Driving a Motor from a Microbit using the Accelerometer and Radio #tt16
Tinkerer: Lory Livezey
In this tutorial, we're going to be hooking up the Kitronik Motorboard to a Micro:bit. In the previous tutorial, we learned how to send accelerometer readings from one Micro:bit to another using Radio. We are going to build on that by controlling the speed of a motor as we tilt the Micro:bit remote control.
TAGS{ turbo_tinker=16 } RELATIONS{ COMES_AFTER=Sending Accelerometer Readings Between Two Microbits Using Radio #tt9 } CATEGORIES{ Microprocessor Boards->Microbit }
Objectives
You'll learn:
- What a
breakpointis - What
User Interface Designis and why it's important - How to add a new section to the block menu
- How to connect and program the Kitronic Motor board
Previous Step
Sending Accelerometer Readings Between Two Microbits Using Radio #tt9
To complete this tutorial, you should follow the previous steps or be familiar with the following:
- The basics the Make Code Web Site
- How to use the Accelerometer and Radio on the Micro:bit
- How to upload a program (hex) to the Micro:bit
- How to create and use a variable
- How to add a new component to the blocks menu
- How to program the Kitronik motor board
Starter Breakpoint
A breakpoint in programming is a place in the code where you set the program to stop so you can figure out what's wrong with it. We use the term breakpoint to refer to the code that you can load to start you off at a certain point in our tutorials.
What you will need
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Step 1 - Log Into MakeCode for Microbit
Browse to the Make Code Web Site
If you are continuing from the previous step, you'll have the two projects we're going to need. Otherwise, use the import option to upload the hex files above.
Step 2 - Program the Remote Microbit
Our remote will determine the speed that the motor will turn. Since it seems more intuitive that we tilt the Micro:bit forward and back to speed up or slow down, then we will use the y axis. This is called User Interface Design - when you think about how you would expect something to work, and designing it intuitively. The goal is for people to know how to use something with as little instructions as possible, and a good design will make it as easy as possible.
Open the Tinker Pi Remote project. This is where we left off:
We are simply going to change the xs to ys -- both of them.
This means rather than sending x=150 as we tilt left-to-right, we'll be sending y=255 as we tilt from front-to-back.
Save your project, download the hex and save it to your Micro:bit.
Step 3 - Program the Robot's On Radio Received Event
Next, open the Tinker Pi Robot project. This is how we left it in the last tutorial:
We will be getting a value such as y=255 from the remote, so we need to create a variable called y. To do this:
Variables > Make a Variable > y
Change the x's to y's:
Step 4 - Add the Kitronik Motor Driver
Click the gear in the upper right, and then Add Package:
Search for kitronik and select the kitronik-motor-driver:
This group will be added:
Add the Kitonik Block to the Forever block, and set the speed to the y variable:
So let's recap: The value of y=1024 (for example) will be sent from the remote to this Micro:bit. The y variable is set to 1024. The block we just placed will set motor 1 to a forward speed of y. The maximum speed of the motor, however, is 10. Do you see the problem?
Right It's too big. Since 1024 is the maximum that the accelerometer will go in any direction, we need to divide the y value by 10. This will cause the motor to be set to 10 when we rotate the Micro:bit completely forward.
We need a divide block. You can find this under Math:
Drag the 0/0 block to replace the y variable in the speed:
Drag the block over the y and it will be displaced:
Set the speed to y divided by 10:
Output the value so we can see it on the screen. Do this by duplicating the block like we learned earlier. Your blocks should look like this:
Save the program and upload it to the Microbit.
Step 3 - Wire Up the Motor
Next, plug the robot Microbit into the Kitronik Motor Board. Connect the red wire from the battery pack into the + terminal and the black into the -, as shown:
Don't forget to insert the batteries
Next, plug the motor into the motor board, as shown:
Optionally plug a wheel into the motor. Make sure the battery pack is in on on position, and your motor/wheel should turn:
Finish Breakpoint
Success
We now have these pieces working:
- Accelerometer on Micro:bit #1
- Radio communication to Micro:bit #2
- Motor Driver and Motor working, controlled by Micro:bit #1
Next Up
 | Assembling the Tinker Pi Robot for Microbit #tt13 |
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