BBC Micro:bit in Practice E-Book

Ashwin Pajankar

• Herausgeber: Packt Publishing
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Seitenzahl: 242

Beschreibung

This book is a one-stop guide for learning BBC Micro:bit with MicroPython, exploring many hardware components and programming techniques to provide detailed insights into developing practical applications with the Micro:bit. It will also show you how hardware components can be manipulated using a combination of Micro:bit and MicroPython for developing practical projects. BBC Micro:bit in Practice will help you gain a holistic understanding of the BBC Micro:bit platform and MicroPython programming, guiding you through mini projects aimed at developing practical knowledge of circuit design and writing programs. You’ll learn how to write programs for working with built-in LEDs and buttons, interfacing external LEDs, buttons, motors, buzzers, and much more. You’ll also work with built-in radio, speakers, accelerometer, and a compass. You’ll dive into concepts related to the Micro:bit filesystem, interfacing external displays, and working with libraries in detail before exploring sewable circuits and wearable technology.
After reading this Micro:bit book, you’ll understand how to apply principles in electronics and MicroPython to create interesting real-life projects from scratch.

Leseprobe

BBC Micro:bit in Practice

A hands-on guide to building creative real-life projects with MicroPython and the BBC Micro:bit

Ashwin Pajankar

Abhishek Sharma

Sandeep Saini

BIRMINGHAM—MUMBAI

BBC Micro:bit in Practice

Copyright © 2022 Packt Publishing

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To Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the architects of modern India, whose names will always be remembered and cherished.

– Ashwin Pajankar

Contributors

About the author(s)

Ashwin Pajankar is an author, a YouTuber, and an instructor. He graduated from the International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad, with an MTech in computer science and engineering. He has been writing programs for over two and a half decades. He is proficient in Linux, Unix shell scripting, C, C++, Java, JavaScript, Python, PowerShell, Golang, HTML, and assembly language. He has worked on single-board computers such as Raspberry Pi and Banana Pro. He is also proficient with microcontroller boards such as Arduino and the BBC Micro:bit. He is currently self-employed and teaches on Udemy and YouTube. He also organizes programming boot camps for working professionals and software companies.

I want to thank my friend Anuradha who encouraged me to write this book. I thank the other two authors of the book, Abhishek and Sandeep. Finally, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude toward the Packt team members – Neil, Runcil, Preet, Sayali, Surbhi, and Yogesh – for their valuable guidance and assistance.

Abhishek Sharma completed his BE in electronics engineering from Jiwaji University, Gwalior, India, and his PhD in engineering from the University of Genoa, Italy. He is presently working as an assistant professor in the Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering at the LNM Institute of Information and Technology, Jaipur, India. He is the coordinator of the ARM University Partner Program, Texas Instruments Lab, and Intel Intelligent Lab at the LNM Institute of Information and Technology and the center lead of LNMIIT-Center of Smart Technology (L-CST). His research interests are real-time systems and emerging technologies.

I would like to first and foremost thank my loving wife, Mano, and daughters, Madhu and Mihu, for their continued support, patience, and encouragement throughout the long process of writing this book. Thanks also to my parents for their support and faith.

Sandeep Saini works as an assistant professor in the Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering at the LNM Institute of Information and Technology, Jaipur, India. He has taught robotics and electronics subjects at the university level in India and abroad for over a decade. He has taught more than 8,000 students online and offline during this time. He received a BTech and MS in electronics and communication engineering from the International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad, India. He received his PhD from Malaviya National Institute of Technology (MNIT), Jaipur, India. He has written 6 books and published 35 peer-reviewed journals and conference papers.

I would like to first and foremost thank my parents, my wife, and my daughter for their continued support, patience, and encouragement throughout the long process of writing this book.

About the reviewer

Emmanuel Efegodo is a software developer and an ed-tech practitioner with a degree in computer engineering. He enjoys programming generally but is mostly in love with JavaScript and the Jamstack architecture. He had his high school education in Gambia and his tertiary education in Nigeria. He strives to become an agent of change in Africa’s digital education ecosystem, particularly in software design. He heads the curriculum team of JuniorX Innovation Academy with Obi Brown, a Google-certified ed-tech innovator, where he also teaches physical computing with the BBC Micro:bit, Python programming, and game development to young Africans.

