16 ms·

In love with the BBC micro:bit

184 points by Niten 10y ago

kdelok 10y ago
We've been doing outreach work teaching 11-13 year olds to program microbits with Python. It's been a great tool and allowing the kids to see their code running on such a simple device turns out to be a great motivator. I also think a shout out to https://create.withcode.uk/ https://create.withcode.uk/ is worthwhile. They've got a nice little microbit emulator for trying things out before downloading onto the microbit.
zitterbewegung 10y ago
I helped test the microbit and I wrote a small program for pedagogical purposes. The hardware was very neat and I liked the leds on the back. Originally there was going to be a coin cell battery but they removed it because children might eat it. Also there is a Bluetooth radio on the microbit but the runtime was 12k and there wasn't enough space to load micropython and Bluetooth at the same time . A link to the example is here https://github.com/bbcmicrobit/micropython/blob/master/examples/counter.py https://github.com/bbcmicrobit/micropython/blob/master/examp... .
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
- mbrookes 10y ago
  In case anyone gets the impression that bluetooth is completely unavailable, you can use Espruino (JS) http://www.espruino.com/MicroBit http://www.espruino.com/MicroBit, Microsoft's http://codethemicrobit.com http://codethemicrobit.com (scratch-like drag and drop), or C / C++ amongst others, including bluetooth access to the compass and accelerometer. Here's a rundown: https://blog.bluetooth.com/developing-applications-bbc-microbit https://blog.bluetooth.com/developing-applications-bbc-micro...
- askvictor 10y ago
  There is a radio module for Micropython that allows devices to communicate with each other without the full Bluetooth stack
  - chrismartin 10y ago
    ...and you can use it to build multiplayer games! https://github.com/c-mart/microbit/blob/master/space_shoot_multiplayer.py https://github.com/c-mart/microbit/blob/master/space_shoot_m...
monk_e_boy 10y ago
We use it to teach kids to code. It's OK, but the screen is way too limited for it to be much fun. It is crying out for a good colour screen that can show more than one character at a time. Also, debugging is a pain. They need some sort of event log that can be inspected on the pc
- mavhc 10y ago
  In some ways the limitations help, don't have kids wanting to program Quake 7. I use mu, the micropython editor, it shows the error messages on the PC when connected via USB, instead of trying to read them scrolling across the display
  - monk_e_boy 10y ago
    I've taught close to 500 kids how to code on them. The number one thing they want to do is show better graphics. Number two is sound. For me, [stepping through the code] I would expect as a normal part of coding. Not having it seems to hark back to some primitive time.
    - Avshalom 10y ago
      The problem is that if you let them have good graphics their artskills start getting in the way of the programming.
      - jpfed 10y ago
        My son is obsessed with PICO-8, and he does indeed spend more time making music and drawing sprites/maps than he does coding.
      - monk_e_boy 10y ago
        We do things like scroll your name - one character at a time is rubbish. Then we do a digital pet (think tamagotchi) and again, with a low pixel count this is crap. They want to draw unicorns or fish or bunnies. None of this is possible. After that they want it to beep when the pet is hungry. No can do. All pretty basic stuff.
gunmania0 10y ago
There is actually a C/C++ layer that supports the higher level languages known as the micro:bit runtime[0], which means you can also program the device using C/C++... Another level of progression for children. [0] https://lancaster-university.github.io/microbit-docs/ https://lancaster-university.github.io/microbit-docs/
- Niten 10y ago
  Nice, thanks for the link! I didn't realize there was a web-based C++ IDE targeting the micro:bit.
  - jamesadevine 10y ago
    Yes, the runtime is actually built on ARM's mbed, which means their online IDE can also build micro:bit programs :)
PMunch 10y ago
As a CS student normally working with lower level languages and IoT devices using Arduino I was a bit skeptical when first trying out this. I've tried MicroPython based devices before but they have left a bad taste in my mouth with their need to have Python on a device that I'm probably only going to start once and then leave indefinitely for a task. But I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised by the MicroBit. I participated at a mini-hackathon with Zach Shelby at the University of Tromsø and I ended up using almost exclusively the JavaScript drag-and-drop stuff. Mostly to try it out and see how much you could do with it, and it actually worked really well. Teaching kids to program without having them worrying over missed commas or mismatched brackets is certainly something that would be beneficial. And it really didn't put as many limits on what I wanted to do as I expected either. Only time I dropped down to code was when I wanted to start organising my program for reuse. And Zach was very friendly and talked about how the devices worked under the hood and explained how the compilation was done in the browser so the only thing you load over is a hex of precomplied code. This allows you to really utilise all of the hardware for the device and even means that they could update things on their end which would make your experience smoother without having to upgrade the device.
