# Micro Bit
**The BBC micro:bit** is a pocket-sized, programmable computer designed to introduce school students to how software and hardware work together. It carries a 5x5 [LED display](https://www.edgepedia.org/led-display), two programmable buttons, motion and compass sensors, a radio and [Bluetooth](https://www.edgepedia.org/bluetooth) transceiver, and input/output pins on an edge connector, all of which can be programmed and physically interacted with.[1](https://support.microbit.org/support/solutions/articles/19000013983-what-is-a-micro-bit-) The board contains a microcontroller but also input and output devices like buttons and the LED display, making it more like a small computer than a bare microcontroller.[1](https://support.microbit.org/support/solutions/articles/19000013983-what-is-a-micro-bit-)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Origin | Created as part of the BBC's Make It Digital initiative, developed in partnership with 29 organizations[2](https://microbit.org/about/meet-the-team/) • [3](https://microbit.org/about/impact/case-studies/milestones-for-the-bbc-microbit/) |
| First deployment | From March 2016, 800,000 micro:bits were distributed to Year 7 students (aged 11-12) and non-formal education settings across the UK[2](https://microbit.org/about/meet-the-team/) |
| Custodian | The Micro:bit Educational Foundation, a not-for-profit independent of the BBC, was established in September 2016[2](https://microbit.org/about/meet-the-team/) |
| Current scale | An estimated 12 million micro:bits exist, having supported the education of around 73.5 million young people globally[2](https://microbit.org/about/meet-the-team/) |
| V2 hardware | Announced October 2020, available from November 2020; Nordic nRF52833 target MCU (64 MHz Cortex-M4F, 512 kB flash, 128 kB RAM), onboard speaker, MEMS microphone, touch-sensitive logo[4](https://support.microbit.org/support/solutions/articles/19000119052-details-of-micro-bit-v2) |
| Official editors | Microsoft MakeCode (blocks, JavaScript, MakeCode Python) and the micro:bit Python Editor (MicroPython), both browser-based[5](https://support.microbit.org/support/solutions/articles/19000106819-which-editors-can-i-use-with-the-micro-bit-) |
| Wireless | Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy on V1 revisions; Bluetooth 5 on V2.00 and later[6](https://microbit.org/compliance/) |
## History
The micro:bit descends from the BBC's tradition of educational computing. In the early 1980s the BBC's Computer Literacy Project produced the [BBC Micro](https://www.edgepedia.org/bbc-micro), built by [Acorn Computers](https://www.edgepedia.org/acorn-computers), which was present in about 80% of British schools and sold more than 1.5 million units of its Model A and Model B.[3](https://microbit.org/about/impact/case-studies/milestones-for-the-bbc-microbit/) In October 2013 the BBC's director general Tony Hall announced plans to "bring coding into every home, business and school in the UK", thirty years after the BBC Micro's launch.[3](https://microbit.org/about/impact/case-studies/milestones-for-the-bbc-microbit/)
**Make It Digital.** In March 2015 the BBC launched Make It Digital, a UK-wide initiative responding to a projected shortage of 1.4 million digital professionals over the following five years.[3](https://microbit.org/about/impact/case-studies/milestones-for-the-bbc-microbit/) The BBC invited 29 partner organizations, including ARM, Microsoft, Samsung, The Wellcome Trust, and [Lancaster University](https://www.edgepedia.org/lancaster-university), to contribute hardware, software, teaching materials, distribution, and funding; partners contributed their own resources rather than being paid from public money.[7](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/uploads/prod/2020/03/the-BBC-microbit-from-the-UK-to-the-world.pdf)
In March 2016, 800,000 devices were delivered into UK schools, one for every Year 7 (11-12 year old) child in the UK, with Year 8 students in [Northern Ireland](https://www.edgepedia.org/northern-ireland) and S1 students in Scotland also receiving them.[7](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/uploads/prod/2020/03/the-BBC-microbit-from-the-UK-to-the-world.pdf) • [3](https://microbit.org/about/impact/case-studies/milestones-for-the-bbc-microbit/) During its first half year, the site drew roughly 13 million visits, the online simulator was run 10 million times, and two million programs were downloaded onto a micro:bit.