Using the micro:bit edge-connector with MakeCode Arcade

2024-09-26 | By Kitronik Maker

License: See Original Project micro:bit

Courtesy of Kitronik

Guide by Kitronik Maker

Full micro:bit edge connector support has now been added to the MakeCode ‎Arcade editor. To highlight this, Jake from our Dev team has put together a code ‎example to demonstrate the functionality of the micro:bit IO under MakeCode ‎Arcade.‎

The demonstration involves a modification of the “jumpy platformer” example.‎

We Used

BBC micro:bit
Kitronik ARCADE for micro:bit and MakeCode Arcade
Clippable 180-degree servo
Phototransistor
‎10kΩ Resistor
‎3 x AA Batteries
Crocodile leads
A USB Type-A to Micro-B USB Noodle Cable
Microsoft MakeCode Arcade Editor‎ ‎

THE HARDWARE:‎

makecode-animation_1

‎The Kitronik ARCADE for BBC micro:bit is a handheld gaming platform designed ‎specifically for use with the BBC micro:bit and the MakeCode Arcade editor. The ‎board breaks out the 0, 1, 2, 3V, GND pins of the micro:bit, these pins can be ‎connected to with crocodile clips. It is these pins that the example code below ‎utilises.‎‎ ‎

ADDING THE EDGE CONNECTOR AND SERVO EXTENSIONS:‎

ext_2 ‎

‎The edge connector functionality can be added to the MakeCode editor as an ‎extension. Start a new project, then then click on the cog icon in the top right of the ‎editor and select Extensions. Type and enter edge-connector into the search bar. ‎Once you've clicked the tile, a “pins” tab will now be available under the “advanced” ‎tab.‎

advanced_3

The servo functionality can be added in the same way, typing, and entering servo ‎into the search bar instead. Once you've selected the tile, servo will be added to ‎the menu on the left.‎‎ ‎

SERVO DEMONSTRATION – RAISING A FLAG AT THE END OF THE LEVEL:

code_4

To demonstrate the output functionality of the edge connectors, I’ve reused the ‎original servo example. In this, a flag (attached to a clippable servo) will be raised ‎when the player reaches the end of the level. The flag will then be lowered when ‎the player starts the next level. To achieve this, two servo blocks are used in the ‎code – the first to raise the flag, and the second to lower it.‎

Our servo is attached to P0 on the edge connector, and we want to raise the flag at ‎a 90° angle. We place the servo block from the servo tab at the start of the function ‎related to when the player overlaps the flag, meaning the end of the level has been ‎won. As we want to reset the position of the flag at the start of the next level, the ‎flag is reset to a 0° angle right at the end of the function – meaning the next level ‎has been started.

‎This results in our flag raising when the end of the level has been reached and is ‎lowered at the end of the level: As demonstrated in this video.‎‎ ‎

ANALOG INPUT – LIGHT SENSOR:‎

input_5

To show that the edge connectors can also be used as an input to interact with the ‎game, two very simple functions have been added to the game to interact with ‎additional hardware. The additional hardware is a phototransistor and a 10K ‎resistor, forming a potential divider. As the light on the phototransistor decreases, ‎the resistance of the phototransistor increases. The result is that the voltage on pin ‎P1 will begin to fall.

voltage_6

To interact with the game, we can use the existing block “on pin” to select P1 from ‎the first drop down list, and to also select “fall” from the second. This will enable an ‎action to take place in the game when the phototransistor is covered. In this case, ‎we have set the background to change from a Light Blue background to a Black ‎background to simulate night.

interact_7

When the phototransistor is uncovered, and the voltage on pin P1 begins to rise, a ‎similar function is needed to change the background back from black to light blue.‎‎ ‎