Physical Computing
Workshop challenge
The challenge we have set for you is to connect some electrical components to a micro:bit for physical computing.
Simple circuits
A simple electrical circuit to light up an LED will need a source of electrical power.
This would usually be a battery.
An LED.
Some wires.
Computer Control
Computers are used to control billions of devices.
A good example is the traffic light.
You are going to learn how to use a micro:bit computer to control a light.
The light you control will be a red LED.
Connecting an LED to the micro:bit
The micro:bit edge strip has five holes called pins for connecting external electrical components.
Wires are held in the pins using plastic pegs called micro:pegs.
The images below show how to connect a wire to a pin using a micro:peg.
Activity 1
Connect the red LED to the micro:bit as follows:
Connect the red wire of the LED to pin 0.
Connect the black wire of the LED to the GND pin.
Copy the picture below.
Push the pegs in firmly so they do not fall out.
Activity 2
In the MakeCode editor, create the code below.
Activity 3
Download the code to the micro:bit and test it.
If the red light starts to flash.
Congratulations!