Picodev and Microbit

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Hi
Wanting to purchase the PiicoDev Starter Kit for Micro:bit and wondering on compatibility/extensions for MakeCode. Looking at extending some interesting Year 7 students with a wider array of sensors. Can see a Github project hosted Core that references the PiicoDev, but most of the info I have found is Python based. Can anyone confirm that PiicoDev kit will work with MakeCode with no issues? Link to the kit is here: [PiicoDev Starter Kit for Micro:bit | Buy in Australia | CE08260 | Core Electronics

Cheers
Darryl

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Hi @Darryl190804, welcome to the forums!

The short answer is yes but not without significantly more effort than using MicroPython. All of the Piicodev modules inside that kit talk to the Micro:Bit using libraries specifically designed for use with micropython.

The way you would work around this would be to find libraries for the PiicoDev modules that are MakeCode specific.

For example, the PiicoDev OLED Display Module (128x64) SSD1306 is built around the SSD1306 display. I have found a MakeCode library for this display that should work with this PiicoDev module.

Unfortunately, this is not something that is guaranteed to work as the PiicoDev modules were not designed with MakeCode implementation in mind. If you are planning on giving this a shot I would recommend first checking that you can at minimum find all the related libraries for MakeCode and ideally give this a shot on a test rig before you give this to your students.

Hope this helps!

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Hi Samual
Many thanks for the reply - appreciate it. My specific use case in this circumstance is colour detection and the other parts of the kit were for future projects. I’ve done a bit of searching around; however, wondering if there is anything Core might have that is accessible via MakeCode and includes a colour sensor.

Cheers
Darryl

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Hey @Darryl190804,

We’ll certainly consider this as an option in future, but an easy integration for MakeCode doesn’t exist officially as of yet.

We do offer the enviro:bit as a product on our site. It’s a Pimoroni device with built-in sensors and out-of-the-box support for MakeCode.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t offer much in the way of flexibility, given it’s one combined board.

Hope this helps!

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If you don’t mind that I’ve only tested bits and pieces of it, I’ve been working on putting together MakeCode versions of the PiicoDev library to use with the micro:bit (my oldest kiddo likes the micro:bit, and I like the PiicoDev stuff :slight_smile: ).

You can add it through my github repo as an extension: GitHub - zarify/piico_pxt: Conversion of Core Electronics Piicodev to MakeCode extension

It’s still a bit of a work in progress, but I’ve tested almost all of it in isolation (with the except of the RFID reader since the one I had lying around looks like it’s busted, and I haven’t tried out the RTC module I ordered yet).

The bits and pieces that use the ID switches should have the extra addresses supported, but anything with the ASW switches I left alone with the default addresses for the time being.

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Hey there, @Robert22889, and welcome to the forums. We’re glad to have you here.

Thanks for reaching out and sharing that repo with the forums. I’m sure a lot of people will be happy there’s now PiicoDev options written in MakeCode to play with.

And don’t worry that it’s a work and progress. We’re all Makers here, we love when we can play with or test out ‘work in progress’ projects.

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