CHARGE for micro:bit

"CHARGE for micro:bit": The first portable and rechargeable power pack for hands on STEM learning by Forward Education

Making of micro:bit

As a reader of micromag, you will know the BBC micro:bit well - a pocket-sized programmable device that can be coded and controlled to bring ideas, games, and projects to life. But do you know how it is made?

Creating a micro:bit Product

Debra Ansell shares her path to creating a micro:bit wearable product.

WaveShare LCD Screen for micro:bit

Add a tiny colour LCD to your micro:bit for just under £20.

4Tronix Mars Rover - Out of this world

We see a lot of micro:bit robots here at micro:mag but this one is different. Ever wanted to own your own working Mars Rover? Well, now you can with the 4Tronix Mars Rover kit.

Digital Tech Olympics

The Australian Computing Academy ran a Digital Technology Olympics based on micro:bit. By Nicola O’Brien, Naomi Cammayo & Sujatha Gunja

pin:out for micro:bit launches

Are you a manufacturer of micro:bit add-on’s or just love a certain add-on for the micro:bit? Ever wanted to know which pins a micro:bit add-on board uses and had to search through pages of documentation to find what you’re looking for?

Robot showdown! MiniBit vs Gigglebot vs Minibit vs K8

We’ve reviewed lots of robots in micro:mag, so we thought it would be good to get some of the kids at the Harris Museum Code Club to rate them.

Make an Audio Game in Scratch

This game tests your focus and reaction times by giving you spoken instructions for moving the micro:bit. How many moves can you get right?

Build a DIY Budget Robot (MakeCode + Python)

Robots are cool and they are even more cool when you make your own. In this feature we take a look at building a really simple budget robot that will provide you with a foundation to learn more about robot building.

Create Your Own Flood Detector

We all love a cup of tea/coffee/juice/water. But what if we need to alert people to an oncoming flood? How can we detect when water reaches a certain level? Well, we can and all we need are a micro:bit, two crocodile clips and some aluminium foil.

Create Music with Light!

Three blocks of code and an earphone are enough to create this musical instrument. Or perhaps you will use it as a directional sensor in a maze game. Its potential is up to your imagination. One of the delights of the micro:bit is the ability to explore complex ideas using simple software and hardware solutions. Use the MakeCode editor to create a program that would challenge a microPython or Arduino coder. Learn about the alternative functionality of LEDs and become a confident hardware hacker.

How to make your own add-on boards with household materials

You may think that if you’re starting out running a code club, you need a huge budget to buy a load of materials - the truth is, the hardware is, well, hardwearing and almost guaranteed to work, but sometimes a quick-and-easy homemade solution can work as a stopgap. I’d like to share some boards I have successfully made with Year 5’s in my code club, and examples of what you can do with them. I have assumed you have micro:bits and crocodile clips.

Make a neopixel-style LED board for under £1!

Use readily-available materials to make an addressable RGB LED “board”

Temperature with MicroPython

Did you know that the micro:bit has a built-in temperature sensor? It is part of the processor and using MicroPython we can unlock the power of the sensor and use it as an input in a project. In this project we will show a smiley face when it is warm, but a sad face when it gets too cold.

Skulls or Snakes - A Game of Chance

Head or tails? A game where you have a 1 in 2 chance of winning, has been used to decide many things such as who kicks off at a football/soccer match and who gets the last sweet in the bag.

Countdown Timer

Timers are handy, they can time a boiled egg to perfection, help us take group photos, and be used to help rockets to launch.

Magnetic Alarm

Magnets are wonderful things to experiment with and in this project we shall use a magnet to alter the built in compass of the micro:bit. Changing where it believes North will be and using it to create a simple alarm.