Learning Products

Learning Products

Our recommended learning products, micro:bit and S4A Arduino are affordable and easily available to the masses.

KittenBot

KittenBot is a friendly programming platform to innovate with hardware and friendly to the educators, students and beginners.

Hardware

Microcontrollers such as Micro:bit, S4A Arduino and commonly used sensors & outputs hardware.

Making – Building Materials

We make use of our #Blokies design as building materials. #Blokies pieces are cardboard designs where students are able to customize and build their own structures easily.

KittenBot

Meowbit -Codable Console for Microsoft Makecode Arcade

Meowbit is a card-sized graphical retro game computer with allows you coding with Makecode arcade and Python. In other words, it can use combines game programming with hardware devices.

Meowbit is a card-sized grahical programming video game console designed for teenagers. It contains 1.8′ full-color screen, 6 x programmable buttons ,1 x buzzer, built-in light sensor , temperatur sensor, SD card slot (For extenal stoage),multyplayer connector and edge connector. Espcially the edge connector could access most micro:bit expension boards. We recommend to use Robot:bit for Mewobit, it can help you create a robot quickly.

  • MCU:STM32F401RET6, 32-bit ARM Cortex M4 core
  • Operating voltage: 3.3V
  • Supply voltage:USB(5V), Lithium battery pack(3.7~4.2V)
  • Output current: 500mA(max)
  • Dimensions: 52x76x12(mm)

  1. Charging/work indicator
  2. Light sensor
  3. Power switch
  4. Programmable led x 2
  5. Reset
  6. DFU mode button(use for toggle firmware or for Bring up the menu in Makecode Arcade mode)
  7. 160 x 128 TFT color screen
  8. Temperature sensor
  9. Direction button x 4
  10. Buzzer
  11. Button A、B x 2
  12. compatible with microbit’s 40 PINs Goldfinger
  13. USB program download port / charging port
  14. SD card slot(Use for store programs or extend wireless modules)
  15. Multiplayer Connector
  16. mp6050 gyroscope
  17. 3.7V lithium battery package interface
  18. MCU
  19. 2MByte spi-flash (default download unicode character table)
  20. Signature area

Makecode Arcade graphical programming mode

  • Windows 7 and above
  • macOS

It has a powerful ability to drive DC motors, stepper motors, servos, and onboard buzzer and RGB pixels and release all valid IO from microbit, with support the most common electronics module in the market. It comes with 18650 battery holder, integrated lithium battery boost, charging and protection chip. Support for external power input. Mechnically support for KittenBot robotic chassis and LEGO technical slots. The powerful drive capability and built-in battery make DIY more convenient and free. We have received unanimous praise from the school teacher training institutions and individual enthusiasts. It is an excellent choice for your robotic projects based on Micro:bit!

KittenBot

Robotbit -robotics expansion board for micro:bit

Robotbit designed for primary school students/training institutions/parents/ enthusiasts as a robotic accessory.

Product Parameters

  • Dimensions: 78mm x 57mm x 23mm
  • PCB Thickness: 1.5mm
  • Small mechnical hole: 3.0mm
  • Big mechnical hole: 4.8mm
  • Net weight (without packaging): 37.5g

Product Instruction

Robotbit is an excellent robotic expansion board specially designed for Microbit by KittenBot team. There is also a 3D printed protective case included.

Package List

Robotbit V2.1 X 1

Functional Parameters

  • 18650 battery voltage: 3.7V
  • USB input voltage: 5V
  • VM pin max ouput: 1A (with onboard battery)
  • External Voltage Input (the green termial): 5V (only supports 5V input, do not connect over 5V, maximum current supports 3A)

Supported Software

Available Coding platform: Kittenblock(based on Scratch3.0) or Makecode and python(Mu editor in microbit mode)

MakeCode from Microsoft

KittenBlock (Developed by Kittenbot Team based on Scratch 3.0

Python
If you’re used to code programming and want to get started by microbit python you have two options, directly Mu Editoror kittenblock in micropython editor mode.

MakeCode Extension

In makecode add extension panel directly search Robotbit. In our offline version of makecode, you may find Robotbit in the default list and other useful extensions.

