and more batteries! USB Battery Pack USB battery packs are becoming pretty commonplace out there. You can use one to run your micro:bit project for quite a long time. It is handy to have a shorter USB cable to keep from dragging a super-long wire around.
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3/7/2018 Getting Started with the micro:bit - learn.sparkfun.com These batteries can be purchased in bulk for pretty cheap. https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/getting-started-with-the-microbit?_ga=2.181651687.1167766512.1520447360-204410570.