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micro:bit How-to: Create and Animate LED Display Images

Description

This micro:bit beginner project is for people getting started with the micro:bit and with writing computer code. It requires no previous coding experience and no knowledge of the micro:bit. In fact, you don’t even really need a micro:bit because you can use the simulator available in MakeCode. If you are using an actual micro:bit, you will need to know how to plug it into your computer.

Programming Language

MakeCode Blocks

Difficulty Level

Beginner

Age Range

9 and up

Watch the tutorial

Materials

Optional Materials:

Programming the micro:bit

Develop the problem statement

The problem I am solving is:

How to make a design done in LEDs blink off and on

Write the algorithm

The algorithm involves setting the lights off or on as long as the code is running:

  • Do Forever:
    • Turn lights on
    • Turn lights off

Write the pseudocode

This is a simple program so the pseudocode is not that much different from the algorithm. The difference here is that I am adding a pause , knowing ahead of time that it is necessary to see the image blink on and off. 

  • Do Forever
    • Show Light Array
    • Pause
    • Clear Light Array
    • Pause

Write and test the code

Once you are happy with the pseudocode, write the code in MakeCode.

Here is the code I wrote