mietek 10y ago
16 KB of memory? The “64” in “Commodore 64”, the name of a computer introduced in 1982, stands for 64 KB of memory. (A 128 KB version followed 3 years later.) It is now 35 years since 1982…
- to3m 10y ago
  It's got 256KBytes of ROM. If that's memory-mapped, the 16KBytes of RAM is much less of a limitation. Most data and virtually all code - especially on ARM - is read-only. Python might not be the easiest way of working with this setup though...
- OJFord 10y ago
  Instead of lambasting it for a low number, perhaps you could tell us what you'd have a child do in 17KB that they couldn't do in 16KB? It's an educational device, and that education involves learning to write pieces of code for which industry users may well prefer to pull in large libraries. I'd be surprised if the target audience - 12-13 year olds - use all that; those that have a passion for it will of course end up using more expensive devices with bigger numbers. Those that don't will continue doing only compulsory exercises that could probably manage with less than 16KB.
  - mietek 10y ago
    Quoting from the fine article, which you clearly have not read: “Finally, the micro:bit’s 16 kB of RAM is quite limiting, at least when using the MicroPython runtime. While writing a moderate-size program I managed to repeatedly exhaust the SoC’s memory, resulting in difficult to debug MemoryExceptions. I can easily imagine intermediate users running up against and being confused by this limitation, and would welcome a version of the micro:bit with double the RAM.”
    - OJFord 10y ago
      > the fine article, which you clearly have not read https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html > " ... easily imagine intermediate users running up against ... " Something tells me the author isn't imagining the 12-13 year-old target audience when writing 'intermediate users'. There's nothing wrong with reviewing it from a different audience's perspective of course, but it doesn't do to ignore it if you're going to complain about the device's specification.
sebow 10y ago
"I'm in love with the BBC"
primitivesuave 10y ago
My organization is working with the BBC Microbit Foundation to make these devices more popular in the US education system. I find the Microbit to be far less intimidating than the Arduino, since the IDE is entirely web based and students can copy a program onto it just as they would copy a file onto an external USB drive. One feature that kills it in the classroom is the Microbit's built-in 5 x 5 LED matrix, which means right out of the box it's "blink" program is much more interesting than the Arduino's one orange LED. Some kids will just spend the entire first day playing with the LED matrix, like getting their name to scroll across it, or programming the LEDs individually to make cool patterns. The Microbit also comes with an external battery holder for two AAA batteries, and feels a lot better to carry in your pocket than an Arduino or Raspberry Pi. After seeing the tremendous adoption in the UK and meeting the Microbit founders, I am very confident this board will play a big role in introducing K-12 students to digital electronics.
- tyingq 10y ago
  I agree...that little 5x5 matrix provides a way to introduce real concepts in a way that is still fun. Easy ways to demonstrate bitwise ops, double buffering, 2d arrays, ring buffers, pwm, etc.
- mynameisvlad 10y ago
  I'm volunteering with a school in the Puget Sound as part of TEALS and would love to get in touch about augmenting some of our curriculum with these bad boys (especially since the block language is similar to Snap, which is used in Intro CS). Do you have an email I can reach you at?
- simooooo 10y ago
  Read that 5 times before I realised "killed it" was good. Oh dear
jaustin 10y ago
I work for the micro:bit Foundation, who have taken ownership of the project on from the BBC - great to see some love on HN for this! There's more at http://microbit.org http://microbit.org but for the Hacker News audience you're probably interested in http://tech.microbit.org http://tech.microbit.org though ;). There's even a reference design to make your own microbit-derived designs. We'll be hiring tech people again soon, so if you want to come and help us teach kids around the world to be inventors, keep your eye on https://micro-bit-educational-foundation.workable.com/ https://micro-bit-educational-foundation.workable.com/ Finally, as the author hoped, the revision of the hardware now shipping is more resilient to ESD than the previous one :)
- dhon_ 10y ago
  What did you change to improve ESD resilience?
- makmanalp 10y ago
