Solar experimenters Kit for BBC micro:bit

Solar farming. Learn how to harvest and then store energy from the sun with the MonkMakes Solar Experimenters Kit for micro:bit.

With the Solar Experimenters Kit, you will use a practical and experiment-led approach to learn how small amounts of energy can be harvested from the sun, converted to electrical energy and then be stored for later use. Connect the kit to a micro:bit with the included alligator clips and work through the 6 experiments, learning as you go.

The kit is supplied with a; Solar Store board, Solar Panel, bulb, motor with fan, set of alligator clip leads, and a full-colour instruction booklet. First, the booklet gets you set up and acquainted with the parts, then it guides you through your solar farming learning adventure.

There are 6 practical experiments included in the Instruction booklet, designed to be worked through in order. The first three experiments are very basic and are designed to get you familiar with the harvesting concepts and the features of the kit. Once you have a solid grasp of the basics, the final three experiments are more challenging and involved. 

The hub of the kit is the Solar Store board. The micro:bit, solar panel, and connected device (bulb, motor) all connect to the Solar Store board. The connections on the board are as follows;

• Charge% (output) – stored charge indicator. A voltage between 0V and 3V that can be connected to a micro:bit pin.
• Level (output) – stored charge (raw). A voltage between 0V and 5V that can be looped directly to the enable pin, to auto-enable when charged. Note: Do not connect to micro:bit
• Enable (input) – enables the power output, so that any stored energy can be used by the attached device.
• Power (input) – provides power to the Solar Store board, primarily so that the Charge% output works. Connect 3V and GND to micro:bit.
• Solar Power (input) – connect this to your Solar Panel to harvest energy, which is stored in the Solar Store. Accepts a voltage up to 10V. Make sure that + goes to the + on the Solar Panel, and - goes to the - on the Solar Panel.
• Power (output) – connect your attached device here. This output is only enabled when the Enable pin is active and there is sufficient stored energy in the Solar Store. The LED (D3) will light when there is enough stored energy.
• Power LED – indicates that power is provided to the Solar Store and the Charge% indicator connection to the micro:bit is working.

As the kit is supplied as a single boxed unit it is also the perfect choice for anyone who wishes to learn about measuring air quality at home.

Note:

• micro:bit is not included. A micro:bit can be obtained separately here.
• No soldering is required. All connections are made via convenient alligator clip leads.

Features:

• Learn how to harvest and then store energy from the sun with the MonkMakes Solar Experimenters Kit for micro:bit.
• Work through the 6 practical experiments and learn as you go. The experiments included in the booklet are;
• Project 1 – Sun Finder.
• Project 2 – Garden Light.
• Project 3 – Self Charging Cooling Fan.
• Project 4 – Adding an Energy Meter.
• Project 5 – Energy Logger.
• Project 6 – Intelligent Cooling Fan.
• All connections are made via the supplied convenient alligator clip leads.
• No soldering is required.
• The kit is supplied with a full-colour instruction booklet packed full of useful information.
• This kit is supplied with everything you need in order to learn about solar farming in a hands-on way. Just add micro:bit and go!
• This add-on will make the perfect gift for any micro:bit user.
• This kit works with micro:bit V1 & V2.
• Coding examples for MakeCode & MicroPython.

Contents:

• 1 x Solar Panel.
• 1 x Solar Store board.
• 1 x Bulb.
• 1 x Motor.
• 1 x Propeller (Fan).
• 1 x Set of Alligator Clip Leads.

Requires:

• A BBC micro:bit.
• USB Data Cable.
• A computer (PC, Mac, Linux/Raspberry Pi) with internet access and browser.