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

Built-in LED Matrix Display and Push Buttons

In the previous chapter, we got acquainted with advanced concepts in Python programming and syntax. We also wrote and executed a Micro:bit-specific MicroPython program. Going forward, we will use those concepts in all of our demonstrations with Micro:bit.

The previous two chapters mostly served as an introduction to the syntax of Python. We did not use any Micro:bit-specific hardware features and libraries. From this chapter onward, all the programs will be specific to the MicroPython flavor for the Micro:bit as all of them will employ and demonstrate the hardware capabilities of MicroPython on Micro:bit. They will not execute on the other implementations of Python such as Python 3 or any MicroPython implementation for other devices such as Raspberry Pi Pico W and ESP8266 or ESP32.

This chapter explores two very important hardware features of the Micro:bit and demonstrates them with MicroPython. The built-in components include a 5x5...