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Flashing heart Smiley buttons Love meter Rock paper scissors Magic button trick Coin Flipper Hack your headphones Banana keyboard Guitar Duct tape wallet Watch Soil Moisture Plant Watering Reaction Time States of Matter Hot Or Cold Voting Machine Infection Fireflies Rock Paper Scissors Teams Inchworm Milk Carton Robot Milk monster RC Car Timing gates Compass Telegraph Railway Crossing Karel
Examples
Blinky Name tag Rando Plot acceleration Plot light level Plot analog pin Servo calibrator Game of Life Egg and Spoon Race Stop watch Radio dashboard
Courses
About Introduction References Acknowledgements
Introduction Unplugged Walkthrough Project Standards
Overview Unplugged Activity Project Standards
Overview Unplugged Activity Project Standards
Overview Unplugged Activity Project Standards
Overview Unplugged Activity Project Standards
Review Activity Project Standards
Overview Unplugged Activity Project Standards
Overview Unplugged Activity Project Standards
Overview Unplugged Activity Project Standards
Overview Unplugged Activity Project Standards
Overview Unplugged Activity Project Standards
Review Project Examples Standards
Reference
show number show icon show leds show string clear screen forever pause show arrow show animation
on button pressed on gesture on pin pressed button is pressed compass heading pin is pressed temperature acceleration light level rotation magnetic force running time set accelerometer range
play tone ring tone rest beat tempo change tempo by set tempo
plot unplot point toggle brightness set brightness stop animation plot bar graph enable
send number send value send string on data packet received set group set transmit power set transmit serial number write received packet to serial
create sprite delete move turn in on edge bounce get set change is touching is touching edge add score score set score start countdown game over pause resume
create image create big image show image scroll image arrow image icon image arrow number
digital read pin digital write pin analog read pin analog write pin analog set period map on pulsed pulse duration pulse in servo write pin servo set pulse i2c read number i2c write number set pull analog pitch analog set pitch pin spi write spi Pins spi format spi frequency
write line write number write value write string read until read line read string on data received redirect write buffer read buffer
in background reset wait micros on event raise event event timestamp event value
Pairing on bluetooth connected on bluetooth disconnected start accelerometer service start button service start io pin service start led service start magnetometer service start temperature service start uart service uart read until uart write string uart write number uart write value advertise url stop advertising advertise uid advertise-uid-buffer
tell camera to tell remote control to raise alert to on notified on gamepad button signal strength on signal strength changed
Packages
NeoPixel File System Sonar Bluetooth Temperature Sensor MAX6675 Bluetooth MAX6675 MIDI Bluetooth MIDI Code Dojo Olney UCL Junk Robot SRS BitBot SRS BitBot BlockyTalkyBLE
Blocks
On Start
repeat for while
if Boolean
assign change var var
Math JavaScript blocks Custom blocks
JavaScript
Calling Sequencing Variables Operators Statements Functions Types Classes Interfaces Generics
Types
Number String Boolean Array Function
Hardware
Data logging Error codes Foil circuits MES events Pins Reactive Screen Serial Servo Simulator Usb Flashing via HID (CMSIS-DAP)
Published by Microsoft
    Documentation
Support
Projects
Flashing heart Smiley buttons Love meter Rock paper scissors Magic button trick Coin Flipper Hack your headphones Banana keyboard Guitar Duct tape wallet Watch Soil Moisture Plant Watering Reaction Time States of Matter Hot Or Cold Voting Machine Infection Fireflies Rock Paper Scissors Teams Inchworm Milk Carton Robot Milk monster RC Car Timing gates Compass Telegraph Railway Crossing Karel
Examples
Blinky Name tag Rando Plot acceleration Plot light level Plot analog pin Servo calibrator Game of Life Egg and Spoon Race Stop watch Radio dashboard
Courses
About Introduction References Acknowledgements
Introduction Unplugged Walkthrough Project Standards
Overview Unplugged Activity Project Standards
Overview Unplugged Activity Project Standards
Overview Unplugged Activity Project Standards
Overview Unplugged Activity Project Standards
Review Activity Project Standards
Overview Unplugged Activity Project Standards
Overview Unplugged Activity Project Standards
Overview Unplugged Activity Project Standards
Overview Unplugged Activity Project Standards
Overview Unplugged Activity Project Standards
Review Project Examples Standards
Reference
show number show icon show leds show string clear screen forever pause show arrow show animation
on button pressed on gesture on pin pressed button is pressed compass heading pin is pressed temperature acceleration light level rotation magnetic force running time set accelerometer range
play tone ring tone rest beat tempo change tempo by set tempo
plot unplot point toggle brightness set brightness stop animation plot bar graph enable
send number send value send string on data packet received set group set transmit power set transmit serial number write received packet to serial
create sprite delete move turn in on edge bounce get set change is touching is touching edge add score score set score start countdown game over pause resume
create image create big image show image scroll image arrow image icon image arrow number
digital read pin digital write pin analog read pin analog write pin analog set period map on pulsed pulse duration pulse in servo write pin servo set pulse i2c read number i2c write number set pull analog pitch analog set pitch pin spi write spi Pins spi format spi frequency
write line write number write value write string read until read line read string on data received redirect write buffer read buffer
in background reset wait micros on event raise event event timestamp event value
Pairing on bluetooth connected on bluetooth disconnected start accelerometer service start button service start io pin service start led service start magnetometer service start temperature service start uart service uart read until uart write string uart write number uart write value advertise url stop advertising advertise uid advertise-uid-buffer
tell camera to tell remote control to raise alert to on notified on gamepad button signal strength on signal strength changed
Packages
NeoPixel File System Sonar Bluetooth Temperature Sensor MAX6675 Bluetooth MAX6675 MIDI Bluetooth MIDI Code Dojo Olney UCL Junk Robot SRS BitBot SRS BitBot BlockyTalkyBLE
Blocks
On Start
repeat for while
if Boolean
assign change var var
Math JavaScript blocks Custom blocks
JavaScript
Calling Sequencing Variables Operators Statements Functions Types Classes Interfaces Generics
Types
Number String Boolean Array Function
Hardware
Data logging Error codes Foil circuits MES events Pins Reactive Screen Serial Servo Simulator Usb Flashing via HID (CMSIS-DAP)
Published by Microsoft

