Getting Started with the micro:bit

Contributors: D___Run___, Ell C

Hardware Overview

There are two versions of the BBC micro:bit and both have a lot to offer when it comes to onboard inputs and outputs. In fact, there are so many things packed onto these little boards that you would be hard pressed to really need anything else if you were looking at just exploring the basics of programming and hardware.

Front

On the front of the board there are a number of components that are pretty visible right off the bat!

LED Array

The micro:bit has a 5x5 LED array that you can use as a tiny screen to draw on and display words, numbers and other information.

LED Array on micro:bit	LED Array on micro:bit V2

A/B Buttons

Two buttons in all of their clicky glory: A is on the left, B is on the right, and both are prime for controlling a game of your design.

A/B Buttons on micro:bit	A/B Buttons on micro:bit V2

Edge "Pins"

The gold tabs at the bottom of the board are for hooking up external components. The tabs with larger holes can be easily used with alligator clips to prototype things quickly! To access all the pins, you will need a board with an edge connector. For breadboard prototyping, you'll want the micro:bit breakout with headers. In micro:bit v2, you will also notice that they are notched for easier connection with alligator clips.

Edge Pins on micro:bit	Edge Pins on micro:bit V2

Note: You can also be creative when connecting to the larger through holes. For certain boards, you can use flat-head or countersunk screws that taper along the shaft, nylon standoffs, and hex nuts to access the through holes. Below is an image with the Micro:bit connecting to the Kitronik MI:power Board V2 with countersunk screws.

Using countersunk screws is also an alternative to alligator clips that provides a secure connection. For more information, check out this blog post: micro:bit - Hacking the GPIO - Updated!

Light Sensor

A bit of a hidden gem. The LED array doubles as a light sensor!

Light Sensor on micro:bit	Light Sensor on micro:bit V2

V2 Only - Microphone Input and LED Indicator

V2 Only - Touch Sensitive Logo

The gold logo is a capacitive touch sensor that works a bit like a touch screen on a mobile phone, measuring tiny changes in electricity.

Back

The back is where a lot of the magic happens. Check it out...

Microcontroller

The brains of the outfit.

The micro:bit is powered by a 16MHz ARM Cortex-M0 microcontroller with 256KB Flash and 16KB RAM.

The micro:bit v2 is powered by Nordic Semiconductor's nRF52833 chip - a 64MHz ARM Cortex-M4 microcontroller with FPU, 512KB Flash, and 128KB RAM.

nRF51822 Processor on micro:bit	nRF52833 Processor on micro:bit V2

Accelerometer/Compass

The micro:bit has an onboard accelerometer that measures gravitational force, as well as a compass (a.k.a. a magnetometer) that can detect its orientation using Earth's magnetic field.

Accelerometer and Magnetometer on micro:bit	Accelerometer and Magnetometer on micro:bit v2

Bluetooth/Radio

Communication is huge with the micro:bit. You can communicate with your phone or tablet using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) or between two or more micro:bits using the standard 2.4GHz "radio". Note that the micro:bit v1 uses BLE Bluetooth v4.0 while micro:bit v2 uses BLE Bluetooth v5.0.

Bluetooth / Radio Antenna on micro:bit	Bluetooth / Radio Antenna on micro:bit v2

Temperature Sensor

No, the drawing is not highlighted incorrectly! The microcontroller doubles as a temperature sensor!

Microcontroller as Temperature Sensor on micro:bit	Microcontroller as Temperature Sensor on micro:bit v2

USB Port

Used to upload code to your micro:bit or power from your computer or laptop. You can also send and receive serial data from the MakeCode Serial Console or a Serial Terminal.

USB Port on micro:bit	USB Port on micro:bit v2

USB Activity LED Indicator

When there is activity on the USB pins, the LED on the right will light up.

USB Activity LED Indicator on micro:bit	USB Activity LED Indicator on micro:bit v2

V2 Only - Power LED

V2 of the micro:bit also includes a power LED next to the USB connector to indicate power is available.

Reset Button

A button to reset your micro:bit and start your code over from the beginning.

Reset Button on micro:bit	Reset/ Power Button on micro:bit v2

JST Battery Connector

A connector to hook up an external battery pack to your micro:bit.

JST Connector on micro:bit	JST Connector on micro:bit v2

V2 Only - Microphone

V2 of the micro:bit contains a MEMS microphone to allow sound-sensing without the need to attach another device. If you look back at the front of the board, you will notice that the microphone input leads to this component on the back.

V2 Only - Speaker

V2 of the micro:bit also includes a built-in speaker on the back of the board. For users using an external speaker on the edge pins, you will need to configure the built-in speaker in the programming language of your choice.

Phew! That is a lot of bells and whistles...a true Swiss army knife!