Digital I/O, or input/output, is one of the most basic ways to talk to hardware. We say ‘digital’ because it only deals with on or off values and nothing in-between. For example with digital I/O a LED can be turned completely on and completely off repeatedly to blink. Or using digital I/O you can read when a switch or button is moved on or off. With just a few lines of MicroPython code you’ll be a master of digital I/O in no time.
This guide explores how to use digital I/O pins with MicroPython. You’ll see how to control a LED using a digital output pin, and read a pushbutton using a digital input pin. These basic digital I/O examples can serve as the starting point for more complex and interesting projects that use hardware like LEDs, buttons, switches, relays, transistors, and even simple digital sensors!
Make a robot friend with Adafruit’s CRICKIT – A Creative Robotics & Interactive Construction Kit. It’s an add-on to our popular Circuit Playground Express, FEATHER and other platforms to make and program robots with CircuitPython, MakeCode, and Arduino. Start controlling motors, servos, solenoids. You also get signal pins, capacitive touch sensors, a NeoPixel driver and amplified speaker output. It complements & extends your boards so you can still use all the goodies on the microcontroller, now you have a robotics playground as well.
