BBC micro:bit and Adafruit hardware with zbit:connect
Nevil Hunt demoed a nifty system to connect boards like Adafruit’s displays and sensor breakouts to the BBC micro:bit. The zbit:connect system uses simple screw and bolt connections to attach boards and send power & data. This is great for quickly swapping out devices without soldering or even stacking boards for a compact project build. This looks great for using with MicroPython on the BBC micro:bit too! Nevil writes:
‘zbit:connect’ is a range of add-on boards for the BBC micro:bit developed by innovations in education which use a unique custom connector system allowing multiple boards to be simply ‘bolted’ onto the micro:bit allowing additional boards to be connected in the X, YandZdirection thus enhancing and expanding the micro:bit’s educational possibilities!
Auxiliary connectors on these boards make it easy to add a vast range of 3rd party Sensors, Displays and Wireless Interface boards. The ‘zbit:connect multi display board’ demonstrates 5 Adafruit display boards and 2 Adafruit sensor boardscontrolled by a micro:bit with software written in Micro Python,connected by a number of zbit:builder and zbit:toolbelt boards and powered by zbit:power.
The ‘zbit:connect’ range is still in development but will be demonstrated at the IoT Tech Expo Global 2017 at Olympia, London 23rd – 24th January.
Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on code.org, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, or even use Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for MakeCode, CircuitPython, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand.
Have an amazing project to share? The Electronics Show and Tell with Google Hangouts On-Air is every Wednesday at 7:30pm ET! To join, head over to YouTube and check out the show’s live chat – we’ll post the link there.