Table of Contents

Prefacexiii

Part 1: Getting Started with the BBC Micro:bit

1

Introduction to the BBC Micro:bit3

Technical requirements3

The history of the Micro:bit4

The specifications of Micro:bit V1 and Micro:bit V25

Powering up the Micro:bit9

The out-of-box experience13

Breakout boards13

Fritzing to create circuit diagrams15

Summary17

Further reading18

2

Setting Up the Micro:bit and Using Code Editors19

Technical requirements19

BBC Micro:bit versus Raspberry Pi20

The Python programming language21

Python implementations and distributions22

Introduction to MicroPython22

MicroPython code editors23

Online code editors23

Using REPL29

Using offline IDEs for MicroPython30

The Thonny Python IDE31

The Mu editor38

Working with other editors and smartphone apps39

Manually upgrading the firmware40

Restoring the out-of-the-box experience program43

Summary43

Further readings43

3

Python Programming Essentials45

Technical requirements45

Getting started with Python programming45

Variables48

Code comments50

Arithmetic, string, and logical operations51

Data type conversion52

Handling user input53

Conditional statements54

Loops54

Computing prime numbers, factorials, and Fibonacci series57

Summary60

Further reading60

4

Advanced Python61

Technical requirements61

Lists, tuples, and dictionaries62

Functions66

Recursion70

Indirect recursion72

Object-oriented programming with Python73

Exploring the random module74

Getting help for built-in modules75

Retrieving system properties with code76

Summary77

Further reading77

Part 2: Programming Hardware with MicroPython

5

Built-in LED Matrix Display and Push Buttons81

Technical requirements82

Built-in programmable 5x5 LED matrix82

Displaying characters and text83

Scrolling text on the display85

Working with the individual LEDs85

Images and animations88

Working with built-in push buttons92

Summary94

Further reading94

6

Interfacing External LEDs95

Technical requirements95

Breadboards and solderless circuits96

LEDs and their programming98

Blinking an LED103

SOS message103

Blinking two LEDs alternately105

Traffic light simulator108

GPIO pins usage111

4-bit binary counter113

Chaser effect115

Using an LED bar graph118

Enabling more pins118

RGB LEDs119

Seven-segment display122

Summary123

Further reading123

7

Programming External Push Buttons, Buzzers, and Stepper Motors125

Technical requirements125

Push buttons126

Connecting an external push button128

Slide switches129

Counting how many times a button is pushed131

Connecting multiple push buttons133

Buzzers135

Stepper motors138

Summary140

Further reading141

Part 3: Filesystems and Programming Analog I/O

8

Exploring the Filesystem145

Technical requirements145

Creating and reading files145

Appending a file150

Creating our own library150

The OS module151

Working with MicroFS152

Summary156

Further reading156

9

Working with Analog Input and PWM157

Technical requirements157

Micro:bit analog pins158

Potentiometers159

Photoresistors162

PWM signals164

Servo motors using PWM165

Handling multiple analog devices167

PWM using an RGB LED168

Joysticks170

Summary173

Further reading173

Part 4: Advanced Hardware Interfacing and Applications

10

Working with Acceleration and Direction177

Technical requirements177

Accelerometer177

Data logging180

Compasses183

Audio and compass187

Summary188

Further reading188

11

Working with NeoPixels and a MAX7219 Display189

Technical requirements189

NeoPixel products190

The NeoPixel library195

Adding interactivity to the projects205

Interfacing a MAX7219/7221-based 7-segment 8-digit display206

Summary209

Further reading209

12

Producing Music and Speech211

Technical requirements211

Connecting a speaker212

Melodies213

Custom melodies216

Tempo and pitch218

Working with a microphone220

Working with speech222

Summary226

13

Networking and Radio227

Technical requirements227

A wired network with GPIO pins227

Working with radio229

Turning the radio on and off229

Sending and receiving messages229

Basketball using Micro:bit231

Rock, paper, scissors233

Voting using the Micro:bit237

Summary239

Further reading239

14

Advanced Features of the Micro:bit241

Technical requirements241

Capacitive touch242

Temperature sensor244

Light sensor247

Summary251

15

Wearable Computing and More Programming Environments253

Technical requirements253

Programming a pedometer using a Micro:bit254

Fall detector255

Sewable and wearable computing257

More programming frameworks260

Summary261

Conclusion261

Further reading261

Index263

Other Books You May Enjoy270

Preface

The BBC Micro:bit is a very popular microcontroller board. It comes packed with features such as a display and various sensors. This board comes with a computing unit and the possibility to connect with various other peripheral devices. It is used by beginners to learn about the fundamentals of computer programming, electronics, and physical computing. It can be programmed using many programming frameworks such as MicroPython and Scratch.

