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Getting Started with the Micro:bit v2

2020-10-13 | By Kevin Walseth

License: General Public License micro:bit

The beauty of the BBC Micro:Bit is the ability to use makecode to program the micro:bit.  It is an online editor which needs no separate programs or apps installed to be downloaded. All you need is an internet connection.

To get started, navigate to makecode.microbit.org/stable (this is the newest editor created for the Micro:bit v2)

newest%20editor%20created%20for%20the%20Microbit%20v2

Click on “New Project” in purple

  1. Select Advanced > Add Extension and paste the https://github.com/frumplecoin/demo-extension into the search box.
  2. Click on the extension to add it to the toolbox.

This will allow you to utilize the new features on the Micro:bit v2

Now let’s see how the new capacitive touch logo works:

Under input, let’s click on “on logo pressed”

click%20on%20logo%20pressed

Then under Basic, click “show string (Hello!)”

click%20show%20string%20hello

Drag the show string inside the “on logo pressed” puzzle

string%20inside%20the%20on%20logo%20pressed%20puzzle

To download this to the microbit, click on the download button.

download%20this%20to%20the%20microbit

This will automatically download it to your “downloads” folder on your computer. The next thing to do is to plug in your micro:bit to your computer. This will bring up a disk drive similar to a flash drive. All you have to do is simply drag and drop the downloaded file onto your micro:bit drive.

downloaded%20file%20onto%20your%20microbit%20drive

It will then program onto the microbit and you can see it operate once you touch the Micro:Bit logo.

Now let’s try the microphone input and speaker.

We can delete the blocks that were created for the logo touch input and start clean.

Add the blocks: “On loud sound”, “show leds”, and “play melody” just like this:

Add%20the%20blocks

The LED’s is supposed to be the DK logosmile

LED%20is%20supposed%20to%20be%20the%20DK%20logo%20

Now you can download this to your Micro:Bit.  If you scream at it, you should see your image.

These are just a few quick examples utilizing the new sensors and features of the Micro:Bit v2

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