Use WebUSB to allow Microsoft MakeCode to download direct to Circuit Playground Express
If you’ve been using Microsoft MakeCode for your Circuit Playground Express projects, you know how easy and powerful it is to program. But it is a two-step process to save a UF2 code file to hard disk then copy that file to the Circuit Playground Express boot USB drive CPLAYBOOT. If you make small changes, those save & copy cycles add up.
Why not have download automatically load the code to the Circuit Playground Express?
Now you can! But it requires a technology called WebUSB.
You’ll need to do a few things before you can use WebUSB
You will need to use the latest version of the Google Chrome web browser. Firefox, Safari, Opera, Edge, etc do not support WebUSB at this time. Only Chrome, only versions 68 or greater!
Run Windows 10, Latest Mac OS X or Linux. Windows 7 or 8 are not supported!
It’s a one time procedure, then you can enjoy clicking the pink Download button and have your code go direct to your board and automagically run.
Note: This is Beta Software from Microsoft and you will have to access the editor using the URL https://makecode.adafruit.com/beta?webusb=1#editor – if it somehow breaks, it could be Chrome or Microsoft fiddling around (and not Adafruit), you have been warned.
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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, TinyGO, or even use the Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for CircuitPython, MakeCode, 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.
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