Chapter 2 · Book pp. 17–24
The AX-microBIT+ Board
AX-microBIT+ บอร์ดทดลองสำหรับ Micro:bit
The Micro:bit’s pins are small and hard to reach. The AX-microBIT+, designed in Thailand by INEX, is an activity board that brings them out to easy connectors, so you can plug in lights, sensors and motors without soldering.
2.1 What the board offers คุณสมบัติของ AX-microBIT+
📦 Don’t have this board?
You can still do most of this course. Use the simulators on these pages, or connect parts to the Micro:bit’s own gold holes with crocodile clips.
2.2 Fit it and power it การใช้งานเบื้องต้น
🧪 Lab 2.1 · Set up the board
- Push the Micro:bit firmly into the 80-pin socket with the LEDs facing up. The kit’s adapter board lets it stand upright or lie flat.
- Choose one power source from the table below.
- Check that the ON LED lights.
| Power source | How it reaches the board |
|---|---|
| USB on the Micro:bit, from a computer, power bank or USB charger | 5 V enters the Micro:bit, which makes 3.3 V and passes it to the activity board. |
| +5 V adapter in the barrel jack | The activity board makes 3.3 V. A diode stops power flowing backwards, which leaves about 3 V for the circuit. |
⚠️ Servos need the adapter
Servo power comes from the board’s +5 V input, so use the barrel jack. A servo can draw more current than a computer’s USB port gives.
2.3 Ports 0, 1 and 2 การใช้งานพอร์ต 0, 1 และ 2
The three main pins each go to several places on the board.
| Pin | 4 mm hole | JST socket | IDC header | Also connected to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| P0 | Yes | 0/AN0 | Yes | The speaker, when the jumper is on PIEZO |
| P1 | Yes | 1/AN1 | Yes | Nothing else, so it is free for sensors |
| P2 | Yes | No | Yes | The knob |
2.4–2.7 Buttons, servos and headers
2.4 Buttons A and B
The board’s two large buttons do the same job as the Micro:bit’s own A and B. They also reach the IDC header as P5 (A) and P11 (B).
2.5 The 4 mm contacts
Use crocodile clips on the gold contacts to send a signal to, or read one from, a circuit.
2.6 Servo connectors
There are two, on P8 and P12. Use small to medium servos rated at 4.8–6 V, such as an MG90, a 9 kg DS3109, or a 360° continuous type.
2.7 IDC headers
Every pin is available along the bottom edge, with the pin numbers printed beside it. Use jumper wires to reach a breadboard.
Chapter summary
- The AX-microBIT+ brings the Micro:bit’s pins out to easy connectors.
- Power it by USB on the Micro:bit, or +5 V through the barrel jack.
- The P0 jumper picks the speaker (PIEZO) or free use (Port0).
- The knob is on P2. Servos are on P8 and P12.
- JST sockets are for INEX parts, and IDC headers carry every pin.
🛠️ Activity · Board treasure hunt
- With your partner, find each part from the diagram on a real board.
- Find where the P0 jumper is, and move it to PIEZO.
- Say which connector you would use for: a light sensor, a servo, a crocodile clip, a wire to a breadboard.
Check yourself
The book has no end-of-chapter questions, so these are my own, based on its pages.