Connect littleBits components directly to your PC or Pi

Bits and Pieces

© Lead Image © Eduard Peter, 123RF.com

© Lead Image © Eduard Peter, 123RF.com

Article from Issue 217/2018
Author(s):

Communicate with your littleBits sensors and devices through Python programs.

The littleBits platform [1] comprises easy-to-use electronic building blocks designed for use in schools and libraries to teach kids about electric circuits; littleBits snap together with magnets, so no soldering is needed.

I purchased a couple of littleBits kits for my kids, and they built some amazing projects; unfortunately, they grew out of it faster than I expected. However, adding some Python programming to their littleBits projects opened up a lot of new possibilities.

In this article, I look at three ways you can use Python to communicate with littleBits. In the first method, I look at directly connecting littleBits to Raspberry Pis. In the second method, I use serial/USB connections. In the third method, I add an Internet connection.

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