Hardware Interface

  1. 5V external power input(with anti-reverse protection)
  2. Power switch
  3. Power Indicator
  4. Battery Indicator
  5. Micro USB charing port
  6. 4-channel DC motor / 2-channel stepper motor
  7. Jumper for buzzer selection
  8. 8 channel IO(corresponding to Micro:bit P0-P2、P8、P12-P15)
  9. 5V and GND port
  10. Buzzer
  11. 8 channel servo port
  12. I2C interface (expandable I2C module)
  13. 18650 battery case
  14. Bettery protection recovery push button
  15. Micro:bit edge connector
  16. 4x RGB pixel
  17. Servo driver (PCA9685)
  18. 2xDc/Stepper driver (DRV8833)
  19. KittenBot robot chassis mounting hole
  20. Standard LEGO hole

Robobit Detailed Description

18650 Battery Case

Once you got your RobotBit extension board please first install a 18650 battery, pay attention to the positive and negative pole (even we have anti-reverse protection). You have to activate the power management system by pressing the Battery Act push button. Each time you switch a battery cell or let the power management go into protection mode (over current or over discharge), you have to redo this step.

18650 Power Switch

Turn on the switch (in the direction of green terminal input), will provide onboard 3.3V 5V and VM(motors and servos directly driver by battery cell)

Micro USB charger port

Only for charging and not for download! Computer USB host port or any other mobile phone charger which may output 1A or larger should be fine and may take about 2.5 hours to fully charge a 18650 cell. it will automatically cut off once full, no need to worry about overshoot.

Power and battery indicator

Led(3) is the power indicator, will be always on after switch is turned on. Led(1) is charging indicator, will be on while charing and Led(2) be on once fully charged.

Micro:bit stand edge connector

For installing Microbit mainboard. Please install Microbit with led matrix and RGB led in the same direction.

4x RGB neopixel

The robotbit extension for makecode has integrated neopixel support. Neopixel array connect to P16 of microbit.

8 channel servo connector

Servos are driven by an extension chip (PCA9685) with the power source from battery or external input.The extension chip communicates with Microbit via the i2c interface, so these S1~S8 interfaces can only be used for pulse output not as common IO. With onboard 18650 battery cell, it may drive eight 9g hobby servo (with maximum current less than 2A). If you plan to use larger servos like MG995 please use an external power resource connect to the green slot (the input still 5V). Robotbit extension has built-in blocks for controlling servos.

4 channel DC motors / 2 channel 28BYJ micro steppers

Robotbit extension has also built-in blocks for DC motors and steppers. With onboard cell you may drive 4x TT motors or 2x 28BYJ steppers, or a mixture of theese. Keep in mind that VM may out 2A to motors and servos. If you use external source please keep the input around 5V or less, a high voltage external input may damage the 5V boost circuit.

Buzzer and the selection jumper

The buzzer jumper cap is plugged in by default, and the corresponding buzzer is connected to the Micro:bit P0 port. If you need P0 for other purposes please unplug the jumper. The buzzer associate to music blocks in makecode.

Micro:bit IO

We have released P0-P2、P8、P12-P15 from Microbit to Robotbit for common IO usage. P0~P2 has analog read/write support, others may act as digital IOs. You may connect commonly modules for Arduino to Robotbit, there is also 5V output in case your module only support 5V power input. Please note that Microbit IO signal level is 3.3V.

I2C Interface

Expandable I2C module, can only be used to plug in I2C module.

2PIN External Power Input

Although there is anti-reverse protection, but still pay attention while wiring. The positive and negative silkink of this interface is on the back of Robotbit. You can only input 5V or less into this port. If you have a higher voltage source you may need a LDO or DC-DC module to buck the voltage down.

KittenBot

KittenBot IOBIT V2.0 for micro:bit

IObit, IO refers to (input, output), IObit as seen from the name is mainly to serve as pin outputs. It’s suitable for some DIY enthusiasts hoping to use all of the IO ports.

This is a low-cost expansion board for Micro:bit, which is specifically used for the IO ports of Micro:bit. It has taken all the IO resources on the Micro:bit, and also has a buzzer on the board. It is connected to the P0 pin through the jumper cap. The P0 pin can be released using a jumper cap. The small size is very suitable for small projects using Micro:bit.

