Pimoroni
MDBT42Q Breakout
This board has the same Bluetooth LE module that used on Puck.js and Pixl.js, pre-programmed with Espruino. Just apply power, connect with Bluetoo...
This board has the same Bluetooth LE module that used on Puck.js and Pixl.js, pre-programmed with Espruino. Just apply power, connect with Bluetooth LE or Serial and start writing JavaScript!
This is a board with 0.1" pins, a voltage regulator, 2 LEDs and a button. It's thin, small, and very power efficient.
Features
- Bluetooth Low Energy
- Espruino JavaScript interpreter pre-installed
- nRF52832 SoC - 64MHz ARM Cortex M4, 64kB RAM, 512kB Flash
- 32 x GPIO (capable of PWM, SPI, I2C, UART) on 0.7mm Pitch, including 8 analog inputs
- 1.7v - 3.6v voltage range
- Built in thermometer
- NFC tag programmable from JavaScript (when an antenna is connected)
- Dimensions: 16mm x 10mm x 2.2mm thick
Breakout board features
- 2.5 - 16v voltage input, 20uA power draw when advertising
- 0.1" pin header (With 22 GPIO, 7 analog inputs)
- Red and Green LEDs
- Button
Getting Started
Apply power between the V+/Vin and GND pins. Any voltage between 2.5 and 16 volts will work - just be careful not to get the polarity wrong! Check the pinout for more information on the location of pins.
Once powered up follow the Getting Started Guide for details on getting the IDE connected wirelessly. You can also use a wired connection if you prefer.
On-board peripherals
- There is a button (
BTN/BTN1) between pinD0and 3.3v. Pulling this high on boot enables the bootloader. - There is a LED (
LED/LED1) between pinD1andGND. This is flashes at boot and also indicates bootloader mode.
The breakout board also contains a green LED on pin D2. As of build 1v99 this isn't mapped to a built-in variable, but a simple global.LED2=D2 command will add it.
Tutorials
First, it's best to check out the Getting Started Guide. After that, you can find more information and more tutorials here
Jargon buster
Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.
- Bootloader
- Small starter software on a microcontroller that lets new code be uploaded before the main program runs. Knowing how to enter bootloader mode matters when you need to program the board or recover it after a faulty sketch.
- breakout
- A breakout is a small circuit board that makes a tiny or hard-to-solder component easier to connect to with standard pins. It matters because this OLED module can be wired into a microcontroller project without needing to solder directly to the display’s fine contacts.
- GPIO
- General-purpose input/output pins are microcontroller pins you can set in software to read signals, switch devices on and off, or connect to peripherals. The number of GPIO pins matters because it limits how many buttons, LEDs, sensors, and other parts you can wire directly to the board.
- I2C
- I2C is a two-wire communication bus used by many sensors and small modules. It matters because several I2C devices can share the same two wires, but each device needs a compatible address and your controller must support I2C.
- IDE
- Short for Integrated Development Environment, a program used to write, run and manage code. It matters because some learners prefer a traditional coding workspace instead of a guided notebook-style lesson.
- LED
- A light-emitting diode is a small electronic component that lights up when current flows through it in the correct direction. In this kit, LEDs create the flashing effect, so polarity and correct soldering matter for the project to work.
- PWM
- Pulse Width Modulation is a way for a digital pin to simulate variable output power by switching on and off very quickly. It matters for controlling things like LED brightness, motor speed, or servo-style signals from a microcontroller pin.
- RAM
- RAM is temporary memory used while a device is running, and its contents are lost when power is removed. A “Run in RAM” mode is useful for testing settings without permanently programming the module, but it may not support every feature.
- SPI
- A fast serial communication bus often used for displays, memory cards, and sensors. It matters because SPI devices need specific pins for clock and data, plus a separate chip-select line for each device.
- UART
- UART is a simple serial connection that sends data over separate transmit and receive wires, often labelled TX and RX. It matters because this module is designed to replace a wired UART cable with a wireless link while keeping the same serial data format.
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Related Tutorials
Free guides on learn.littlebird.com.au