[7](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/uploads/prod/2020/03/the-BBC-microbit-from-the-UK-to-the-world.pdf) In September 2016 the Micro:bit Educational Foundation, a not-for-profit organization independent of the BBC, was established to continue the project internationally.[3](https://microbit.org/about/impact/case-studies/milestones-for-the-bbc-microbit/) It is funded through a small royalty on every micro:bit sold and by corporate sponsorship.[7](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/uploads/prod/2020/03/the-BBC-microbit-from-the-UK-to-the-world.pdf)
## Hardware
All micro:bits share a 5x5 matrix of 25 red LEDs that can flash messages and run games, two programmable buttons, an accelerometer, a built-in compass, a radio and Bluetooth transmitter and receiver, and a range of input and output pins on an edge connector.[1](https://support.microbit.org/support/solutions/articles/19000013983-what-is-a-micro-bit-) The edge connector has 25 strips or pins, including 5 rings sized for 4 mm banana plugs or crocodile clips; three of these rings are general-purpose input/output capable of analog, PWM, and touch sensing, and two are connected to the power supply.[8](https://tech.microbit.org/hardware/edge-connector/)
**V1.** The original board's application processor is a Nordic nRF51822-QFAA-R, an Arm Cortex-M0 32-bit core with 256 KB of flash ROM and 16 KB of RAM running at 16 MHz.[9](https://tech.microbit.org/hardware/1-3-revision/) A second chip, the interface processor (a Freescale MKL26Z128VFM4 on V1.5), manages the USB connection and the drag-and-drop code-flashing process.[10](https://tech.microbit.org/hardware/1-5-revision/) The V1.5 board carries a combined accelerometer and magnetometer, with footprints for either an ST LSM303AGR or an NXP FXOS8700CQ.[10](https://tech.microbit.org/hardware/1-5-revision/)
**V2.** Announced in October 2020 and available from November 2020, the V2 adds an onboard speaker, a [MEMS microphone](https://www.edgepedia.org/mems-microphone) with an LED indicator, a touch-sensitive logo, a built-in sleep/off mode, and a discrete regulator that can supply up to 190 mA of current to external accessories.[4](https://support.microbit.org/support/solutions/articles/19000119052-details-of-micro-bit-v2) • [11](https://microbit.org/news/2020-10-13/meet-the-new-bbc-microbit/) Its target MCU is a [Nordic Semiconductor](https://www.edgepedia.org/nordic-semiconductor) nRF52833, a 64 MHz Cortex-M4F with 512 kB flash and 128 kB RAM, paired with an NXP KL27 interface MCU.[4](https://support.microbit.org/support/solutions/articles/19000119052-details-of-micro-bit-v2) The added CPU power was intended to let the board run AI and machine learning workloads in schools.[12](https://tech.microbit.org/latest-revision/announcement/) Refinements include a notched edge connector for easier attachment of crocodile clips and conductive thread, a power LED, and a gold-plated antenna.[4](https://support.microbit.org/support/solutions/articles/19000119052-details-of-micro-bit-v2) [A minor](https://www.edgepedia.org/a-minor) revision, V2.2, replaced the interface processor during the global chip supply disruption, with no change to features or user experience.[13](https://support.microbit.org/support/solutions/articles/19000132336-bbc-micro-bit-v2-interface-processor-change-v2-2-)
A practical way to tell the generations apart is the edge connector: a V1 is flat along the bottom edge and a V2 is notched.[14](https://support.microbit.org/support/solutions/articles/19000154234-which-version-of-micro-bit-do-i-have-)
## Programming
There are two official editors, both browser-based and working on Windows, Mac, Chrome OS and Linux without software installation.[5](https://support.microbit.org/support/solutions/articles/19000106819-which-editors-can-i-use-with-the-micro-bit-)
