an excellent start for learning robotics and electronics

an excellent start for learning robotics and electronics

Single board computers have become one of the most popular components for projects by both beginners and professionals in the world of electronics. But to work with the same Raspberry Pi requires quite extensive knowledge of both hardware and programming (at least the base). But if it is not there, you can try boards with a lower entrance threshold. One of them is Cytron Reka:Bit from the Cytron company. We will talk about her today.

What is this system?

It was released by developers from Cytron in 2021. The single-payer is positioned as a basic module for projects to create robotic systems. Not the most difficult, that’s clear, but still.

Features of the board:

  • MX1515H, built-in buttons for quick motor testing (no coding)

  • 4 ports for servo drives

  • 2 Neopixel RGB LEDs

  • 6 Grove ports (3.3V):

  • 3 analog inputs/Digital IO ports

  • 2 Digital IO ports

  • 1 I2C interface

  • DC connector (3.6-6VDC)

  • On-Off switch

  • Power-on indicator

  • Indicators and protection against too low and high voltage

  • Size – 10.4 mm × 72 mm × 15 mm

There is plenty of space on the board – there are connectors and ports for almost all needs. In addition, the board also displays the current status thanks to LEDs.

To develop various projects, you need to program, but not Python, but the Microsoft MakeCode block programming language. By the way, the cost of the device is about $18 without shipping on the manufacturer’s website. By paying a little more than half of this amount, you can also get a Micro:bit. Not a bad price for such a functional board.

But let’s return to the block programming language. It is very similar to Scratch, which even children can work with, so there should be no difficulties with it. You will need to compile programs for your robots directly in the browser – so there is practically no difference which OS you use.

Above is an example of robot vacuum cleaner software developed with MakeCode. Controlling any device is very simple. The language provides an understanding of what and how works in the devices being created. After that, the beginner will be able to navigate better in ordinary software (of course, not to program, but at least to understand the structure of the program).

What do you need to get started?

Immediately you need to connect the Micro:bit to the board using a specialized connector. Below is a photo of the board without the Micro:bit, with the included accessories.

And here is the board with the Micro:bit connected.

Power can be from a cable or a battery pack. You can connect power through a USB Y-splitter, which makes it possible to update the firmware and request the board at the same time.

This has been dealt with. What about programming?

As mentioned above, the main option for beginners is a block NAP. But if you are a developer or just know the basics of Python or JavaScript, you can also code in JavaScript or MicroPython. And also in the browser.

The easiest way to see if everything is OK with the board is to try to control the LEDs of the board. You can set their color and flashing frequency.

Next, it is important to check the MX1515H motor controller. It was not for nothing that it was said above that the board can be requested from USB while simultaneously managing the firmware. The installed motors work great in this case, so you can change the firmware and immediately check what has changed. Well, if you use batteries, you can make the device autonomous. Motion control is carried out using the same firmware – you can set a change in speed, direction or stop the device.

Electric motors can be tested without any coding, as there are test buttons on the board. This is a great move when you need to quickly check that the board is working. In addition, after the start, it will be necessary to test the servos, a total of four servos are supported. You can use, for example, SG90. Connecting and scripting the servo behavior is a matter of minutes.

What else? A set of Grove connectors allows you to work with Raspberry Pi and Arduino if you need to make a more complex project than a regular robot on wheels. You can also connect sensors – lighting or motion – to Grove. In this case, the board will change the color of the LEDs, or the board-based robot will stop when it encounters an obstacle. But, of course, the system has many more possibilities, these are just two examples.

In the dry residue

The board is excellent, as mentioned above, on its basis you can make both extremely simple and very complex projects, especially when combining the functions of the board with Raspberry Pi or Arduino. The entry threshold is low, so even children can learn the basics of robotics.

And then if you start coding something more serious, then you can make projects much more complex and functional. For example, robot vacuum cleaners, delivery robots (within the apartment, of course), cars on autopilot, etc., were developed on the basis of the board. Here, for example, is a system of automatic watering of plants.

So the board is really good for both novice and professional developers.

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