BBC Micro:bit in Practice: A hands-on guide to building creative real-life projects with MicroPython and the BBC Micro:bit
- Length: 292 pages
- Edition: 1
- Language: English
- Publisher: Packt Publishing
- Publication Date: 2022-12-09
- ISBN-10: 1804610127
- ISBN-13: 9781804610121
- Sales Rank: #0 (See Top 100 Books)
Develop real-world interactive physical computing applications using the Micro:bit with more than 100 MicroPython examples with circuit diagrams
Key Features
- Explore hardware programming and leverage the power of the BBC Micro:bit and MicroPython
- Build real-life creative projects step by step with each chapter increasing in complexity and interactivity
- Learn the features of the Micro:bit and how to interface it with electronic components through circuits and code examples
Book Description
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.
What you will learn
- Explore the essentials of the BBC Micro:bit, its hardware specifications, and versions
- Program built-in and external LEDs and buttons
- Program external LED-based displays, buzzers, and stepper motors
- Use analog input and pulse width modulation to drive a servo motor
- Detect gestures with internal sensors such as accelerometer, compass, and magnetometer
- Work on projects with built-in features such as music, speech, radio, and filesystem
- Explore the advanced features of the Micro:bit
Who this book is for
This book is for anyone who wants to use the combination of MicroPython and the BBC Micro:bit for building exciting real-life projects. Engineers, researchers, hobbyists, and technology instructors working in areas such as embedded systems, electronics, software development, IoT, robotics, teaching, and training will find this book useful for building projects. Prior experience with building basic electronic circuits and any programming language, not necessarily MicroPython, will be helpful.
Cover Title Page Copyright and Credits Contributors Table of Contents Preface Part 1: Getting Started with the BBC Micro:bit Chapter 1: Introduction to the BBC Micro:bit Technical requirements The history of the Micro:bit The specifications of Micro:bit V1 and Micro:bit V2 Powering up the Micro:bit The out-of-box experience Breakout boards Fritzing to create circuit diagrams Summary Further reading Chapter 2: Setting Up the Micro:bit and Using Code Editors Technical requirements BBC Micro:bit versus Raspberry Pi The Python programming language Python implementations and distributions Introduction to MicroPython MicroPython code editors Online code editors Using REPL Using offline IDEs for MicroPython The Thonny Python IDE The Mu editor Working with other editors and smartphone apps Manually upgrading the firmware Restoring the out-of-the-box experience program Summary Further readings Chapter 3: Basics of Python Technical requirements Getting started with Python programming Variables Code comments Arithmetic, string, and logical operations Data type conversion Handling user input Conditional statements Loops Computing prime numbers, factorials, and Fibonacci series Summary Further reading Chapter 4: Advanced Python Technical requirements Lists, tuples, and dictionaries Functions Recursion Indirect recursion Object-oriented programming with Python Exploring the random module Getting help for built-in modules Retrieving system properties with code Summary Further reading Part 2: Programming Hardware with MicroPython Chapter 5: Built-in LED Matrix Display and Push Buttons Technical requirements Built-in programmable 5x5 LED matrix Displaying characters and text Scrolling text on the display Working with the individual LEDs Images and animations Working with built-in push buttons Summary Further reading Chapter 6: Interfacing External LEDs Technical requirements Breadboards and solderless circuits LEDs and their programming Blinking an LED SOS message Blinking two LEDs alternately Traffic light simulator GPIO pins usage 4-bit binary counter Chaser effect Using an LED bar graph Enabling more pins RGB LEDs Seven-segment display Summary Further reading Chapter 7: Programming External Push Buttons, Buzzers, and Stepper Motors Technical requirements Push buttons Connecting an external push button Slide switches Counting how many times a button is pushed Connecting multiple push buttons Buzzers Stepper motors Summary Further reading Part 3: Filesystems and Programming Analog I/O Chapter 8: Exploring the Filesystem Technical requirements Creating and reading files Appending a file Creating our own library The OS module Working with MicroFS Summary Further reading Chapter 9: Working with Analog Input and PWM Technical requirements Micro:bit analog pins Potentiometers Photoresistors PWM signals Servo motors using PWM Handling multiple analog devices PWM using an RGB LED Joysticks Summary Further reading Part 4: Advanced Hardware Interfacing and Applications Chapter 10: Working with Acceleration and Direction Technical requirements Accelerometer Data logging Compasses Audio and compass Summary Further reading Chapter 11: Working with NeoPixels and a MAX7219 Display Technical requirements NeoPixel products The NeoPixel library Adding interactivity to the projects Interfacing a MAX7219/7221-based 7-segment 8-digit display Summary Further reading Chapter 12: Producing Music and Speech Technical requirements Connecting a speaker Melodies Custom melodies Tempo and pitch Working with a microphone Working with speech Summary Chapter 13: Networking and Radio Technical requirements A wired network with GPIO pins Working with radio Turning the radio on and off Sending and receiving messages Basketball using Micro:bit Rock, paper, scissors Voting using the Micro:bit Summary Further reading Chapter 14: Advanced Features of the Micro:bit Technical requirements Capacitive touch Temperature sensor Light sensor Summary Chapter 15: Wearable Computing and More Programming Environments Technical requirements Programming a pedometer using a Micro:bit Fall detector Sewable and wearable computing More programming frameworks Summary Conclusion Further reading Index
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