Shipping

IObit 2.0 X1

Features

  • Small size, very suitable for DIY
  • All IO ports are extracted
  • On-board buzzer-  you can directly use the music module in MakeCode to play music. At the same time, the 3.5mm audio connector on the board can be connected to audio equipment; such as, headphones to have more creative endeavors.
  • Two LEGO-compatible pin holes for easy assembly and integration
  • The 3PIN interface is distinguished by yellow, red, and black. It is created so that plugging it in the wrong way is difficult, and it is convenient to plug in the sensors.
  • It imitates the 5PIN gold fingers on the Micro:bit. This is convenient for makers who like to use the alligator clips.
  • Compared with IObit1.0, the biggest difference is that it can input and output 5V, support 5V sensor use, and increases the drive capacity (can drive multiple 9g small servos).
  • Includes 1A self-recovery fuse
  • Custom-designed silk screen board

Product parameters

Length x width x height: 57mmx44mmx12mm

Technical Parameters

  • Power supply mode: IobitV.2.0 supports USB5V power supply. This power supply mode requires pressing the blue power switch.
  • Working voltage: 3V-5V (5V sensor module is not supported under 3V power supply)
  • Output current: 3V and 5V power interface with maximum output 1A
  • Serial port extraction: serial port can map IO port
  • I2C port leads: pins 19 and 20 can only be used as I2C function pins. They cannot be read and written as ordinary IO ports, because Micro:bit bottom is dead.
  • Spi port leads; 14, 15 (IO port can be read and written).

Programming

MakeCode/KittenBlock (based on Scratch3.0) with hardware: Micro:bit.

Specifics

It is consistent with Micro:bit programming, because IObit does not have its own drive chip (except buzzer). The building block that is generally used with IObit is to operate the IO port. Many sensors on the market return a high and low voltage. Flat, or an analog value. For actuators, the microbit needs to output high and low level to control. People who are not familiar with this aspect can search Netease Cloud Classroom: Xiaoyan Technology and find the arduino tutorial, which explains how to use the commonly used sensors on the market, the principle is the same.

With common building blocks -> pin

Before using the building blocks, you must first understand the control method or reading method of the electronic module you are using.

Digital reading

Most newbies will fall out of here because they often ignore setup pull-ups or pull-downs during initialization. So the level state will fail after reading it once. Therefore, we must pay attention to this. Micro:bit itself does not help to set up and down by default, you need to set it yourself.  

Analog reading

In response to the analog reading, because the analog reading will return a value of 0-1023, it is always inconvenient to display it with a dot matrix screen. So here we take advantage of the unique serial port debugging function of the MakeCode offline version produced by Xiaoyan. First, download the program shown in the figure to open the serial port. In step 2, the console of the device will appear, you can see the data returned in real time.

Digital writing

Digital read here does not need to set up and down

Analog write

Simulated writing an example of a flashing light

The most commonly used IO port operation is one of these four types. After you master it, you should have no problem with the commonly used sensors on the market. Another thing to note is that the sensors on the market are 5v and 3.3V compatible. But some can only work in 5V. For example, the blue ultrasonic wave that Taobao sells can ordinarily only work in 5V. If IObit is connected, the number read back will always be 0, because the module is not working properly!

Introduction to IObit hardware:

5V power

Insert the USB power supply (5V 1A) as shown in Figure 1. Press the blue button at 2, and the red indicator light at 3 will light up. You can use the left 5V interface.  

P0 buzzer

Toggle switch to turn off the buzzer function (see the silk screen on the back of the board for status) 

3Pin IO port leads

All the pins in the Micro:bit have been taken out without any reservation (Note: there are no P17 and P18 on the Micro:bit, it’s not that the IObit is not taken out)
Yellow corresponds to the different IO pins
Red corresponds to 3.3V/5V (with silkscreen)
Black corresponds to GND

5PIN gold fingers

The gold fingers of the Micro:bit are used to draw 3v, gnd, P1, P2, and P3 respectively. This is for users who prefer to use alligator clips

40P Micro:bit horizontal socket

Compact size socket

Board mounting holes and fixing

The two outermost holes are approximately 4.8 mm in diameter and are compatible with Lego friction pins with a spacing of 48 mm.

3.5mm audio interface

You can plug in a 3.5mm jack audio device and play the sound of the P0 pin.

IObit programming use

If you haven’t gotten started with Micro:bit, first get started with Micro:bit, this is the operating premise.

