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BBCMicroBit2017

Page history last edited by jerry 6 years, 7 months ago

BBCMicroBit2017

 


 

Introduction/Definition/etc

 

British Broadcasting Corp's (BBC)

Micro:Bit similar to the

Raspberry Pi Zero W,

but with some twists...

 

Body

 

So the Raspberry Pi hails from England,

and BBC is fairly obviously British,

but they don't really cooperate,

near as I can tell...

 

Old OLPC (One Laptop Per Child)

was the MIT Media Lab's answer

to computing for children, especially

in the developing countries,

but availability was a problem, as

the Ministry of Education had to buy

one for every child in the country to

get it down to the $100 laptop,

but OLPC spawned the Netbook category,

while there are likely millions of 

XOs out there,

other spinoff type things have started

worldwide...  Raspberry Pi may be

considered one of those, and the

Arduino development boards

concurrently? on the lower end

originally for artist installations,

interactive art that uses electronics,

and the Arduino to make it easy

for artists, afaict..  

 

Enter Micro:Bit, though they have

it micro:bit, smaller lower case, but,

whatever, I'll CamelCase for a bit..

 

Bluetooth LE built in,

and it has a compass,

accelerometer, and seems to be

dual? core ARM with an array of

25 surface mount Red LEDs

that can spell out ticker tape like

characters, like HELLO,

PRESS A, PRESS B,

buttons on the back,

and a Reset button on the front,

(front/back is relative to what you like,

chips or lights...)

the packaging had a battery case,

for two AAA, included, but

RECHARGEABLES DON'T Work,

alkaline only, or use the microUSB

connector to power it,

plugged in...

 

Little games are included,

on first run, move the dot,

by motion to the other dot, 

 and GREAT! displayed...

So something seen out of the box,

unlike RPiZero which doesn't have

a built in "display", thats some accessory

soldering and/or PiPlate...

 

Bluetooth LE Not Working For Me

 

but I can't seem to get the

Bluetooth LE working,

there is an official Samsung

Android App and some things on

Android Play, some cost,

and a website

MicroBit.org

with some more information,

something about pressing A

AND B buttons and Reset

on the back,

and it might connect,

but I have my doubts.

including concerns that the sales

clerk at MicroCenter ran the little

sensitive devices thru the security

device under the register counter

(basically a large degausser?)

and fried it... Sensitive devices

including static electricity and 

wonder why when you don't 

buy their extended warranty,

or similar protection, things 

don't work, but user error

is possible, and

more to try with it...

 

 

Windows and Mac Only?

 

Typical corporate and educational

system and M$ Winblows

and Mac OS only,

Android and iOS devices

are listed, but nothing like an

app for the RaspberryPi which

they may be competing against,

will have to look into it...

 

https://www.microbit.co.uk/app/browsers.html?releaseid=2519128626945290000-a1e9c63e.18a1.4269.775b.18f79ebf8a6d-bbcmicrobitacc82749

releaseid stuff probably bad for you...

 

https://makecode.microbit.org/uploader

M$ Only

 

MicroPython Sample Code w Slight Modification

 

# Add your Python code here. E.g.
from microbit import *


while True:
    display.scroll('Hello Jerry!')
    display.show(Image.HEART)
    sleep(2000)

 

Links

 

Background

 

RPi3in2016

 

PiDay2016

 

PreTeenPatience2015

 

GeekingOutWithRaspberryPi2012

 

OneLaptopPerChildoplcorg

 

and others,

look around...

 

 

MicroBit

 

http://MicroBit.org

 

http://MicroBitWorld.me

 

Python Editor in WebBrowser

"A MicroPython Script"

 

http://python.microbit.org/editor.html#

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micro_Bit

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ARM_Cortex-M0

 

 

RaspberryPi

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raspberry_Pi

 

 

https://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads/noobs/

 

 

M$ Takes over your RPi...

 

with JavaScript,

Blocky

and of course licensing/ legalsleeze...

 

https://makecode.microbit.org/raspberry-pi

 

 

 

Arduino

 

https://www.arduino.cc/

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arduino

 

 

MicroCenter

 

Not the only place that has them,

but a chain, and some online?

Though many places it says

in store only...

 

http://www.microcenter.com/product/480034/MicroBit_Go_Kit

with battery case, 2x AAA, cable and paper materials

 

http://www.microcenter.com/product/480031/MicroBit

just the board, don't know the packaging with it...