The book covers many aspects of programming the BBC Micro:bit with the MicroPython programming language. The book begins with the basics and setup. Then, it covers the fundamentals of the Python programming language. After that, it explores various aspects of physical computing with the BBC Micro:bit, such as the programming of LEDs, buttons, buzzers, stepper motors, analog input, Pulse Width Modulation (PWM), internal sensors, and radio communication. It also explores topics such as the filesystem and wearable computing with a BBC Micro:bit.

After following the concepts, circuits, and code examples in this book, you will be comfortable with building your own project using the BBC Micro:bit with MicroPython as the preferred programming language.

Who this book is for

This book is for anyone who would like to use the combination of MicroPython and the BBC Micro:bit to build exciting real-life projects. Individuals working in domains such as embedded systems, electronics, software development, IoT, and robotics will find this book quite useful.

What this book covers

Chapter 1, Introduction to the BBC Micro:bit, covers the technical specifications of the BBC Micro:bit.

Chapter 2, Setting Up the Micro:bit and Using Code Editors, covers the installation of various integrated development environments for programming the Micro:bit with MicroPython.

Chapter 3, Python Programming Essentials, explores the basic concepts and syntax of Python programming.

Chapter 4, Advanced Python, dives deeper into the advanced concepts of Python.

Chapter 5, Built-in LED Matrix Display and Push Buttons, explores the programming of the built-in 5 x 5 matrix of LEDs and push buttons.

Chapter 6, Interfacing External LEDs, explores the interfacing and programming of external LEDs.

Chapter 7, Programming External Push Buttons, Buzzers, and Stepper Motors, teaches the programming of external output devices.

Chapter 8, Exploring the Filesystem, covers the built-in filesystem of the Micro:bit.

Chapter 9, Working with Analog Input and PWM, dives deeper into the interfacing of analog input devices. It also explores the PWM and interfacing of the output devices that employ PWM.

Chapter 10, Working with Acceleration and Direction, details working with internal sensors.

Chapter 11, Working with NeoPixels and a MAX7219 Display, teaches the interfacing of the external display.

Chapter 12, Producing Music and Speech, dives into producing music and speech with the Micro:bit.

Chapter 13, Networking and Radio, teaches you how to connect multiple Micro:bits together.

Chapter 14, Advanced Features of the Micro:bit, explores the advanced hardware features of the Micro:bit.

Chapter 15, Wearable Computing and More Programming Environments, covers simple projects in the area of sewable and wearable computing.

To get the most out of this book

You will need a BBC Micro:bit v2 for running the code examples. You will also need Thonny or Mu Editor installed on your computer—the latest versions, if possible. All code examples have been tested using Thonny and Mu Editor on Windows 10 and Linux. The code examples should work with future versions of the BBC Micro:bit, Thonny, Mu Editor, Windows, and Linux releases too.

Prior experience with some programming language, but not necessarily MicroPython, as well as building basic electronic circuits will be helpful when using this book.

Software/hardware covered in the book

Operating system requirements

BBC Micro:bit V2, Thonny, and Mu Editor

Windows, macOS, or Linux

If you are using the digital version of this book, we advise you to type the code yourself or access the code from the book’s GitHub repository (a link is available in the next section). Doing so will help you avoid any potential errors related to the copying and pasting of code.

You should be comfortable with electronics and computer programming. Prior exposure to Python or MicroPython is desired but not mandatory.

Download the example code files

You can download the example code files for this book from GitHub at https://github.com/PacktPublishing/BBC-Micro-bit-in-Practice. If there’s an update to the code, it will be updated in the GitHub repository.

We also have other code bundles from our rich catalog of books and videos available at https://github.com/PacktPublishing/. Check them out!

Download the color images

We also provide a PDF file that has color images of the screenshots and diagrams used in this book. You can download it here: https://packt.link/AYz3z

Conventions used

There are a number of text conventions used throughout this book.

Code in text: Indicates code words in text, database table names, folder names, filenames, file extensions, pathnames, dummy URLs, user input, and Twitter handles. Here is an example: “This is because the str1 and pi variables are not of the same data type.”

