Kitronik ZIP Halo HD (LED ring) for the BBC micro:bit

Open the door to a world of possibilities with the :VIEW Halo HD board for micro:bit.

The Kitronik Halo HD board for the BBC micro:bit contains 60 individually addressable, full-color ZIP LEDs (comparable to NeoPixe, WS2812 etc). It has a MEMS microphone for sound detection and a piezo buzzer for sound reproduction. There is also an integrated real-time clock (RTC), which is controlled by the microbit via I2C lines. The board also has two M3 mounting holes.

Plug & Play:

No tools are required, not even a screwdriver. Plug the separately available micro:bit directly into the integrated edge connector and you're ready to go!

On-board power supply:

There is a 3xAA battery holder on the back of the board and a power switch on the front of the board. A regulated power supply is generated on the board, which is fed into the 3V and GND connections to supply the connected BBC micro:bit with power. This means that it is no longer necessary to supply the BBC micro:bit with power separately. Further information can be found in the data sheet.

MakeCode blocks:

Kitronik has created custom blocks for Halo HD for use with MakeCode. To add these blocks, first go to makecode.microbit.org and start a new project. In the "Advanced" section, click on "Extensions". In the next window, search for "Halo HD". Then click on the tile to import it into MakeCode. You will see that the blocks are divided into three categories: ZIP LEDs, Microphone and Clock. For more information on the MakeCode editor and how to write code for it with MicroPython, see the datasheet.

Features:

• The board has 60 individually addressable ZIP LEDs in full color.
• It divides P1 and P2 to a standard footprint of 0.1 inch.
• Sound is transmitted via a MEMS microphone and a piezo buzzer.
• It has an integrated real-time clock (RTC) that is controlled via I2C lines.
• Plug-and-play with the integrated edge connector, no tools required!
• There is a holder for 3xAA batteries on the back of the circuit board.
• With the on/off switch you can maximize the battery life.
• It can be coded with MakeCode blocks via our custom blocks or with MicroPython.
• 2 x M3 mounting holes for secure projects.

Dimensions:

• Diameter: 87 mm.
• Distance of the M3 mounting holes (center to center): 68.4 mm.

Scope of delivery:

• 1 x: ZIP Halo HD board for Micro:bit.

Product resources / data sheet

• Datasheet
• Tech Talks - Live stream playback
• The ZIP Halo HD can also be controlled with MicroPython. Code examples for the individual board functions can be found here on GitHub.
• Sample codes for an introduction to all functions of the board:
• Code Clock
• Clap game code
• Code for the wake-up light
  
• Timer code
  
• Stopwatch code
  
• Sound meter code