  Is this the new version? https://www.sparkfun.com/products/14208 https://www.sparkfun.com/products/14208 One minor comment - the article really made me want one, and when I went to the home page, it took me around five or six clicks to get to a place where I can buy one! Finally I found it at the very bottom of the page under "About". And even then when I click on the adafruit one and it takes me to the adafruit homepage. Why not have a giant button on the homepage? Do you folks really not want people to buy your stuff? :-)
abchatra 10y ago
I am dev who builds Microsoft MakeCode (https://makecode.com https://makecode.com) editor for micro:bit. Try out these fun projects on micro:bit and give us feedback 1. Rock-paper-scissors (https://pxt.microbit.org/projects/rock-paper-scissors https://pxt.microbit.org/projects/rock-paper-scissors) 2. Guitar: (https://pxt.microbit.org/projects/guitar https://pxt.microbit.org/projects/guitar) 3. Milk Monster: (https://pxt.microbit.org/projects/milky-monster https://pxt.microbit.org/projects/milky-monster)
senko 10y ago
I've got a 5yo that loves to play with micro:bit. She doesn't read (non-capital) yet, and doesn't know English (as it's not her native tongue), so I read out/explain what each block does, and she decides what she wants to do. Drawing pictures and producing music is currently the most enthralling bit :) One thing I wish for is that there were visual cues / icons she could distinguish the blocks by (there are a few icons on a few blocks, but not all are covered, they mostly aren't unique, and not intuitive / easy to remember).
Jun8 10y ago
Quick question: I've been unable to order these in US but will be traveling to UK in May, is there a store that carries these (and other similar goodies)?
- jeffwass 10y ago
  Try Maplin, an electronics chain. It's like what Radio Shack used to be.
- tonylemesmer 10y ago
  http://www.maplin.co.uk/microbit http://www.maplin.co.uk/microbit
- AlexeyBrin 10y ago
  Seems to be available on Amazon US, for about $30.
- askvictor 10y ago
  Pimoroni and pi supply ship internationally
askvictor 10y ago
Having trialled these at my school, I think they have the potential to be the new turtle. I only hope that the botched rollout in the UK hasn't damaged the project's reputation to much.
- toyg 10y ago
  Botched...?
  - askvictor 10y ago
    The delay in shipping meant they didn't arrive until well into the school semester, meaning teachers didn't get sufficient time to play and incorporate them into the curriculum. I have also heard that due to insufficient teacher training (and play time) that a lot of them are sitting unused. Certainly some teachers are doing awesome things, and the resources and community building behind the project are great, but the realities of teaching on the ground have meant that a lot of the potential is unrealised. I say this based on hearsay and second hand information; I'm not in the UK so don't have any direct knowledge.
    - clort 10y ago
      I work in a school, and I know at least the teachers did get hold of a few before the students did though I don't know what has been done with them so far as I'm not near the ICT dept -- its worth noting that the ones that were given away to the year 7 students were theirs for their own use and do not belong to the school. This meant that the school had to buy some if they needed them for classroom work, since the students might play with their own at home, but could not be guaranteed to bring them in. For the teachers to incorporate that into their curriculum, they are going to need to budget for 30 at least probably a few more for spares.
ntoll 10y ago
Yay... great to see MicroPython on the micro:bit getting some love. In case you're interested, here are the docs for MicroPython on the board -- you can do a remarkable amount on such a small device: https://microbit-micropython.readthedocs.io/en/latest/ https://microbit-micropython.readthedocs.io/en/latest/ (Caveat - I was involved in the MicroPython side of things. So good to see the other dev environments represented in the comments here.) Hurrah! :-)
- pjmlp 10y ago
  Thanks to MicroPython adoption rate, I see it as the BASIC of IoT. :) Nice work.
  - askvictor 10y ago
    Unfortunately there is a lack of easy to use tooling... Mu for the microbit is nice, but other platforms don't have an easy to use editor and file uploader
    - ntoll 10y ago
      Do you mean other hardware platforms upon which MicroPython runs, or other software platforms that target the micro:bit? If the former, work is in progress on that front (I am the maintainer of Mu).
      - askvictor 9y ago
        Hi! I've been working on adapting mu for other platforms (askvictor/eduvik). My main concern is other hardware platforms (microbit support is great) - there's nothing which 'just works' for esp8266 and other serial-based devices, so any students I point in that direction have to get through a heap of unnecessary technical hurdles to get up and running.
- LeoPanthera 10y ago
  I wonder whether it would be possible to make MicroPython functional on an original 1980s BBC Micro, which has a 6502 and a whole 32K of RAM. The "beeb" stores interpreters on pluggable 32K ROMs.
ausjke 10y ago
can you buy them from USA? any distributor or any in the pipeline to do that?
- Symbiote 9y ago