A block of code is set as follows:

>>> print("This is a test string) Traceback (most recent call last):   File "<stdin>", line 1 SyntaxError: invalid syntax

Any command-line input or output is written as follows:

PS C:\Users\Ashwin> ufs ls mylib.py main.py test.txt

Bold: Indicates a new term, an important word, or words that you see onscreen. For instance, words in menus or dialog boxes appear in bold. Here is an example: “Select System info from the Administration panel.”

Tips or important notes

Appear like this.

Get in touch

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Part 1: Getting Started with the BBC Micro:bit

This part aims to introduce you to the hardware and software. The first chapter introduces the specifications of the BBC Micro:bit, which is controlled by user-written code. The second chapter helps you set up the environment for the code. The third and the fourth chapters explore the Python programming syntax in detail. These chapters will help you follow and practice the book's concepts.

This part has the following chapters:

Chapter 1, Introduction to the BBC Micro:bitChapter 2, Setting Up the Micro:bit and Using Code EditorsChapter 3, Python Programming EssentialsChapter 4, Advanced Python

1

Introduction to the BBC Micro:bit

I certainly hope that you have read the preface and the table of contents, which provide a fair idea about our journey into the amazing world of the BBC Micro:bit (also written as Micro:bit or Micro Bit). This introductory chapter will warm you up for the upcoming exciting journey into the vast world of the Micro:bit. The road ahead is full of interesting concepts and projects. It is always a good idea to prepare well for the journey ahead, and this chapter will accomplish that.

We will explore the following topics in this chapter:

The history of the Micro:bitThe specifications of Micro:bit V1 and Micro:bit V2Powering up the Micro:bitBreakout boardsFritzing to create circuit diagrams

Let’s get started!

Technical requirements

We will need the following hardware for this chapter:

BBC Micro:bit V1 or V2A computer with Windows, macOS, or LinuxA BBC Micro:bit edge connectorA Micro-USB to USB cableAn internet connectionA mobile power bankKitronik Mi:power

The history of the Micro:bit

It is important to know the history of the BBC Micro:bit. The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is the United Kingdom’s public broadcaster. It is also the world’s oldest and biggest broadcaster. BBC has always been pioneering in creating programs for outreach in science and technology to improve the public understanding of science. Its programs include various documentaries and television series.

One such interesting television series was The Computer Programme. It was broadcast on BBC Two and used a home computer, the BBC Micro, conceptualized by the BBC and developed by Acorn Computers. The TV series was a part of the BBC Computer Literacy Project. The BBC Micro had six different models, which were all based on the famous MOS Technology 6502 8-bit microprocessor. It is a simplified and faster version of the Motorola 6800 microprocessor. The 6502 is a very popular microprocessor, and variants of it were used in popular video game consoles and computers such as Atari 2600, Apple II, Nintendo Entertainment System (popularly known as NES or Famicom), Commodore 64, and, of course, the BBC Micro. The BBC Micro was very successful, and it made a great impact in the computer education sector, leaving a great legacy behind.

In 2012, with the release of Raspberry Pi, a new era was ushered into the world of computing and education. Through the Computer Literacy Project, the BBC sought to build upon the legacy of the BBC Micro after the great success of Raspberry Pi. It onboarded many partners from industry, such as Microsoft, and academia, such as Lancaster University. The first version (now referred to as the Micro:bit V1) was launched in July 2015 and was available for general sale in March 2016. The BBC also gave hundreds of thousands of Micro:bits to school children in the UK as a part of science education outreach. After the Micro:bit successfully launched, the BBC formed a not-for-profit organization known as the Microbit Foundation.

Note

For more details, you can visit the home page of the Microbit Foundation at https://microbit.org/.

In October 2020, the Microbit Foundation released the second version of the Micro:bit. V2 has got better specifications than V1 at the same price. We will explore the specifications of V1 and V2 side by side in the following section.

