BBC micro:bit

2016-03-29 | By Maker.io Staff

On the 22nd of March 2016, the British broadcasting corporation (BBC) had begun delivering its micro:bit programmable computer to 1 million students in the UK. The BBC micro:bit is the successor to the BBC Micro back in the eighties, and was originally introduced to teach the next generation of young minds, how to program.

BBC micro:bit board

Key features of the micro:bit include:

• 25 red LEDs to light up, flash messages, create games and invent digital stories.
• Two programmable buttons activated when pressed. Use the micro:bit as a games controller. Pause or skip songs on a playlist.
• On-board motion detector or “accelerometer” that can detect movement and tell other devices you’re on the go. Featured actions include shake, tilt and freefall. Turn the micro:bit into a spirit level. Light it up when something is moved. Use it for motion-activated games.
• A built-in compass or “magnetometer” to sense which direction you’re facing, your movement in degrees, and where you are. Includes an in-built magnet, and can sense certain types of metal.
• Bluetooth Smart Technology to connect to the internet and interact with the world around you. Connect the micro:bit to other micro:bits, devices, kits, phones, tablets, cameras and everyday objects all around. Share creations or join forces to create multi-micro:bit masterpieces. Take a selfie. Pause a DVD or control your playlist.
• Five Input and Output (I/O) rings to connect the micro:bit to devices or sensors using crocodile clips or 4mm banana plugs. Use the micro:bit to send commands to and from the rings, to power devices like robots and motors.

The BBC micro:bit has been developed with the help of its partners, including ARM, Microsoft and Samsung. Part of the wider digital skills campaign, the micro:bit is intended to help kids learn and experience the basics of computing and coding. The development board, which is compatible with several programming languages, comes with features such as LEDs, buttons, on-board accelerometer and magnetometer, Bluetooth connectivity and input/output rings. You can program the BBC micro:bit using a number of different methods such as an Android app for smartphones or tablets, Microsoft block editor which is a visual web based programming editor and many more.

BBC micro:bit programming editors

As the micro:bit slowly rolls out, the BBC have declared that the hardware and software for the micro:bit will be released as open-sourced, allowing hardware and software developers to further add to the development.

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