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hx-node-bbc-microbit

Control a BBC micro:bit from Node.js using BLE and Haxe

These are the Haxe node.js externs from https://github.com/sandeepmistry/node-bbc-microbit and follows the api

The Micro Bit (also referred to as BBC Micro Bit, stylised as micro:bit) is an ARM-based embedded system designed by the BBC for use in computer education in the UK.

The board is 4 cm × 5 cm and has an ARM Cortex-M0 processor, accelerometer and magnetometer sensors, Bluetooth and USB connectivity, a display consisting of 25 LEDs, two programmable buttons, and can be powered by either USB or an external battery pack.[2] The device inputs and outputs are through five ring connectors that are part of the 23-pin edge connector.

wikipedia

Haxe?

Read more about Haxe

Installation Haxe/NPM

1. follow instructions to install bbc-microbit

Make sure to follow the instructions for noble too.

2. install dependencies with npm

npm install

3. install haxelib

haxelib git bbc-microbit https://github.com/MatthijsKamstra/hx-node-bbc-microbit

Haxelib

use this repo locally

haxelib dev bbc-microbit path/to/folder/src

or this git repo

haxelib git bbc-microbit https://github.com/MatthijsKamstra/hx-node-bbc-microbit

don't forget to add it to your build file

-lib bbc-microbit

Visual Studio Code

I would suggest to us Visual Studio Code, it's a very nice editor and lets you set breakpoints in your js file

But other code-editors may work as well!

Haxe niceties

create a (LED)pattern from an array

var X = [
	1, 0, 0, 0, 1,
	0, 1, 0, 1, 0,
	0, 0, 1, 0, 0,
	0, 1, 0, 1, 0,
	1, 0, 0, 0, 1,
];
var buffer = new Buffer(new Pattern().createLedMatrixBuffer(X));

// follow example "LedPatternHx"
// or use a default Pattern
var buffer = new Buffer(new Pattern().createLedMatrixBuffer(Pattern.HEART));

Use string to listen to or EventName

import BBCMicrobit;

// strings will work
microbit.on('buttonAChange', function(value) {
	console.log('\ton -> button A change');
});

// prevent spelling mistakes with EventName
microbit.on(EventName.BUTTON_A_CHANGE, function(value) {
	console.log('\ton -> button A change');
});

Use the fixed values for AccelerometerPeriod Period

import BBCMicrobit;

// numbers will work
microbit.writeAccelerometerPeriod(160, function(err) {
	console.log('\taccelerometer period set');
});

// prevent using wrong value use Period
microbit.writeAccelerometerPeriod(Period.NR_160, function(err) {
	console.log('\taccelerometer period set');
});

Difference

Fix EventListener

After installing the dependencies via npm install.
You need to update the node_modules/bbc-microbit folder with two files:

And that will make that work.

I have created an issue "microbit.subscribeEvents" but it's not fixed yet.

Examples

most examples from https://github.com/sandeepmistry/node-bbc-microbit are "redone" in Haxe

Blink

Source