micro:Maqueen Plus V2 Robot Kit with Mechanic & micro:bit V2

Jargon buster

Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.

encoder

An encoder is a sensor that converts the rotation or position of a shaft, knob or dial into electrical signals, reporting movement as incremental steps and direction, or as an absolute position. It is used to track how far something has turned, which matters for precise positioning, speed control, repeatable movement, or using a rotary knob as an input.

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.

LED

A light-emitting diode (LED) is a small electronic component that emits light when current flows through it in the correct direction. Because it only conducts one way, its polarity matters, and a through-hole LED must be soldered the correct way around to light up.

line-tracking sensor

A line-tracking sensor detects contrast between a dark line and a lighter surface, usually using infrared light. It matters for robot activities where the robot follows a track, such as classroom challenges or competitions.

Ni-MH battery

A Ni-MH battery is a rechargeable nickel-metal hydride cell, available in standard sizes such as AA and AAA and often used in place of disposable alkaline cells. Each cell supplies about 1.2 volts rather than the roughly 1.5 volts of an alkaline, so it is worth checking that a device tolerates this slightly lower voltage before relying on Ni-MH cells.

RGB

Short for red, green and blue, the three primary colours of light that are mixed in varying amounts to make a wide range of colours. In electronics RGB can refer to an LED or pixel that blends these three colours, or to a colour signal or interface that carries separate red, green and blue channels.

Type-C

USB Type-C (USB-C) is a small, reversible USB connector used for charging, power, and data transfer on many modern devices. A Type-C port or plug indicates the cable and charger connection needed to power, charge, or communicate with a device.

Ultrasonic module

An ultrasonic module measures distance by sending out high-frequency sound pulses and timing their echo. It is commonly used for obstacle detection and simple range-finding projects, but it needs a clear path to the target.

ultrasonic sensing

Ultrasonic sensing uses high-frequency sound waves to estimate distance to nearby objects. For a robot kit, this helps with obstacle avoidance and simple navigation activities.