Kitronik ZIP Halo HD for micro:bit

The Kitronik ZIP Halo HD for micro:bit is the ultimate micro:bit interface. 60 full-colour ZIP LEDs, Pins 1 & 2 broken out, MEMs mic, Piezo sounder, RTC & more!

The Kitronik Halo HD board for the BBC micro:bit incorporates 60 individually addressable full colour ZIP LEDs. It also breaks out P1 and P2 to a standard 0.1 footprint, it features a MEMS microphone for detection of sound, and a piezo buzzer to play sound. If that weren't enough, it also features an onboard real time clock (RTC) controlled by I2C lines from the microbit. The board also has two M3 mounting holes. We think you'll agree, the board is loaded with useful features. It doesn't stop there...

Plug n Play: No tools required, not even a screwdriver, plug the micro:bit, available separately, straight into the onboard edge connector and you are good to go!

Onboard Power: The board has a 3xAA battery holder mounted on the rear, with a power switch on the front of the board. A regulated supply is produced on the board which is fed into the 3V and GND connections to power the connected BBC micro:bit, removing the need to power the BBC micro:bit separately. See the Datasheet for more information.

MakeCode Blocks: Kitronik have created custom blocks for the Halo HD for use with MakeCode. To add these blocks, first go to makecode.microbit.org and start a new project. Under the Advanced section click on Extensions. In the next window search for Halo HD. Then, click on the tile to import it into MakeCode. You will see that the blocks are split across three categories; ZIP LEDs, Microphone and Clock. You can find more information on the MakeCode editor and also on how to write code for it with MicroPython in the Datasheet.

Examples: To get you off to a flying start we have produced a number of code examples that cover all of the onboard features and that will also serve to inspire your own projects. You will find links to these examples in the resources section below.

Features:

• The board features 60 individually addressable full colour ZIP LEDs.
• It breaks out P1 and P2 to a standard 0.1 footprint.
• It's wired for sound with a MEMS microphone and a piezo buzzer.
• It has an onboard Real time clock (RTC) controlled by I2C lines.
• Plug n play with the onboard edge connector, no tools required!.
• The board has a 3xAA battery holder mounted on the rear.
• The On/off switch helps you maximise battery life.
• It can be coded with MakeCode blocks via our custom blocks or with MicroPython.
• 2 x M3 Mounting holes, for secure projects.

Dimensions:

• Diameter: 87mm.
• M3 Mounting Holes Spacing (Center to Center): 68.4mm.

Requires:

• 1 x microbit.
• 1 x USB Type-A to Micro-B USB Noodle Cable.

Resources:

• Datasheet.
• The ZIP Halo HD can also be controlled with MicroPython, code examples for each of the boards features can be found on GitHub here.
• We've produced example code below to get you off to a flying start. Collectively, they serve as an introduction to all of the features of the board.
  • Code Clock.
  • Clap Game Code.
  • Wake Up Light Code.
  • Timer Code.
  • Stop Watch Code.
  • Sound Meter Code.