Introduction

What is a micro:bit? The micro:bit was created in 2015 in the UK by the BBC to teach computer science to students. The BBC gave away a micro:bit to every Year 7 student in the UK. You can think of a micro:bit as a mini computer. http://microbit.org

BBC micro:bit

What is a computer?

There are 4 main components that make up any computer:

Computer components

  1. The Processor – this is usually a small chip inside the computer, and it’s how the computer processes and transforms information. Has anyone heard of the term “CPU”? CPU stands for Central Processing Unit. You can think of the processor as the Brains of the computer - the faster the processor, the more quickly the computer can think.

  2. The Memory – this is how the computer remembers things. There are two types of memory:

    • RAM (random access memory) - you can think of this as the computer’s short-term memory
    • Storage (also referred to as the “hard drive”) - this is the computer’s long-term memory, where it can store information even when power is turned off

  3. Inputs – this is how a computer takes in information from the world. On humans, our input comes in through our senses, such as our ears and eyes. What are some Computer Inputs? Keyboard, Mouse, Touchscreen, Camera, Microphone, Game Controller, Scanner

  4. Outputs – this is how a computer displays or communicates information. On humans, we communicate information by using our mouths when we talk. What are some examples of communication that don’t involve talking? Blushing, sign language. What are some examples of Computer outputs? Monitor/Screen, Headphones/Speakers, Printer

Now, let’s look at our micro:bit:

micro:bit hardware

  • Use the diagram here as a visual aid: http://microbit.org/hardware/
  • Can you find the Processor?
  • How much memory does the micro:bit have? 16K, which is smaller than many files on your computer!
  • Can you locate the following Inputs? Buttons (on board), Pins (at base), Accelerometer / Compass.

    Note: Though not pictured, the Light Sensor is located on the LED lights

  • Where are the Outputs? LED lights, Pins

All computers need electricity to power them. There are 3 ways to power your micro:bit:

  • Through the USB port at the top
  • By connecting a battery pack to the battery connector
  • Through the 3V Pin at the bottom (not the recommended way to power your micro:bit)

On the top left corner you may notice that your micro:bit has a Bluetooth antenna. This means your micro:bit can communicate and send information to other micro:bits. We will learn more about this feature in the Radio Lesson.