Book Image

BBC Micro:bit in Practice

By : Ashwin Pajankar, Abhishek Sharma, Sandeep Saini
Book Image

BBC Micro:bit in Practice

By: Ashwin Pajankar, Abhishek Sharma, Sandeep Saini

Overview of this book

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.
Table of Contents (22 chapters)
1
Part 1: Getting Started with the BBC Micro:bit
6
Part 2: Programming Hardware with MicroPython
10
Part 3: Filesystems and Programming Analog I/O
13
Part 4: Advanced Hardware Interfacing and Applications

Programming a pedometer using a Micro:bit

A pedometer is a device that measures the number of steps taken by a person while walking or running. These devices are in high demand in the modern world as many people monitor their daily physical activities with electronic devices. These observations help them manage their calorie intake. In a Micro:bit, we have an accelerometer to monitor various physical motions.

The concept of measuring the number of steps taken by the user is based on the physical motion detected by the Micro:bit. We can attach the Micro:bit to the foot or shoe of the user. A battery pack is attached to the Micro:bit. The Micro:bit will detect the shake movement whenever a person takes their next step. For every such movement that’s detected, we can increase the count of the number of steps taken. Their current step count is displayed on the LED matrix. We can reset the count to 0 by pressing button A. Figure 15.1 shows a Micro:bit attached to a shoe, which...