  There is a list of resellers: http://microbit.org/resellers/ http://microbit.org/resellers/
askvictor 10y ago
My (non techie) partner has used these very successfully with older students who have dropped out of or disengaged with traditional schooling; particularly for numeracy outcomes, but more generally as well. It's important to not forget their potential as a general educational tool, rather than just something to teach coding with. Have a read of Mindstorms by Papert if you are interested in this space.
deboboy 10y ago
Introduced it to my University of Washington students. It's a primitive but good tool for prototyping. Students don't have to fuss with installing an IDE, learning a new language, etc. Thank you TouchDevelop team. We have some wacky ideas for microbit:microbit mesh experiments.
viubui 10y ago
I must be missing something. Why would a kid get excited about making a 5x5 array of LEDs to blink when they can easily program a ~2000x1000 array of lights (their laptop/phone/tablet screen) using their browser ?
- stinos 10y ago
  they can easily program a ~2000x1000 array of lights Easy for you doesn't mean easy for a 6 year old. Is there really easy pixel-by-pixel programming on any of the devices you mention? As simple as entering few lines of python code and pressing 1 single button? Let alone with direct full-screen access? (I'm really curious, maybe there is). Also check the example: like 15 lines of Python which make the device play a tone based on the compass. Again: I'm really curious if there are alternatives which achieve this is such an easy way (IIRC even the simplest Arduino style boards I tried required installing an IDE, fiddling with some settings, and the code wasn't nearly as easy as Python). And I'm also not sure if laptop/phone would be amongst those alternatives.
- abritinthebay 10y ago
  You certainly are missing many things. What you describe is several orders of magnitude more complex to do for a child. It's like saying "why would they build a 2d game with Scratch when they could build a 3D FPS in C++?"
  - viubui 10y ago
    actually I was going to suggest Scratch as the sensible alternative! Or Logo or Smalltalk but is drawing shapes with Canvas or SVG really more difficult than blinking an LED with Python ?
    - TheOtherHobbes 10y ago
      Yes. Much. I have some experience of trying to teach kids how to use a Pi, and even simple Python part can be a nightmare. SVG is a non-starter. Also, don't underestimate the fact that the LEDs feel physical while a screen feels virtual. The journey from a single light to an array of lights to shapes shown on the array to shapes shown on a screen is intuitive and fairly obvious. If you start kids on a screen, even with a turtle, they miss the basics.
linker3000 10y ago
With regards to worries about shorting the connector with crocodile clips on the large I/O pads - the adjacent contacts are 'guard' ones connected to the same place so there's no problem. I have been working with the micro:bit in my role as a volunteer STEM ambassador almost since it became available and it's a fun tool. My main STEM angles are computing and electronic engineering and initially it was very hard to get good info on the I/O functionality (coding and electronic), but things have come on in leaps and bounds, notably with the micropython guys, and I have concentrated on developing some fun 'advanced expansion' projects, such as a loud 3V audio amplifier (powered from the micro:bit), sound detector and a 5 band audio 'spectrum analyser'. Currently I am working on an alarm clock radio with the micro:bit being a plug-in add on controller (via its buttons and bluetooth). The LED matrix is good for a quick win with visuals, but adding a small OLED display makes a world of difference to what you can do - it would have been really cool if one of the small 0.91" OLED panels was baked in to the micro:bit. The biggest challenge I originally found was the lack of a focal point for teachers, volunteers and developers to share ideas - I subscribe to many educational forums and groups and the most active I have found is the micropython mailing list (but if anyone knows of others let me know) and there seemed to be little encouragement or management from the official micro:bit side to centralise and promote the community spirit, plus there was a huge delay in getting out the full technical specs and schematics - and boy was it was impossible to get hold of an edge connector for months - so there was a lot of poking and prodding needed to work things out; very kindly some of the tech guys from the companys involved in micro:bit distribution and add-on kits were extremely generous at sharing what they had found out in the early days, especially about the quirky way the LED matrix is wired and driven. A bit more oversight from the project originators in the early days would have really helped. PS: Totally agree about the RAM - 16K is just a tad tight and 32K would have been a better size.
deavmi 10y ago
Nice. I never knew BBC still made edicational computers.
forgottenacc57 9y ago
A computer without a screen just doesn't provide inspiration for creativity.

