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I'm the author of the linked article and involved in bringing Python to the BBC micro:bit. Happy to answer questions.
by ntoll 11y ago
I'm the author of the linked article and involved in bringing Python to the BBC micro:bit. Happy to answer questions.
- david-given 11y agoCan you talk about the hardware at all? Technical details seem really hard to come by. e.g. Wikipedia suggests it's got two processors. That's application processor and a USB I/O processor, right? Which handles mass storage mode and bootstrapping the applications processor? Does it also provide a debugging interface, and can it be programmed? Have they exposed any JTAG pins for the applications processor? Are you required to use their toolchain or can I just womp something up with gcc and deploy it?
- gfwilliams 11y agoI'm under NDA, but I believe we can talk about things that have already been disclosed. If you do a google image search for large micro:bit images, you'll see there's a Nordic NRF51822 chip (Which is an ARM Cortex M0, with BLE), and a Kinetis ARM chip connected to USB. It's running an mbed-compatible bootloader that appears as a USB mass storage device. You just copy hex files onto it and it programs the NRF51822.
- pfalcon 11y agoDoes that google image show any markings on "Kinetis ARM chip"?
- pfalcon 11y agoOk, Wikipedia says it's KL26Z, also 16K RAM, good. I was concerned there may be some cheating with higher RAM available on it. But nope, folks now will really need to optimize stuff to do something useful in 16K ;-).
- ntoll 11y agoUnfortunately, I can't reveal any more about the hardware than is already in the public domain already. :-( Happy to talk about MicroPython. Sorry.
- wslh 11y agoIs it a quantum computer? I am curious about the secret behind the device.
- yitchelle 11y agoCan you talk about what kind of documentation will be released? Data sheet? programmer's manual? anything at all about the hardware?
- ntoll 11y agoYes, you'll get all the digital assets needed to be able to re-create the hardware yourself as well as access to the software. Obviously, we'll be documenting the MicroPython implementation. Other partners will do their own thing.
- david-given 11y agoOh, well, it was worth a try! What was the porting experience like? I have a non-ARM low-end microprocessor it might be interesting to port MicroPython to.
- pbhjpbhj 11y agoIn your opinion was it best for BBC to develop their own device or should they have gone instead with the RPi (or Arduino or something else)? Do you think Microsoft's involvement has enhanced the technical goals of the project, sounds like you really needed to shoe-horn MicroPython in there? Do you think if MicroPython was a goal that they did the project right, anything major you'd have done differently? Thanks.
- ntoll 11y agoThe RPi has a different aim (to provide a full computer), whereas the micro:bit is to facilitate first steps with minimum effort. By using Python a child gets a sense of progression from one device to the next. I can confidently say that all the partners are working very hard to fulfil the vision the BBC has of inspiring a new generation of digital makers, engineers and creatives. Each partner brings different skills, capabilities and expertise to the table. It's most certainly a case of the whole is bigger than the sum of its parts since we're all pulling together in the same direction.
- Sanddancer 11y agoAny idea when you're gonna be able to push the port of micropython to the kl26z onto your github?