Micro:bit IoT In C Paperback – August 15, 2016

This is a great book for low-level (think hardware register level) developers using BBC Micro:bit computers. I really thank the author. Harry Fairhead, for writing on this subject since it is so poorly documented. Harry is a hardware engineer and much of the code he wrote for the book uses electronic focused notation. My only complaint was the intro on setting up the environment for yotta was confusing. He also doesn't explain the software layering between the mbed operating system, the landcaster university micro device abstraction layer (DAL) and the Python and Javascript libraries. I spent weeks going through the micro DAL code to understand the object model for the I2C bus to the accelerometer (Mr. Fairhead covers the magnetometer code in the book, I am using a current generation micro:bit which uses the poorly documented LMS303 part which is both an accelerometer and a magnometer. I gave this book 4 stars because I was unable to find out how to contact the author with several questions. It's a very inspiring book for beginning embedded C developer using the micro:bit.

This book is ideally suited for those with C/C++ development experience and a nominal understanding of electronics. This book explains how to set up a micro:bit development environment to build C/C++ based programs using either the MBed online tools or offline development using yotta and Netbeans. I settled on yotta as it provides full access to the micro:bit functionality. The book explains just enough theory and practical details to successfully understand how the micro:bit works, it's constraints and how to maximize it's performance. This is also a great way to expand your knowledge of electronics, embedded programming and IoT. There are some typos, but they do not substantially detract from the information presented. I would also like to have seen coverage of BLE as that is one of my primary interests with the micro:bit. But the material presented is very clear and useful.

This book is written for those like me who think that C is the best language for writing small embedded systems which extract the maximun performance out of the microcontroller concerned. Harry Fairhead assumes we have used C on other devices and concentrates on showing the reader how to make the transition to the Micro:bit, The book is a masterpiece of clarity and provides step-by-step instructions at every stage starting with setting up a suitable (free!) development environment, the choice of online or offline being left to the reader. This leads on to a sequence of mini-projects exploring the Microbit's GPIO pins; also the LED array and analog output. Where relevant, thumbnail circuit diagrams are provided as well as C code. Subsequent chapters provide further well illustrated mini-projects which demonstrate the various extra hardware features which have been shoehorned into the Microbit, including I2C, the on-board magnetometer, and SPI. There are also some mini-projects necessitating the purchase of inexpensive universally available peripheral devices such as the MCP3008 which is ised for multi-channel analog input. Even WIFI is covered. .And there is a return to the LED array to demonstrate grey scale. So why not 5 stars? Well in my opinion there is one big omission: single channel analog input using the Microbit's own on-board GPIO is mentioned briefly but otherwise skipped over in favour of the detailed description of how to connect and use the MCP3008. I would very much like to have seen both techniques.

Thanks

Perfect for the experienced. For beginners buy ‘The Official BBC Micro:Bit User Guide’.

If you want to do the serious stuff, get this book.

Wer den Micro:Bit zumindest schon mit Javascript programmiert hat, kann mit diesem Buch nahtlos tiefer in die Materie einsteigen. C++ wird kurz dargestellt und auch die API in mbed wird nur kurz erläutert.Mehr Zeit lässt sich das Buch für die Tücken der PWM, die schon ein ganzes Stück aufgebohrt wird. Auch die Protokolle I2c, SPI, serielle Schnittstelle und OneWire werden besprochen.Am Ende kommt auch der ESP8266 nicht zu kurz. Alle diese Themen werden so besprochen, dass der Leser sich von den Einschränkungen jeder API befreien kann. Er wird quasi vom Datenblatt bis zum flashen auf den Micro:Bit begleitet.Das Buch ist jede Cent wert.