Use music blocks directly in MakeCode to

P0 pin is

If you use P0, remember to turn the buzzer toggle switch off (because the buzzer is combined with P0)

  • When using the Micro:bit power supply, IObit IO port drive capability is very weak, IO port current is less than 200mA, please do not connect high current devices (such as large servo MG995, DC motor), otherwise it will burn out the Micro:bit , you must fully understand before using what the device current conditions needed
  • When using a 5V external power supply, you can drive multiple small servos, but please note that the maximum current is 1A!
  • If you use the high-low read function of the pin, you must set the pull-down on the pin.

  • If P0 is used as a normal IO port, the buzzer toggle switch must be turned off, otherwise the buzzer will sound or the IO read value will be abnormal.
  • Use the shared pin with the Micro:bit dot matrix (such as 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11), remember to disable the dot matrix screen on the software, otherwise it will be a bit of a screen burst
  • Do not use IO19, 20. 19 and 20 cannot be used as an IO port. Although the display on the MakeCode software can be used, it is actually not used! It can only be used for I2C communication
  • The USB port allows a maximum input current of 1A.
  • Do not place it on a metal surface to avoid short circuit
Hardware

Microcontroller – micro:bit

The micro:bit is a handheld, fully programmable computer with a lot of built-in features:

  • 25 red LED lights that can flash messages. The red lights are LEDs (light emitting diodes) and form a 5 x 5 grid. They can be set to on/off and the brightness can be controlled.

  • Buttons A & B are a form of input. They detect when the button is being pressed. When you press one of the buttons, it completes an electrical circuit. The micro:bit can detect either of its two buttons being pressed and un-pressed and these 2 programmable buttons can be used to control games or pause and skip songs on a playlist.

  • An accelerometer on the micro:bit that can detects changes in the micro:bit’s speed by converting analogue information into digital form. The micro:bit can also detect a small number of standard actions e.g. shake, tilt and free-fall.

  • A compass that can detect magnetic fields such as the Earth’s magnetic field. As such it is possible to detect the direction it is facing or moving in in degrees.

  • A Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) connection to interact with other devices and the Internet.

Hardware

Microcontroller – Arduino

The S4A Arduino is a handheld, fully programmable computer with a lot of features:

  • The S4A Arduino comes pre-soldered 14 pin connectors consisting of:
    8 digital input/output pins
    6 analog input/output pins

  • Pre-soldered Bluetooth 4pin connectors.

  • DC motor driver built in with 2 DC motor controller pins allowing for easy control of both speed and direction of the 2 DC motors individually.

  • Regulated 9V power supply.

  • Does not require any external shields.

  • Programming environment can be found online and has the ability for the students to toggle between blocks and codes within the web environment.

Hardware

Sensors & Outputs

List of some of the commonly used sensors & outputs

Making – Building Materials

We make use of our #Blokies design as building materials. #Blokies pieces are cardboard designs where students are able to customize and build their own structures easily.

Transport Vehicle Series

A vehicle is a machine that transports people or goods on land, at sea, in the air, or even in space. Vehicles include cars, trucks, ships and rockets.

Dimensions

Length

3.0m – 6.0m

Width

2.5m – 3.0m

Height

1.0m – 3.5m

Robot Series

Robots are man-made machines designed to perform work or other actions that are usually performed by humans, either automatically or remotely.

Dimensions

Length

2.0m – 3.5m

Width

1.5m – 2.5m

Height

2.5m – 3.0m

Maze Series

A maze is a collection of paths or paths, usually from an entrance to a target, designed as a puzzle through which you must find a path. The passages and walls in the maze are usually fixed and not easily changed.

Dimensions

Length

6.0m – 10.0m

Width

4.5m – 6.5m

Height

1.0m

Dinosaur Series

The dinosaur is a prehistoric lizard that ruled the earth for more than 150 million years. The word dinosaur means “a terrible lizard.” Some dinosaurs are ferocious hunters and carnivores, while others are peaceful herbivores.

Dimensions

Length

2.5m – 3.8m

Width

2.5m – 3.5m

Height

3.0m – 4.0m

Animal Series

Animals are classified into different categories according to their consumption; for example, carnivores are carnivores, herbivores are plant carnivores, and omnivores are meat and plant carnivores.

Dimensions

Length

2.5m – 3.8m

Width

2.5m – 3.5m

Height

3.0m – 4.0m

Have an enquiry? Get in touch with us now!

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