184 points by Niten 10y ago

We've been doing outreach work teaching 11-13 year olds to program microbits with Python. It's been a great tool and allowing the kids to see their code running on such a simple device turns out to be a great motivator. I also think a shout out to https://create.withcode.uk/ https://create.withcode.uk/ is worthwhile. They've got a nice little microbit emulator for trying things out before downloading onto the microbit.

zitterbewegung 10y ago

I helped test the microbit and I wrote a small program for pedagogical purposes. The hardware was very neat and I liked the leds on the back. Originally there was going to be a coin cell battery but they removed it because children might eat it. Also there is a Bluetooth radio on the microbit but the runtime was 12k and there wasn't enough space to load micropython and Bluetooth at the same time . A link to the example is here https://github.com/bbcmicrobit/micropython/blob/master/examples/counter.py https://github.com/bbcmicrobit/micropython/blob/master/examp... .

deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
mbrookes 10y ago
In case anyone gets the impression that bluetooth is completely unavailable, you can use Espruino (JS) http://www.espruino.com/MicroBit http://www.espruino.com/MicroBit, Microsoft's http://codethemicrobit.com http://codethemicrobit.com (scratch-like drag and drop), or C / C++ amongst others, including bluetooth access to the compass and accelerometer. Here's a rundown: https://blog.bluetooth.com/developing-applications-bbc-microbit https://blog.bluetooth.com/developing-applications-bbc-micro...
askvictor 10y ago
There is a radio module for Micropython that allows devices to communicate with each other without the full Bluetooth stack
- chrismartin 10y ago
  ...and you can use it to build multiplayer games! https://github.com/c-mart/microbit/blob/master/space_shoot_multiplayer.py https://github.com/c-mart/microbit/blob/master/space_shoot_m...

monk_e_boy 10y ago

We use it to teach kids to code. It's OK, but the screen is way too limited for it to be much fun. It is crying out for a good colour screen that can show more than one character at a time. Also, debugging is a pain. They need some sort of event log that can be inspected on the pc

mavhc 10y ago
In some ways the limitations help, don't have kids wanting to program Quake 7. I use mu, the micropython editor, it shows the error messages on the PC when connected via USB, instead of trying to read them scrolling across the display
- monk_e_boy 10y ago
  I've taught close to 500 kids how to code on them. The number one thing they want to do is show better graphics. Number two is sound. For me, [stepping through the code] I would expect as a normal part of coding. Not having it seems to hark back to some primitive time.
  - Avshalom 10y ago
    The problem is that if you let them have good graphics their artskills start getting in the way of the programming.
    - jpfed 10y ago
      My son is obsessed with PICO-8, and he does indeed spend more time making music and drawing sprites/maps than he does coding.
    - monk_e_boy 10y ago
      We do things like scroll your name - one character at a time is rubbish. Then we do a digital pet (think tamagotchi) and again, with a low pixel count this is crap. They want to draw unicorns or fish or bunnies. None of this is possible. After that they want it to beep when the pet is hungry. No can do. All pretty basic stuff.

gunmania0 10y ago

There is actually a C/C++ layer that supports the higher level languages known as the micro:bit runtime[0], which means you can also program the device using C/C++... Another level of progression for children. [0] https://lancaster-university.github.io/microbit-docs/ https://lancaster-university.github.io/microbit-docs/

Niten 10y ago
Nice, thanks for the link! I didn't realize there was a web-based C++ IDE targeting the micro:bit.
- jamesadevine 10y ago
  Yes, the runtime is actually built on ARM's mbed, which means their online IDE can also build micro:bit programs :)

PMunch 10y ago

As a CS student normally working with lower level languages and IoT devices using Arduino I was a bit skeptical when first trying out this. I've tried MicroPython based devices before but they have left a bad taste in my mouth with their need to have Python on a device that I'm probably only going to start once and then leave indefinitely for a task. But I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised by the MicroBit. I participated at a mini-hackathon with Zach Shelby at the University of Tromsø and I ended up using almost exclusively the JavaScript drag-and-drop stuff. Mostly to try it out and see how much you could do with it, and it actually worked really well. Teaching kids to program without having them worrying over missed commas or mismatched brackets is certainly something that would be beneficial. And it really didn't put as many limits on what I wanted to do as I expected either. Only time I dropped down to code was when I wanted to start organising my program for reuse. And Zach was very friendly and talked about how the devices worked under the hood and explained how the compilation was done in the browser so the only thing you load over is a hex of precomplied code. This allows you to really utilise all of the hardware for the device and even means that they could update things on their end which would make your experience smoother without having to upgrade the device.

