The sino:bit is a small board computer for learning about programming and science like the BBC micro:bit. What makes the sino:bit special is that it’s designed for a world-wide audience. The inspiration for the sino:bit came from Naomi Wu who realized boards like the micro:bit could only be used by Western, English-speaking audiences because their small grid of LEDs couldn’t display large characters from Chinese and other languages. Naomi worked with Elecrow to design the sino:bit as a world learning computer, one which has a large enough 12×12 LED matrix to display almost any character. The power of the sino:bit is that it can open the doorway to learning about computing to a world-wide audience of makers!
MicroPython is a port of the Python programming language that supports small computers like the BBC micro:bit. Since the sino:bit shares so much hardware with the micro:bit it’s possible to use a sino:bit MicroPython port to program the sino:bit with Python code! This guide explores how to use the sino:bit MicroPython port.
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.