The specifications of Micro:bit V1 and Micro:bit V2

The following table compares the features of the BBC Micro:bit V1 and V2 side by side (source: https://microbit.org/):

BBC Micro:bit

V1

V2

Processor

Nordic nRF51822

Nordic nRF52833

Flash memory

256 KB

512 KB

RAM

16 KB

128 KB

Speed

16 MHz

64 MHz

Bluetooth

Bluetooth 4.0

Bluetooth 5.1 with Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)

Radio communication

2.4 GHz radio (80 channels)

2.4 GHz radio (80 channels)

Buttons

Two programmable (A and B) and one system (reset)

Two programmable (A and B) and one system (power/reset)

On/off switch

None

Press and hold the rear power button

Touchpad

None

Touch-sensitive logo

Microphone

None

Onboard Knowles SPU0410LR5H-QB-7 MEMS microphone (with LED indicator)

Display

5x5 programmable LED matrix (25 LEDs in total)

5x5 programmable LED matrix (25 LEDs in total)

Speaker

None

Onboard JIANGSU HUANENG MLT-8530 (up to 80 dB)

Motion sensor and compass

LSM303AGR

LSM303AGR

Temperature sensor

On-board temperature sensor

On-core NRF52

Edge connector

25 pins

25 pins

Table 1.1 – Comparison of the features of BBC Micro:bit V1 and V2

The processors used in both versions are a special type of processor known as a System on Chip (also abbreviated as SoC or SOC). An SoC is an Integrated Circuit (IC) that has all or most components of a complete working computer system. A typical SoC has a processor, flash memory, and RAM. Both versions employ Advanced RISC Machines (ARM) processors. The ARM uses Reduced Instruction Set Computer (RISC) instruction architecture. The V1 uses Nordic nRF51822 SoC (https://www.nordicsemi.com/Products/nRF51822), and the V2 uses Nordic nRF52833 (https://www.nordicsemi.com/products/nrf52833). The Random Access Memory (RAM) is used to execute the programs. The flash memory is used to store the programs, and it is reprogrammable.

The following diagram shows the front faces of V2 and V1 side by side:

Figure 1.1 – Hardware features on the fronts of V2 and V1 (courtesy: ©Micro:bit Educational Foundation/microbit.org)

The following diagram shows the rear of the V2 and V1 side by side:

Figure 1.2 – The hardware features on the rears of V2 and V1 (courtesy: ©Micro:bit Educational Foundation/microbit.org)

Another important aspect of the Micro:bit boards of both versions is that they come with edge connectors to interface with external hardware components. The following diagram explains the slight difference between the edge connectors of V2 and V1 side by side:

Figure 1.3 – The edge connectors of V2 and V1 (courtesy: https://tech.microbit.org/hardware/edgeconnector/)

You can read online about the edge connectors in detail at https://tech.microbit.org/hardware/edgeconnector/and https://microbit.pinout.xyz/.

I understand that you may feel a bit overwhelmed with all this technical information at this stage. Without enough context about the utility of this technical information, it is natural to feel that way. However, in the upcoming chapters, we will learn about and demonstrate all these features in detail.

Now that we have a fair understanding of the history and specifications of the Micro:bit, let’s learn various methods to power it up.

Powering up the Micro:bit

There are a few ways we can power up the Micro:bit. Let’s see them all one by one. The following diagram clearly shows the micro-USB port and the battery socket. We can power up the BBC Micro:bit using these:

Figure 1.4 – The battery socket and micro-USB port (courtesy: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BBC_micro_bit_%2826238853955%29.png)

We can use a micro-USB male to USB male cable to power the Micro:bit. The following is the micro-USB end of such a cable:

Figure 1.5 – A micro-USB male connector (courtesy: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:MicroB_USB_Plug.jpg)

Insert this end into the Micro:bit, as shown in the following photo:

Figure 1.6 – A micro-USB male connector (courtesy: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bbc-microbit-2021.jpg)

Insert the other end into a computer or a power bank. The following is an image of a mobile/portable power bank:

Figure 1.7 – A power bank with a micro USB cable attached (courtesy: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Portable_power_bank.jpg)

We can also use a pair of AAA batteries with a special connector, as shown in the following photo:

Figure 1.8 – A battery connector (courtesy: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cavo_Microbit.jpg)

You can procure such a connector online at various marketplaces. One such page is https://www.sparkfun.com/products/15101. There are many other websites too that sell these connectors. You can also check your local makers’ electronic supply shops for this.

