136 lines
5.5 KiB
Markdown
136 lines
5.5 KiB
Markdown
# Run Scripts on your micro:bit
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How to compile, transfer, and run a script on your micro:bit.
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While you're writing and testing your scripts, you'll mostly be running scripts in your browser by clicking the `PLay` button
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(see [run code in your browser](/device/simulator) for info about this).
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Once your masterpiece is complete, you can compile your script and run it on your micro:bit.
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## Requirements
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You need the following things to transfer and run a script on your micro:bit:
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* A-Male to Micro USB cable to connect your computer to your micro:bit. This is the same cable that is commonly used to connect a smart phone to a computer.
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* a PC running Windows 7 of later, or a Mac running OS X 10.6 or later
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* access to the Internet
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## Step 1: Connect your micro:bit to your computer
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First, connect the micro:bit:
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1. Connect the small end of the USB cable to the micro USB port on your micro:bit.
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2. Connect the other end of the USB cable to a USB port on your computer.
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Your computer should recognise your micro:bit as a new drive. On computers running Windows, MICROBIT appears as a drive under Devices and drives. On a Mac it appears as a new drive under Devices.
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Windows
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![](/static/mb/device/usb-0.jpg)
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Mac
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![](/static/mb/device/usb-osx-device.png)
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## Step 2: Compile your script
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Next, compile your script:
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1. Sign in to Touch Develop on your computer.
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2. Open your script (find the script in **My Scripts** and click `Edit`).
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3. Click **Download**. Your script is converted into a hex file that you can transfer and run on your micro:bit.
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4. When prompted, choose to save the compiled file on your computer (or anywhere other than the micro:bit). Depending on which browser you are using, the download will adopt the download behaviour of that particular browser.
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### Windows
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** Chrome**
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Your .hex file appears as a download at the bottom of the browser. Open up your windows file explorer. Your micro:bit appears as a drive called MICROBIT.
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**Right click** on the download and select **show in folder**. Drag and drop the hex file from the download folder onto the MICROBIT drive.
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Alternatively, you can drag and drop the downloaded hex file from the bottom of the browser onto the file explorer and onto the MICROBIT drive.
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![](/static/mb/device/usb-1.jpg)
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**Firefox**
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A dialogue box will appear, asking whether you would like to open or save your hex file. Select **Save**, then **OK** and the file will appear in your downloads in the top right of your browser. Select the **blue arrow**, select the relevant file and drag and drop it onto your Windows Explorer and onto your MICROBIT drive.
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![](/static/mb/device/usb-2.jpg)
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![](/static/mb/device/usb-3.jpg)
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**IE10**
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Click on **Download**. You will see a message “Do you want to save this .hex file.” Select **Save**.
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### Mac
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** Safari**
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When you select **Download** in Safari a file called `Unknown` will be
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downloaded into your Downloads folder. Open your Downloads folder and drag and
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drop the file onto your `MICROBIT` drive, under Devices:
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![](/static/mb/device/usb-4.png)
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**Firefox**
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A dialogue box will appear, asking whether you would like to open or save your hex file. Select **Save** and **OK** and the file will then appear in your downloads in the top right of your browser. Click on **Show in Finder** and the file will appear in your downloads folder. Select the file and drag and drop it onto your MICROBIT drive.
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![](/static/mb/device/usb-5.jpg)
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![](/static/mb/device/usb-6.jpg)
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**Chrome**
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When you select **Download** in Chrome, the file will be downloaded to the bottom of the browser in .hex format. Click on the small arrow and select **Show in Finder**. This will show the file in your download folder. Drag and drop the file onto your MICROBIT drive.
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![](/static/mb/device/usb-7.jpg)
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## Step 3: Transfer the file to your micro:bit
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1. The file will transfer onto your micro:bit.
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2. If you're using Windows, you can use **Send to** as described below.
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3. The LED on the back of your micro:bit flashes during the transfer (which should only take a few seconds).
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4. Once transferred, the code will run automatically on your micro:bit. To rerun your program, press the reset button on the back of your micro:bit. The reset button automatically runs the newest file on the micro:bit.
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**Send to**: If you're using Windows you use *Send to* in File Explorer:
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- In File Explorer, right-click on the hex file (created in Step 2 above), choose **Send to**, and then **MICROBIT**.
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![](/static/mb/device/usb-8.jpg)
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By copying the script onto the 'MICROBIT' drive, you have programmed it into the flash memory on the micro:bit, which means even after you unplug the micro:bit, your script will still run if the micro:bit is powered by battery.
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## Troubleshooting
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You can’t drag and drop more than one hex file at once onto your micro:bit. If you try to drag and drop a second hex file onto your micro:bit before the first file has finished downloading, then the second file may fail in different ways.
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When the first program has been written to the micro:bit, the drive will disengage. If you drag and drop a second file at this point it may not find the drive and the second write will fail.
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The errors may look like this:
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**Windows**
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![](/static/mb/device/usb-9.jpg)
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**Mac**
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![](/static/mb/device/usb-10.png)
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Or it may appear that there are two hex files on your micro:bit so the micro:bit won’t be able to run multiple files. To rectify this, unplug your micro:bit and plug it in again. Make sure that your micro:bit appears as MICROBIT and not MAINTENANCE.
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### See also
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[Run code in a browser](/device/simulator)
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