**MakeCode.** Microsoft's MakeCode editor programs the micro:bit with drag-and-drop blocks, [JavaScript](https://www.edgepedia.org/javascript), and MakeCode Python; the color-coded blocks are familiar to Scratch users, and users can switch to JavaScript to see the text-based code behind the blocks.[5](https://support.microbit.org/support/solutions/articles/19000106819-which-editors-can-i-use-with-the-micro-bit-) • [15](https://www.microbit.org/code-ai/) MakeCode is an in-browser compiler written in [TypeScript](https://www.edgepedia.org/typescript): it compiles only the user's script, and a pre-compiled runtime image is concatenated with it before download.[16](https://tech.microbit.org/software/) MakeCode Python, introduced in the June 2020 release, is a stand-alone version of Python that is not compatible with other Python editors.[17](https://microbit.org/news/2020-06-15/makecode-2020-is-live/)
**Python.** The micro:bit Python Editor is a free, open source, browser-based environment for creating [MicroPython](https://www.edgepedia.org/micropython) projects; MicroPython is a slimmed-down version of Python designed to run on microcontrollers.[18](https://tech.microbit.org/software/python-editor/) • [5](https://support.microbit.org/support/solutions/articles/19000106819-which-editors-can-i-use-with-the-micro-bit-) The editor is designed for beginners to text-based coding, with a left sidebar of [Reference](https://www.edgepedia.org/reference), Ideas, and API menus, an edit window, and a simulator for testing code before flashing it to a device.[19](https://support.microbit.org/support/solutions/articles/19000135210) The MicroPython API does not work in the MakeCode editor, which uses a different version of Python.[20](https://microbit-micropython.readthedocs.io/_/downloads/en/stable/pdf/)
Both core editors work offline once initially loaded, on Windows, macOS, ChromeOS, and Linux.[21](https://www.microbit.org/get-started/user-guide/offline/) Beyond the official editors, a community ecosystem supports programming in Python, C++, and other languages, including EduBlocks, Mu, Strype, App Inventor, the [Arduino IDE](https://www.edgepedia.org/arduino-ide), GNAT (Ada), MicroBlocks, and mBlock 5; these are not officially supported by the Foundation.[15](https://www.microbit.org/code-ai/) Under the editors, the C/C++ runtime (DAL/CODAL) written by Lancaster University abstracts the device's facilities into functions usable by all coding languages.[16](https://tech.microbit.org/software/)
Programs are typically written on a host computer and transferred to the micro:bit over USB; the board actually contains two chips, one running DAPLink firmware to facilitate flashing and one running the user's code.[16](https://tech.microbit.org/software/) Editors and apps support a "universal hex" format that can be flashed to any board revision, identifiable by its larger file size of about 1.8 MB versus about 700 KB.[4](https://support.microbit.org/support/solutions/articles/19000119052-details-of-micro-bit-v2)
## Reach and educational research
By October 2018 the two millionth micro:bit had been manufactured, with the device available in more than 50 countries and national projects under way in Canada, Croatia, Denmark, Hong Kong, Iceland, Singapore, and Uruguay.[3](https://microbit.org/about/impact/case-studies/milestones-for-the-bbc-microbit/) The Foundation's stated goal is to reach more than 100 million children worldwide.[3](https://microbit.org/about/impact/case-studies/milestones-for-the-bbc-microbit/)
**Survey findings.** In the first year of the UK project, 90% of the 11- and 12-year-olds who received micro:bits said it helped show them that anyone can code, and 88% said it helped them see that coding was not as difficult as they thought; among teachers, 85% said the micro:bit had made ICT/Computer Science more enjoyable for their students.[3](https://microbit.org/about/impact/case-studies/milestones-for-the-bbc-microbit/) A 2018 Lancaster University study of 40 UK secondary schools found the device was used most frequently with 11-14 year olds, commonly in group work and project work within computing, technology, and science lessons.[22](https://www.microbit.org/about/impact/research/)
Independent evaluation of the two-year "micro:bit - the next gen" rollout to UK primary schools by Platypus Research (2025) reported that 87% of teachers who recalled the training resources agreed the micro:bit had increased their confidence in teaching computing, 79% of teachers had seen other skills such as logical reasoning and communication improve, and 81% of girls taught with the micro:bit agreed they would like a job linked to coding, compared with 37% of those who had not.