The BBC micro:bit v2 has a built-in LED display, buttons, light sensor, thermometer and compass so no wiring is needed for a first program. It supports MakeCode block coding and MicroPython, making it one of the most versatile school coding boards available.
Hand a learner a bare circuit board and they need wires, sensors, and a fair amount of patience before anything happens on screen. Hand them a BBC micro:bit and they can write a program that scrolls their name across a glowing grid in about two minutes, no wiring at all. That is the whole idea behind the pocket-sized board that schools around the world reach for first.
The BBC micro:bit v2 is a credit-card-sized coding board with a 5x5 LED display, two buttons, and a stack of built-in sensors, so a beginner runs their first program with zero wiring. It costs roughly R400 to R700 in South Africa, supports drag-and-drop MakeCode and MicroPython, and suits learners from about age 8 upward.
The micro:bit packs everything onto one small board so there is nothing to assemble before you start. The front carries a 5x5 grid of 25 red LEDs and two programmable buttons, A and B. Behind them sits a Nordic nRF52833 processor, an Arm Cortex-M4 running at 64MHz with 128KB of RAM and 512KB of flash. That chip also handles Bluetooth, so the board can talk wirelessly to a phone or another micro:bit.
The sensor list is the part that makes wiring optional. There is an accelerometer for detecting movement, tilt, and shake gestures, a compass, a light sensor, and a temperature reading. The v2 added a built-in microphone, a small speaker, and a touch-sensitive logo. That means a learner can build a step counter, a noise meter, or a simple thermometer using only what is already on the board.
There are two main paths, and the board grows with the learner. The first is MakeCode, a free browser editor where you snap together colour-coded blocks like puzzle pieces. Drag a "show string" block, type a word, and the board displays it. No syntax to memorise, no semicolons to forget. It is built for absolute beginners and works on any computer or Chromebook.
The second path is MicroPython, a cut-down version of Python that runs on the board itself. When a learner outgrows blocks and wants to write real code, they switch to the Python editor and use the same sensors through text commands. The progression from blocks to Python on identical hardware is exactly why classrooms like it. You can read more about the wider learning-and-electronics category in the smart home and maker boards section if you are kitting out a classroom or a home setup.
The micro:bit is aimed squarely at younger learners and complete beginners, roughly age 8 and up, and at teachers who want results in a single lesson rather than a term of soldering. Because the sensors are onboard, the first projects feel immediate and rewarding, which keeps motivation high. For an older student who wants to wire up real circuits and learn electronics from the resistor up, a more open board is a better fit, but as a first step into coding the micro:bit is hard to beat.
To extend it, an edge connector breaks the board's pins out for crocodile clips and add-on boards, so the same micro:bit can later drive motors, extra LEDs, and external sensors. A handful of clips and connectors from the accessories best sellers turn a single board into a small workshop.
It works well from around age 8 and up. The block-based MakeCode editor is simple enough for primary learners, while the move to MicroPython gives high-school students a real coding challenge on the same hardware.
No. The v2 has its LED display, buttons, sensors, microphone, and speaker built in, so the first projects need only the board and a USB cable. You add parts later only when you want to control external things like motors.
The v2 added a microphone, a speaker, a touch-sensitive logo, and a faster processor with more memory. The core display, buttons, and motion sensing are shared, but the v2 can respond to sound and play tones the v1 cannot.
Yes. The onboard Bluetooth lets it pair with a phone, tablet, or another micro:bit, so two boards can send messages to each other wirelessly without any extra hardware.
Getting a young coder started? Browse the maker and coding boards at Evetech to find a micro:bit and the clips and add-ons that grow with their projects.
It works well from around age 8 and up. The block-based MakeCode editor is simple enough for primary learners, while the move to MicroPython gives high-school students a real coding challenge on the same hardware.
No. The v2 has its LED display, buttons, sensors, microphone, and speaker built in, so the first projects need only the board and a USB cable. You add parts later only when you want to control external things like motors.
The v2 added a microphone, a speaker, a touch-sensitive logo, and a faster processor with more memory. The core display, buttons, and motion sensing are shared, but the v2 can respond to sound and play tones the v1 cannot.
Yes. The onboard Bluetooth lets it pair with a phone, tablet, or another micro:bit, so two boards can send messages to each other wirelessly without any extra hardware.
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