mietek 10y ago

16 KB of memory? The “64” in “Commodore 64”, the name of a computer introduced in 1982, stands for 64 KB of memory. (A 128 KB version followed 3 years later.) It is now 35 years since 1982…

to3m 10y ago
It's got 256KBytes of ROM. If that's memory-mapped, the 16KBytes of RAM is much less of a limitation. Most data and virtually all code - especially on ARM - is read-only. Python might not be the easiest way of working with this setup though...
OJFord 10y ago
Instead of lambasting it for a low number, perhaps you could tell us what you'd have a child do in 17KB that they couldn't do in 16KB? It's an educational device, and that education involves learning to write pieces of code for which industry users may well prefer to pull in large libraries. I'd be surprised if the target audience - 12-13 year olds - use all that; those that have a passion for it will of course end up using more expensive devices with bigger numbers. Those that don't will continue doing only compulsory exercises that could probably manage with less than 16KB.
- mietek 10y ago
  Quoting from the fine article, which you clearly have not read: “Finally, the micro:bit’s 16 kB of RAM is quite limiting, at least when using the MicroPython runtime. While writing a moderate-size program I managed to repeatedly exhaust the SoC’s memory, resulting in difficult to debug MemoryExceptions. I can easily imagine intermediate users running up against and being confused by this limitation, and would welcome a version of the micro:bit with double the RAM.”
  - OJFord 10y ago
    > the fine article, which you clearly have not read https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html > " ... easily imagine intermediate users running up against ... " Something tells me the author isn't imagining the 12-13 year-old target audience when writing 'intermediate users'. There's nothing wrong with reviewing it from a different audience's perspective of course, but it doesn't do to ignore it if you're going to complain about the device's specification.

sebow 10y ago

"I'm in love with the BBC"

primitivesuave 10y ago

My organization is working with the BBC Microbit Foundation to make these devices more popular in the US education system. I find the Microbit to be far less intimidating than the Arduino, since the IDE is entirely web based and students can copy a program onto it just as they would copy a file onto an external USB drive. One feature that kills it in the classroom is the Microbit's built-in 5 x 5 LED matrix, which means right out of the box it's "blink" program is much more interesting than the Arduino's one orange LED. Some kids will just spend the entire first day playing with the LED matrix, like getting their name to scroll across it, or programming the LEDs individually to make cool patterns. The Microbit also comes with an external battery holder for two AAA batteries, and feels a lot better to carry in your pocket than an Arduino or Raspberry Pi. After seeing the tremendous adoption in the UK and meeting the Microbit founders, I am very confident this board will play a big role in introducing K-12 students to digital electronics.

tyingq 10y ago
I agree...that little 5x5 matrix provides a way to introduce real concepts in a way that is still fun. Easy ways to demonstrate bitwise ops, double buffering, 2d arrays, ring buffers, pwm, etc.
mynameisvlad 10y ago
I'm volunteering with a school in the Puget Sound as part of TEALS and would love to get in touch about augmenting some of our curriculum with these bad boys (especially since the block language is similar to Snap, which is used in Intro CS). Do you have an email I can reach you at?
simooooo 10y ago
Read that 5 times before I realised "killed it" was good. Oh dear

jaustin 10y ago

I work for the micro:bit Foundation, who have taken ownership of the project on from the BBC - great to see some love on HN for this! There's more at http://microbit.org http://microbit.org but for the Hacker News audience you're probably interested in http://tech.microbit.org http://tech.microbit.org though ;). There's even a reference design to make your own microbit-derived designs. We'll be hiring tech people again soon, so if you want to come and help us teach kids around the world to be inventors, keep your eye on https://micro-bit-educational-foundation.workable.com/ https://micro-bit-educational-foundation.workable.com/ Finally, as the author hoped, the revision of the hardware now shipping is more resilient to ESD than the previous one :)

dhon_ 10y ago
What did you change to improve ESD resilience?
makmanalp 10y ago
Is this the new version? https://www.sparkfun.com/products/14208 https://www.sparkfun.com/products/14208 One minor comment - the article really made me want one, and when I went to the home page, it took me around five or six clicks to get to a place where I can buy one! Finally I found it at the very bottom of the page under "About". And even then when I click on the adafruit one and it takes me to the adafruit homepage. Why not have a giant button on the homepage? Do you folks really not want people to buy your stuff? :-)