 

 

http://www.microcenter.com/product/475267/Zero_W

1st one $10

where there was an introductory price of $1 for the first Zero,

well before the ZeroW came out...

 

http://www.microcenter.com/product/477230/Raspberry_Pi_Official_Raspberry_Pi_Zero_Case

the W fits in the Zero case, afaict...

 

http://www.microcenter.com/product/461129/Raspberry_Pi_3_Model_B

looks like there is another SKU,

maybe two board manufacturers

and limit one per household...

 

Combos exist, but don't show

much, if any savings, maybe just

some compatibility suggestion(s)...

Like 32Gig card max...

 

Conclusion

 

Summary of experience or similar

 

Not sure what to make of it,

the device data on MicroCenter website

spec details mentions Board Type: Arduino,

and RaspberryPi, iirc, didn't really say what

the thing is or does, in technical terms,

a microcontroller?, while RPi is a SoC

(system on a Chip) development board,

the Arduino is a microcontroller,

but more to learn...

 

The Micro:Bit has 23? gold connectors

on the bottom end, and Go packaging

version has a larger boxed packaging

instead of a bare (read no case, has chips on)

board, in antistatic ziploc bag

like the RPiZero W (and not W)

but for RPi you can probably find the case

for another $5-8 to safely transport RPi Zeros,

but water, static, dust, and other problems

in making it portable, afaict...

 

No accessory cases seen yet for

the Micro:Bit...  I guess they think

you can just 3D Print them... /sigh

Or Dremel up something... /NOISE

 

Unlke RPis, no microSD or SD card slot

on the MicroBit, so not sure how

you would use it exactly

like a RPi, and dual core? ARM,

where RPiZero is single core,

so think RPi1 ssslllooowww speeds?...

(from what I've read)

and MicroBit has an 25 Red LED array

like display included, on the back (/front),

so some idiot lights to get you started,

before doing anything else...

And some buttons A, B & Reset,

but no switch on the battery case,

so have to unplug (JST type?) it...

 

BlueTooth Connect Failed on Android Apps

 

For me, these didn't work,

as hoped in getting stuff to

or from the MicroBit

 

Samsung Official App

 

Says press A, B and Reset to get a

code like graphic (has to fit on the screen,

larger tablets might, but the Tracfones

are too small, and the app doesn't adjust right)

to enter/ scratch (like lottery cards?)

on the screen of a device, to even connect

to it with Bluetooth LE, but didn't work,

first blush, for me...

 

Lots of Play store comments/

reviews that it doesn't work for them,

either...

 

Accelerometer App

 

By Evo or similar,

didn't connect, for me,

but some better information about how the

white list, black list and environments

work, but still no joy...

Yet...

 

Discussion

 

A place for feedback on the page presented

 

For about $20, 

$17+tax, +shipping,

-sales/specials: whatever,

you can get a small 

postage stamp (CompactFlash size?)

circuit board, a battery holder,

w 2x AAA batteries, 

and small/ very short USB cable

and some paper instructions/small

getting started manual,

for a small dual core? ARM chip

supposedly implementing in the former

EU, Britain, and be the kewl one,

IFF (if and only if) you get it working...

Good luck...

 

 

Caveat Emptor (sp?)

Buyer Beware...

 

What would you do with one?

What systems design/hacking

have you done with similar stuff?

 

Written any hex files?

 

Is Processing and an IDE

necessary?

 

How much overhead is Java

in getting an executable working?

 

How about AVRDude for the MicroBit?

 

(Looks like MicroPython is most of it,

for me...)

 

License

 

Creative Commons Share and Share Alike,

Non Commercial, Non Derivative,

for the whole site's contents

unless otherwise explicitly stated

 

Page History

 

20170811 JerrySpaceIdea

 

  1. Do some edits,
  2. while learning more,
  3. web browser programs required
  4. and does the compiling to hex
  5. Raspian and Pixel link found
  6. searching for more answers
  7. Bluetooth Pairing / Scanning Apps
  8. Not sure about dual core,
  9.  find references
  10. ~8 MB free on the MicroBit device 
  11. 5x5 RED LED array
  12. add links
  13. got a Hello Jerry code working
  14. uses MicroPython
  15. but not BluetoothLE from anywhere
  16. etc 

 

20170809 Jerry

  • Jerry created this page to log a little device/
  • circuit board/system...

 

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