The following photo shows the Micro:bit powered up with this connector and a pair of AAA batteries:

Figure 1.9 – A battery connector connected to the Micro:bit

We can also power the Micro:bit with a CR2032-type power cell, as shown in thefollowing figure:

Figure 1.10 – CR2032 power cells (courtesy: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cr2032-7mmgrid.jpg)

We can use various special connectors to connect it with the Micro:bit. One special connector board is MI – the power board by Kitronik (https://kitronik.co.uk/products/5610-mipower-board-for-the-bbc-microbit). Figure 1.11 shows a photo of the board, the nuts, and the CR2032 battery that comes with it:

Figure 1.11 – The MI:power board and contents of the package

Figure 1.12 is a photo of the rear of the Micro:bit attached to the MI:power board:

Figure 1.12 – The Micro:bit assembled with the MI:power board

We can see that there is a dedicated ON/OFF switch. Attaching the board to the Micro:bit is very easy, and we can check the instructions for assembly at https://kitronik.co.uk/products/5610-mipower-board-for-the-bbc-microbit.

Both versions of the Micro:bit come with booklets, as shown in the following image:

Figure 1.13 – Micro:bit instruction booklets

It is recommended to go through them for a better understanding.

The out-of-box experience

When we unbox the Micro:bit and power it up for the very first time, it runs a factory default program known as the out-of-box experience. It is lots of fun to learn about the features of the Micro:bit using this program. Unbox and power your Micro:bit to run this program. Enjoy exploring the features of the Micro:bit.

Now that we have explored various ways to power the Micro:bit, we will explore special hardware components known as breakout boards.

Breakout boards

The General Purpose Input Output (GPIO) pins of the Micro:bit are extremely narrowly printed on the edge connector. It is difficult to use them directly, and soldering can ruin the board. So, many organizations have developed special products that make the GPIO pins of the Micro:bit easily accessible. These products are known by various names, such as breakout boards, GPIO expanders, I/O extensions, and edge connectors. The following are the URLs of the web pages for such products:

https://www.sparkfun.com/products/16445https://kitronik.co.uk/collections/microbit-and-accessories/products/5601b-edge-connector-breakout-board-for-bbc-microbit-pre-builthttps://robu.in/product/microbit-gpio-expansion-board/https://www.dfrobot.com/product-1867.htmlhttps://wiki.dfrobot.com/IO_Extender_for_microbit_V2.0_SKU_MBT0008

I urge you all to procure one of these or any other edge connector of your choice, as we will need these for the demonstrations in this book.

I, too, own a couple of them, as shown in the following photos:

Figure 1.14 – A couple of edge connectors I own

Here, we have Micro:bit V1 and V2 inserted into the edge connectors:

Figure 1.15 – Micro:bits with the edge connectors

In the following section, we will get acquainted with a software program, Fritzing, that will help us visualize circuits.

Fritzing to create circuit diagrams

I am using software known as Fritzing (https://fritzing.org/) to create the circuits depicted in this book. It is not mandatory software for the demonstrations, as all the circuit diagrams are already printed in the book. However, if you wish to create your own circuit diagrams with Fritzing, you must procure them separately for 8 euros from https://fritzing.org/download/. I have included the Fritzing diagram files (with the .fzz extension) in the code bundle of the book. You can open them using the Fritzing software and modify them. It is very convenient software, and many hardware hackers (including us, the book’s authors) use it to design and visualize their projects.

Fritzing has a library of many routinely used electronic and electrical components that include various boards. Also, users can create their own custom components such as boards and add them to their Fritzing setup. Many of them make such components available to other users for free. These components are stored in files with the .fzpz extension. You can find the component files for the BBC Micro:bit and many edge connectors at the following URLs:

https://tech.microbit.org/docs/hardware/assets/Microbit.fzpz.ziphttps://forum.fritzing.org/t/improved-micro-bit-part/7288

Download the part files. Open the Fritzing software. In the Parts panel (the top-right panel), right-click on an empty gray space to show a dropdown, as shown in Figure 1.16:

Figure 1.16 – Importing a part to Fritzing

The first option is Import…. Click on that, and it opens a standard file selection window of the OS. Select the downloaded component files for the Micro:bit and edge connectors (those with the .fzpz extension) and import them. We can import only one component at a time. Once imported, all the components will be visible in the tab labeled MINE (refer to Figure 1.16). The following figure is a screenshot of those components added to a circuit diagram under development:

Figure 1.17 – Using the BBC micro:bit and edge connector parts in circuit diagrams

This is how Fritzing can be used to visualize the circuits we will build for the demonstrations throughout this book. You will find similar and more detailed circuit diagrams in the upcoming chapters of the book.

Summary

In this chapter, we learned a few fundamentals about the BBC Micro:bit. We had a brief tour of the hardware features that we will explore in the coming chapters. We also learned about the ways to power the board and edge connectors.