abchatra 10y ago

I am dev who builds Microsoft MakeCode (https://makecode.com https://makecode.com) editor for micro:bit. Try out these fun projects on micro:bit and give us feedback 1. Rock-paper-scissors (https://pxt.microbit.org/projects/rock-paper-scissors https://pxt.microbit.org/projects/rock-paper-scissors) 2. Guitar: (https://pxt.microbit.org/projects/guitar https://pxt.microbit.org/projects/guitar) 3. Milk Monster: (https://pxt.microbit.org/projects/milky-monster https://pxt.microbit.org/projects/milky-monster)

senko 10y ago

I've got a 5yo that loves to play with micro:bit. She doesn't read (non-capital) yet, and doesn't know English (as it's not her native tongue), so I read out/explain what each block does, and she decides what she wants to do. Drawing pictures and producing music is currently the most enthralling bit :) One thing I wish for is that there were visual cues / icons she could distinguish the blocks by (there are a few icons on a few blocks, but not all are covered, they mostly aren't unique, and not intuitive / easy to remember).

Jun8 10y ago

Quick question: I've been unable to order these in US but will be traveling to UK in May, is there a store that carries these (and other similar goodies)?

jeffwass 10y ago
Try Maplin, an electronics chain. It's like what Radio Shack used to be.
tonylemesmer 10y ago
http://www.maplin.co.uk/microbit http://www.maplin.co.uk/microbit
AlexeyBrin 10y ago
Seems to be available on Amazon US, for about $30.
askvictor 10y ago
Pimoroni and pi supply ship internationally

askvictor 10y ago

Having trialled these at my school, I think they have the potential to be the new turtle. I only hope that the botched rollout in the UK hasn't damaged the project's reputation to much.

toyg 10y ago
Botched...?
- askvictor 10y ago
  The delay in shipping meant they didn't arrive until well into the school semester, meaning teachers didn't get sufficient time to play and incorporate them into the curriculum. I have also heard that due to insufficient teacher training (and play time) that a lot of them are sitting unused. Certainly some teachers are doing awesome things, and the resources and community building behind the project are great, but the realities of teaching on the ground have meant that a lot of the potential is unrealised. I say this based on hearsay and second hand information; I'm not in the UK so don't have any direct knowledge.
  - clort 10y ago
    I work in a school, and I know at least the teachers did get hold of a few before the students did though I don't know what has been done with them so far as I'm not near the ICT dept -- its worth noting that the ones that were given away to the year 7 students were theirs for their own use and do not belong to the school. This meant that the school had to buy some if they needed them for classroom work, since the students might play with their own at home, but could not be guaranteed to bring them in. For the teachers to incorporate that into their curriculum, they are going to need to budget for 30 at least probably a few more for spares.

ntoll 10y ago

Yay... great to see MicroPython on the micro:bit getting some love. In case you're interested, here are the docs for MicroPython on the board -- you can do a remarkable amount on such a small device: https://microbit-micropython.readthedocs.io/en/latest/ https://microbit-micropython.readthedocs.io/en/latest/ (Caveat - I was involved in the MicroPython side of things. So good to see the other dev environments represented in the comments here.) Hurrah! :-)

pjmlp 10y ago
Thanks to MicroPython adoption rate, I see it as the BASIC of IoT. :) Nice work.
- askvictor 10y ago
  Unfortunately there is a lack of easy to use tooling... Mu for the microbit is nice, but other platforms don't have an easy to use editor and file uploader
  - ntoll 10y ago
    Do you mean other hardware platforms upon which MicroPython runs, or other software platforms that target the micro:bit? If the former, work is in progress on that front (I am the maintainer of Mu).
    - askvictor 9y ago
      Hi! I've been working on adapting mu for other platforms (askvictor/eduvik). My main concern is other hardware platforms (microbit support is great) - there's nothing which 'just works' for esp8266 and other serial-based devices, so any students I point in that direction have to get through a heap of unnecessary technical hurdles to get up and running.
LeoPanthera 10y ago
I wonder whether it would be possible to make MicroPython functional on an original 1980s BBC Micro, which has a 6502 and a whole 32K of RAM. The "beeb" stores interpreters on pluggable 32K ROMs.

ausjke 10y ago

can you buy them from USA? any distributor or any in the pipeline to do that?

