A servo wave
A positional servo moves to an angle, usually 0–180°. Use Servos → set angle. A continuous-rotation servo uses run to choose speed and direction; it does not hold an angle.
Open servo example →MORE THAN A SCREEN
Servo. Motor. Robot.
New MakeCode projects include the official Servos blocks, Motors & Robots, and the optional Machine Learning blocks in Movement AI. For an existing project, use Extensions and choose a locally bundled card. Your old project stays intact.
Open MakeCode →Choose an invention
A rotating servo
Turn a wheel clockwise or anticlockwise. Set the speed, pause, then stop it. Find Servos → run in MakeCode.
Open rotating-servo example →A spinning motor
A DC motor needs a compatible external H-bridge motor driver. Motors & Robots supplies direction and PWM signals. It is a generic two-direction-pin plus enable/PWM interface, not a universal driver for every robotics kit.
Open motor example →Your model, your invention
Teach your micro:bit V2 to recognise movements. Train a real model offline, then choose how the board responds using MakeCode action blocks.
Open Movement AI →ADULT WIRING CHECK
Signals and power are different
Never connect a bare motor directly to a micro:bit pin. Use a driver rated for the motor’s voltage and stall current. Power the motor from a suitable separate battery supply; join the driver and micro:bit grounds. Follow the driver’s manual for its motor terminals, standby input and enable jumpers. A driver must accept 3.3 V logic.
Default two-motor bridge signals:
| Motor | Direction IN1 | Direction IN2 | Enable / PWM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Left | P8 | P12 | P16 |
| Right | P13 | P14 | P15 |
Use configure motor pins when your driver has different connections. “Left” and “right” name the outputs, not a guarantee about wheel direction; reverse motor leads with power off if needed. Start with wheels lifted and a low speed.
For a servo, connect its signal to P0 in the example. Use a suitable separate supply and common ground. Do not feed 5 V into a micro:bit GPIO or the 3 V terminal. Servo pulse timing and motor PWM may share hardware timers; test separately before combining them, or use a dedicated servo controller.
What works offline?
All included blocks, the simulator and HEX compilation use local files. No extension downloads are required. Third-party kits with I²C, SPI, custom C++ firmware or another driver protocol need their specific extension; they are not silently treated as generic H-bridge boards.
The AI Bridge USB protocol is HELLO → READY:MABNI-AI:1, then F / L / R / S. It stops after 1.1 seconds without communication. ARM enables motor signals; DISARM disables them. Image inference runs on the classroom PC, not the micro:bit.
USB / HEX help · Motor extension source · AI extension source
Software compilation and protocol checks are part of this release. Physical motor, servo and board testing still requires the classroom hardware.