Lego + Micro:bit + edublocks 1: ''Lights on"

Lego + Code blog 1 : 'Lights on'

You will need:

• A Micro:bit
• USB power cable for Micro:bit
• 3 x crocodile clips
• 1 neo-pixel 
• A Lego building of your choice(I borrowed my sons Police building)
• https://microbit.edublocks.org/

Step 1 Connect the crocodile clips to the Micro:bit.

Step 2 Connect your crocodile clips to the input on the neo pixel.

Step 3 Attach neopixel on your building.

Step 4 Head over to https://microbit.edublocks.org/

Step 5 Create the following code:

Step 6: Download hex and copy and paste it to your Micro:bit

Step 7: After it flashes press the 'a' button to turn on the lights and 'b' to turn off.

Enjoy.

Scratchy:bit IO getting started

Full credit is given in the read me of the zip file. Suffice to say I have used BitIO built by David Whale and a Python to Scratch script created by Laurence Molloy.

It essentially allows you to use the Micro:bit to interact and control Scratch. I have created a simple demo to get you started.


Step 1. You will need to download the tar / zip file from here link

Step 2: Unzip the folder by extracting it.

Step 3: Follow the following file path Scratchy:bit IO-master/src

Step 4: Open Scratch 1.4  from the programming menu and open the 'Scratchy:bit IO led example1.sb' project 

Step 5:  Click on the green flag to run the project.

Step 6: Open Python 3 from the programming menu.

Step 7: From the Scratchy:bit IO-master/src file path open the test_example_MB1.py script.

Step 8:  Press f5 to run the script. 


Step 9: On first run you will have to run through the following steps to set up your Micro:bit

First of all it will display this message:

No micro:bit has previously been detected
Scanning for serial ports
remove device, then press ENTER

Step 1. So unplug the Micro:bit and press enter.

Step 2  Next the following text will display:

scanning...
found xx device(s)
plug in device, then press ENTER 

 Step 3  Now press enter and the following text will display:

scanning...
found 68 device(s)
found 1 new device
selected:/dev/ttyACM0
Do you want this device to be remembered? (Y/N)

Step 4 Press 'y' and enter to confirm and the following text will display:

Your micro:bit has been detected.
Now running your program

Step 10 Finally if you click on the 'a' button you see some events take place. You can also press 'b' and use pins 0,1,2.

See below for button 'a' being pressed

Cya

EduBlocks: BitIO blog 1 "Hello Micro:bit, Hello Minecraft"

This is a very simple introduction to using BitIO with Edublocks on the Raspberry Pi. Firsly lets set out how you need to get set up:

1. Open Minecraft and create a new world, then minimise this for later. Tip, use the tab key to allow your mouse to minimise the Minecraft window.

2. Open Edublocks from the programming menu, this should open in the chromium browser.

3. Plug in your Micro:bit to one of the available USB ports.

4. You will need to download this file and drag a copy of it onto the Micro:bit. This file allows the Micro:bit communicate with your program. Link https://github.com/whaleygeek/bitio/blob/master/bitio.hex

5. Now snap into place the code that you see below. It will trigger a message on the Micro:bit when the 'a' button is pressed and a message in Minecraft when the 'b' is pressed.

Code

6. When you run the program Edu Blocks will show a black screen which will show you the shell output. This tells you what is going on with your program. First of all it will display this message:

No micro:bit has previously been detected
Scanning for serial ports
remove device, then press ENTER

7. So unplug the Micro:bit and press enter.

8. Next the following text will display:

scanning...
found xx device(s)
plug in device, then press ENTER 

9. Now press enter and the following text will display:

scanning...
found 68 device(s)
found 1 new device
selected:/dev/ttyACM0
Do you want this device to be remembered? (Y/N)

10. Press 'y' and enter to confirm and the following text will display:

Your micro:bit has been detected.
Now running your program

11. Now try and pressing the 'a' button and 'b' button. When you press 'b' you should see this...

 Cya