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MAKERDEMY review – The Zero: Bit
- November 4, 2018
- Posted by: Venkatesh Varadachari
- Category: Development board
Hello Makers,
Robin Sterling of Cambridge has launched a Kickstarter campaign for the Zero: Bit – An Arduino in Micro: Bit’s clothing. In this post, MAKERDEMY will review the Zero: Bit.
The BBC Micro: Bit is a nifty little development board that is extremely user-friendly. In our opinion the Micro: Bit is way more user-friendly than the Arduino or the Raspberry Pi. In fact, for many school students, the Micro: Bit is the entry to the world of electronic prototyping. It comes with a plethora of accessories, and even a complete newbie can get up and running with the Micro: Bit and build very sophisticated projects in a matter of few days.
MAKERDEMY will be releasing a series of online courses built around the Micro: Bit over the next quarter.
Meanwhile, Robin is out with his Kickstarter campaign for the Zero: Bit, which unsurprisingly looks very similar to the Micro: Bit, but it allows the board to be programmed through the Arduino IDE. This means that we get to use a large number of libraries built for the Arduino.
The Zero: Bit is essentially an Arduino that has the Micro: Bit’s form factor and the edge connector. It uses the ATSAM21D18 Cortex MO+ processor and can be programmed from the Arduino IDE. The pinout is compatible with the Micro: Bit.
It also comes with a LiPo battery charger and a low quiescent current voltage regulator that allows true low-power prototypes.
The Kickstarter campaign comes with a couple of accessories – an Arduino shield adapter which can be used to interface Arduino shields and a breadboard breakout.
In our opinion, this is a project that is worth backing. The Zero: Bit goes for GBP 16, while for 6 GBP each, you get an Arduino shield adapter (used to interface Arduino shields) and a breadboard breakout.
This is ideal for those who want to graduate from the Micro: Bit to Arduino. This will also be a welcome addition to the Arduino enthusiasts who wish to explore the peripherals of the Micro: Bit.
You can access the Zero: Bit Kickstarter campaign by clicking on the link below
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1866865027/zero-bit-an-arduino-in-micro-bits-clothing