Introduction¶

The micro:bit runtime provides an easy to use environment for programming the BBC micro:bit in the C/C++ language, written by Lancaster University. It contains device drivers for all the hardware capabilities of the micro:bit, and also a suite of runtime mechanisms to make programming the micro:bit easier and more flexible. These range from control of the LED matrix display to peer-to-peer radio communication and secure Bluetooth Low Energy services. The micro:bit runtime is proudly built on the ARM mbed and Nordic nrf51 platforms.

In addition to supporting development in C/C++, the runtime is also designed specifically to support higher level languages provided by our partners that target the micro:bit. It is currently used as a support library for all the languages on the BBC www.microbit.co.uk website, including the Microsoft Block Editor, Microsoft Touch Develop, Code Kingdom's JavaScript and Micropython languages.

On these pages you will find guidance on how to start using the runtime in C/C++, summaries of all the components that make up the system and a full set of API documentation (the functions you can use to control the micro:bit).

Just to show how easy it is to get started, view a sample program.

Getting Started¶

Developing with the micro:bit runtime is simple, and there are multiple ways to create programs for your device.

Next Steps¶

After you've chosen your development environment, the next step is obvious: PROGRAM!

Here is some sample code to get you started:

#include "MicroBit.h"

MicroBit uBit;

int main()
{
    uBit.init();

    uBit.display.scroll("HELLO WORLD!");

    release_fiber();
}

What is uBit?¶

uBit is an instance of the MicroBit class which provides a really simple way to interact with the various components on the micro:bit itself.

This simplicity can be seen with this line of code:

uBit.display.scroll("HELLO WORLD!");

This line scrolls the text HELLO WORLD! across the micro:bit's display.

Initialisation¶

In the above example, there is a line used to initialise the uBit object:

uBit.init();

In this call the scheduler, memory allocator and Bluetooth stack are initialised.

What is a fiber and why do we release it?¶

Fibers are lightweight threads used by the runtime to perform operations asynchronously.

The function call release_fiber(); is recommended at the end of main to release the main fiber, and enter the scheduler indefinitely as you may have other fibers running elsewhere in the code. It also means that the processor will enter a power efficient sleep if there are no other processes running.

If this line is omitted, your program will cease all execution.