The go-to guide to getting started with the BBC micro:bit and exploring all of its amazing capabilities.
The BBC micro:bit is a pocket-sized electronic development platform built with education in mind. It was developed by the BBC in partnership with major tech companies, communities, and educational organizations to provide kids with a fun, easy, inexpensive way to develop their digital skills. With it, kids (and grownups) can learn basic programming and coding while having fun making virtual pets, developing games, and a whole lot more.
Written by internationally bestselling tech author Gareth Halfacree and endorsed by the Micro:bit Foundation, The Official BBC micro:bit User Guide contains what you need to know to get up and running fast with the BBC micro:bit. Learn everything from taking your first steps with the BBC micro:bit to writing your own programs. You'll also learn how to expand its capabilities with add-ons through easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions.
- Set up your BBC micro:bit and develop your digital skills
- Write code in JavaScript Blocks, JavaScript, and Python
- Discover the BBC micro:bit’s built-in sensors
- Connect the BBC micro:bit to a Raspberry Pi to extend its capabilities
- Build your own circuits and create hardware
The Official BBC micro:bit User Guide is your go-to source for learning all the secrets of the BBC micro:bit. Whether you're just beginning or have some experience, this book allows you to dive right in and experience everything the BBC micro:bit has to offer.
Table of Contents:
Foreword xi
Introduction xiii
Part I
Chapter 1 Meet the BBC micro:bit 3
A Tour of the Board 3
Breaking It Down 5
Display 6
Buttons 7
Processor 8
Radio 9
Accelerometer 10
Compass 11
Input-Output Pins 12
Micro-USB Port 13
Battery Connector 14
Chapter 2 Getting Started with the BBC micro:bit 17
Handling the BBC micro:bit 17
Powering the BBC micro:bit 18
USB Power 18
Battery Power 20
Greetings from the BBC micro:bit 23
Signs of Life 24
Testing the Buttons 24
Motion Gaming 24
Get Coding 25
Resetting the BBC micro:bit 25
Chapter 3 Programming the BBC micro:bit 27
USB Connectivity 27
Drag-and-Drop 29
Automatic Flashing 31
The Code Editor 32
Downloading Your Program 33
About Flash Memory 38
Part II
Chapter 4 Programming Languages 41
About Programming Languages 41
The Three Main BBC micro:bit Languages 42
JavaScript Blocks 43
JavaScript 44
Python 45
Comparing Programming Languages 46
Choosing a Programming Language 48
Other Programming Languages 49
Chapter 5 JavaScript Blocks 51
Introducing the JavaScript Blocks Editor 51
Program 1: ‘Hello, World!’ 54
Loops 57
Program 2: Button Inputs 58
Multiple Buttons 60
Program 3: Touch Inputs 61
Variables 62
Program 4: The Temperature Sensor 65
Formatting the Output 67
Program 5: The Compass Sensor 67
Program 6: The Accelerometer Sensor 70
Delays 73
Reading Raw Accelerometer Data 74
Program 7: The Fruit Catcher Game 76
The Setup 77
The Main Program Loop 78
Conditional Loops 80
Conditional Statements 82
The Control Events 84
Further Steps 86
Chapter 6 JavaScript 87
Introducing the JavaScript Editor 88
Program 1: ‘Hello, World!’ 90
Loops 93
Program 2: Button Inputs 94
Multiple Buttons 97
Program 3: Touch Inputs 98
Variables 99
Program 4: The Temperature Sensor 102
Formatting the Output 104
Program 5: The Compass Sensor 104
Program 6: The Accelerometer Sensor 107
Delays 109
Reading Raw Accelerometer Data 110
Program 7: The Fruit Catcher Game 112
The Setup 113
The Main Program Loop 115
The Conditional Loops 116
The Conditional Statements 117
The Control Events 120
Further Steps 123
Chapter 7 Python 125
Introducing the Python Editor 126
Program 1: ‘Hello, World!’ 128
Loops 132
Program 2: Button Inputs 133
Multiple Buttons 136
Program 3: Touch Inputs 137
Variables 138
Program 4: The Temperature Sensor 141
Formatting the Output 142
Program 5: The Compass Sensor 143
Program 6: The Accelerometer Sensor 145
Delays 147
Reading Raw Accelerometer Data 148
Program 7: The Fruit Catcher Game 150
The Setup 150
The Main Program Loop 153
Conditional Loops 154
Conditional Statements 155
Drawing the Sprites 156
Finishing the Program 157
Further Steps 160
Part III
Chapter 8 The Wireless BBC micro:bit 163
The BBC micro:bit Radio 163
Program 1: One-to-One Communication 164
Program 2: One-to-Many Communication 167
Program 3: Radio Groups 169
Testing the Group Feature 171
Using the BBC micro:bit with a Smartphone or Tablet 173
Chapter 9 The BBC micro:bit and the Raspberry Pi 175
About the Raspberry Pi 176
Connecting the Raspberry Pi to the BBC micro:bit 177
Reading from the BBC micro:bit 180
Using the BBC micro:bit Display 186
Practical Example: A CPU Monitor 189
Chapter 10 Building Circuits 193
Electronic Equipment 194
The Input-Output Pins 196
The Large Pins 197
The Small Pins 199
Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) 201
Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C) 201
Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter (UART) 201
Your First Circuits 202
Reading from a Button Input 202
Reading Resistor Colour Codes 205
Writing to an LED Output 207
Fading an LED via PWM 211
Reading an Analogue Input 213
Chapter 11 Extending the BBC micro:bit 217
Extending via Breakout Boards 217
Kitronik Edge Connector Breakout Board 218
ScienceScope Micro:bit Breakout Board 219
Proto-Pic Bread:Bit 220
Proto-Pic Exhi:Bit 220
Robotics and the BBC micro:bit 222
Kitronik Line-Following Buggy 222
Kitronik Motor Driver Board 223
Technology Will Save Us Micro:Bot 224
4tronix Bit:Bot 225
BinaryBots 226
Other BBC micro:bit Add-Ons 227
Kitronik Mi:Power 227
Proto-Pic Micro:Pixel Board 228
Proto-Pic Simon:Says Board 229
4tronix Bit:2:Pi Board 230
Kitronik Mi:Pro Protector and Mi:Power Cases 231
Chapter 12 The Wearable BBC micro:bit 233
Advantages of the Wearable BBC micro:bit 234
Conductive Thread 235
Using Conductive Thread 237
The Rain-Sensing Hat 241
Building the Hat 242
Mounting the BBC micro:bit 244
The Rain-Sensing Program 245
Battery Power 246
Chapter 13 Additional Resources 249
The Micro:bit Educational Foundation 249
Official Teaching Resources 251
Third-Party Teaching Resources 252
The Institution of Engineering and Technology 252
Computing At School 253
Micro:bit for Primary Schools 253
TES Magazine 255
Code Clubs 256
Part IV
Appendix A JavaScript Blocks Recipes 259
Appendix B JavaScript Recipes 267
Appendix C Python Recipes 275
Appendix D Pin-Out Listing 285
Index 289
About the Author :
GARETH HALFACREE is the author of the Raspberry Pi User Guide and an expert in educational and embedded computing. A noted technology journalist and long-time tech author, Gareth also has an extensive background in computing education.