Symbiote 9y ago
There is a list of resellers: http://microbit.org/resellers/ http://microbit.org/resellers/

askvictor 10y ago

My (non techie) partner has used these very successfully with older students who have dropped out of or disengaged with traditional schooling; particularly for numeracy outcomes, but more generally as well. It's important to not forget their potential as a general educational tool, rather than just something to teach coding with. Have a read of Mindstorms by Papert if you are interested in this space.

deboboy 10y ago

Introduced it to my University of Washington students. It's a primitive but good tool for prototyping. Students don't have to fuss with installing an IDE, learning a new language, etc. Thank you TouchDevelop team. We have some wacky ideas for microbit:microbit mesh experiments.

viubui 10y ago

I must be missing something. Why would a kid get excited about making a 5x5 array of LEDs to blink when they can easily program a ~2000x1000 array of lights (their laptop/phone/tablet screen) using their browser ?

stinos 10y ago
they can easily program a ~2000x1000 array of lights Easy for you doesn't mean easy for a 6 year old. Is there really easy pixel-by-pixel programming on any of the devices you mention? As simple as entering few lines of python code and pressing 1 single button? Let alone with direct full-screen access? (I'm really curious, maybe there is). Also check the example: like 15 lines of Python which make the device play a tone based on the compass. Again: I'm really curious if there are alternatives which achieve this is such an easy way (IIRC even the simplest Arduino style boards I tried required installing an IDE, fiddling with some settings, and the code wasn't nearly as easy as Python). And I'm also not sure if laptop/phone would be amongst those alternatives.
abritinthebay 10y ago
You certainly are missing many things. What you describe is several orders of magnitude more complex to do for a child. It's like saying "why would they build a 2d game with Scratch when they could build a 3D FPS in C++?"
- viubui 10y ago
  actually I was going to suggest Scratch as the sensible alternative! Or Logo or Smalltalk but is drawing shapes with Canvas or SVG really more difficult than blinking an LED with Python ?
  - TheOtherHobbes 10y ago
    Yes. Much. I have some experience of trying to teach kids how to use a Pi, and even simple Python part can be a nightmare. SVG is a non-starter. Also, don't underestimate the fact that the LEDs feel physical while a screen feels virtual. The journey from a single light to an array of lights to shapes shown on the array to shapes shown on a screen is intuitive and fairly obvious. If you start kids on a screen, even with a turtle, they miss the basics.

linker3000 10y ago

With regards to worries about shorting the connector with crocodile clips on the large I/O pads - the adjacent contacts are 'guard' ones connected to the same place so there's no problem. I have been working with the micro:bit in my role as a volunteer STEM ambassador almost since it became available and it's a fun tool. My main STEM angles are computing and electronic engineering and initially it was very hard to get good info on the I/O functionality (coding and electronic), but things have come on in leaps and bounds, notably with the micropython guys, and I have concentrated on developing some fun 'advanced expansion' projects, such as a loud 3V audio amplifier (powered from the micro:bit), sound detector and a 5 band audio 'spectrum analyser'. Currently I am working on an alarm clock radio with the micro:bit being a plug-in add on controller (via its buttons and bluetooth). The LED matrix is good for a quick win with visuals, but adding a small OLED display makes a world of difference to what you can do - it would have been really cool if one of the small 0.91" OLED panels was baked in to the micro:bit. The biggest challenge I originally found was the lack of a focal point for teachers, volunteers and developers to share ideas - I subscribe to many educational forums and groups and the most active I have found is the micropython mailing list (but if anyone knows of others let me know) and there seemed to be little encouragement or management from the official micro:bit side to centralise and promote the community spirit, plus there was a huge delay in getting out the full technical specs and schematics - and boy was it was impossible to get hold of an edge connector for months - so there was a lot of poking and prodding needed to work things out; very kindly some of the tech guys from the companys involved in micro:bit distribution and add-on kits were extremely generous at sharing what they had found out in the early days, especially about the quirky way the LED matrix is wired and driven. A bit more oversight from the project originators in the early days would have really helped. PS: Totally agree about the RAM - 16K is just a tad tight and 32K would have been a better size.

deavmi 10y ago

Nice. I never knew BBC still made edicational computers.

forgottenacc57 9y ago

A computer without a screen just doesn't provide inspiration for creativity.