[22](https://www.microbit.org/about/impact/research/) In a United States pilot in [Los Angeles County](https://www.edgepedia.org/los-angeles-county) evaluated by the Texas Advanced Computing Center with Google.org funding, 90% of participating schools were Title 1 schools serving economically disadvantaged students, and 95% of teachers agreed the training had increased their confidence in teaching computer science.[22](https://www.microbit.org/about/impact/research/) Classroom studies combining block-based programming with micro:bit physical computing, such as an Austrian design-research study with grade 3 and 4 students (ages 8-10), found the combination a promising approach for promoting computational thinking in lower school grades.[23](https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.875382/full)
## References
1. [What is a micro:bit?, micro:bit Help & Support](https://support.microbit.org/support/solutions/articles/19000013983-what-is-a-micro-bit-)
2. [Meet the team, micro:bit Educational Foundation](https://microbit.org/about/meet-the-team/)
3. [Milestones for the BBC micro:bit, micro:bit Educational Foundation](https://microbit.org/about/impact/case-studies/milestones-for-the-bbc-microbit/)
4. [The new micro:bit V2, micro:bit Help & Support](https://support.microbit.org/support/solutions/articles/19000119052-details-of-micro-bit-v2)
5. [Which editors can I use with the micro:bit?, micro:bit Help & Support](https://support.microbit.org/support/solutions/articles/19000106819-which-editors-can-i-use-with-the-micro-bit-)
6. [Compliance, micro:bit Educational Foundation](https://microbit.org/compliance/)
7. [The BBC micro:bit: from the UK to the world, Communications of the ACM (Microsoft Research)](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/uploads/prod/2020/03/the-BBC-microbit-from-the-UK-to-the-world.pdf)
8. [Edge connector and pinout, micro:bit developer site](https://tech.microbit.org/hardware/edge-connector/)
9. [1.3x micro:bit revision, micro:bit developer site](https://tech.microbit.org/hardware/1-3-revision/)
10. [1.5 micro:bit revision, micro:bit developer site](https://tech.microbit.org/hardware/1-5-revision/)
11. [New BBC micro:bit announced, micro:bit Educational Foundation (13 October 2020)](https://microbit.org/news/2020-10-13/meet-the-new-bbc-microbit/)
12. [Working together on the latest BBC micro:bit, micro:bit developer site](https://tech.microbit.org/latest-revision/announcement/)
13. [BBC micro:bit V2 interface processor change (V2.2), micro:bit Help & Support](https://support.microbit.org/support/solutions/articles/19000132336-bbc-micro-bit-v2-interface-processor-change-v2-2-)
14. [Which version of micro:bit do I have?, micro:bit Help & Support](https://support.microbit.org/support/solutions/articles/19000154234-which-version-of-micro-bit-do-i-have-)
15. [Code & AI, micro:bit Educational Foundation](https://www.microbit.org/code-ai/)
16. [micro:bit software, micro:bit developer site](https://tech.microbit.org/software/)
17. [MakeCode 2020 is live, micro:bit Educational Foundation (15 June 2020)](https://microbit.org/news/2020-06-15/makecode-2020-is-live/)
18. [Python Editor, micro:bit developer site](https://tech.microbit.org/software/python-editor/)
19. [micro:bit Python Editor guide, micro:bit Help & Support](https://support.microbit.org/support/solutions/articles/19000135210)
20. [BBC micro:bit MicroPython Documentation](https://microbit-micropython.readthedocs.io/_/downloads/en/stable/pdf/)
21. [Offline, micro:bit user guide](https://www.microbit.org/get-started/user-guide/offline/)
22. [Research, micro:bit Educational Foundation](https://www.microbit.org/about/impact/research/)
23. [Kastner-Hauler et al. (2022), Combined Effects of Block-Based Programming and Physical Computing on Primary Students' Computational Thinking Skills, Frontiers in Psychology](https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.875382/full)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Technology and the built world › Computing and digital systems › Computer hardware › Embedded & soft processors › Embedded systems › Single-board computers and embedded computing modules*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 15, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 15, 2026 · Last review: Oct 15, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license