Hummingbird and micro:bit:
The computer control/robotics kits use Bluetooth BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) connectivity. The laptops or desktop computers in use must be equipped with Bluetooth. Version 4 and 5 have been tested and work well with micro:bit controllers.
TESTING:
Assembly the Hummingbird controller by inserting the micro:bit and battery box with AA batteries installed.
Plug the battery pack in and turn on. The micro:bit display will flash a 7 character sequential code.
Power up a Bluetooth equipped computer.
Click on the Birdbrain Connector link to start the Pairing process
This page will open
PLEASE NOTE: WHEN SNAP OPENS, YOU MUST TURN ON JAVASCRIPT EXTENSIONS TO CONNECT!
Once JavaScript is enabled, and the micro:bit is flashing a 7-character code, press the spacebar.
You should see a screen that displays a 7-digit code (if there are a lot of Hummingbird boards in use, you will see multiple codes). The list displays in signal strength order, so usually the top code will be the nearby micro:bit (the code also will match the sequential code being displayed in the micro:bit).
Click on the Pair button to link your micro:bit to your laptop.
When you click on Pair, you will hear a chime letting you know that your micro:bit is connected to the computer, and the digit display will turn off.
You will also see several new palettes …
You are now ready to program the Hummingbird board and control connected devices.
If, however, you see the following message, you will need to check that Bluetooth is turned on and working.
If you see the above screen, try another computer. If that computer also fails to connect, you will need to work with your district technology team to check if Bluetooth BLE is enabled on classroom computers. If it isn’t enabled, the Hummingbird boards will not function, since Bluetooth is needed on all
ExCITE student and teacher computers.
In the event that the Technology Team are still having difficulties, please contact the ExCITE team by email.
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grants Nos. CNS 1923552, 2318343. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
Copyright ©2025 - All rights reserved
