microbit

Connect to BBC micro:bit hardware

Syntax

obj = microbit

obj = microbit(port)

Description

obj = microbit connects to the BBC micro:bit board. If there is more than one board connected to the computer, this command connects to the first board detected by the operating system.

example

obj = microbit(port) connects to the BBC micro:bit board on the specified serial port.

While creating the microbit object, MATLAB connects to a server running on the BBC micro:bit through serial port. A server needs to be loaded only once in a BBC micro:bit. Multiple BBC micro:bits, with server loaded, can be connected to the host computer and the corresponding objects can be created by specifying the serial port numbers.

Examples

collapse all

Connect to BBC micro:bit Board

Autodetect and connect to a BBC micro:bit board.

m = microbit

m = 
  microbit with properties:

                  Port: "COM4"
  AvailableDigitalPins: ["P0-P16"]
      AvailablePWMPins: ["P0-P10", "P12-P16"]
   AvailableAnalogPins: ["P0-P4", "P10"] 
    AvailableI2CBusIDs: 1
Show all properties, functions, latest values

The properties of the microbit object shows information about the connected BBC micro:bit and the status of some of the hardware peripherals available:

Port – The port used for serial communication
AvailableDigitalPins, AvailableAnalogPins, AvailablePWMPins – The pins that you can use for digital, analog and PWM I/O operations
AvailableI2CBusIDs – The I2C bus channels that can be used to communicate with sensors and actuators supporting the I2C communication protocols
Click the link all properties to view an additional property called AvaliablePins
Click the link functions to view all the interfaces to access peripherals
Click the link latest values to view the current acceleration in ㎨ and the current magnetic field in µTesla, in a timetable

Connect to Specific BBC micro:bit Board

Connect to a BBC micro:bit connected to the COM4 port.

m = microbit('COM4')

m = 
  microbit with properties:

                  Port: "COM4"
  AvailableDigitalPins: ["P0-P16", "P19-P20"]
      AvailablePWMPins: ["P0-P16", "P19-P20"]
   AvailableAnalogPins: ["P0-P4", "P10-P10"]
    AvailableI2CBusIDs: 1

Connect to two BBC micro:bits connected to the COM5 and COM16 ports.:

m1 = microbit('COM5');
m2 = microbit('COM16');

Note

If the server is not already available in the BBC micro:bit, a server will be created and uploaded into hardware. However, while loading the server, only one BBC micro:bit must be connected to the host computer.