Unidirectional Texts

Time to choose your hardware setup!

• Complete one of these:
  • Option 1: Connect each micro:bit to a different computer.
    • Use USB cables to connect a micro:bit to each computer.
    • In each computer, open the makecode.microbit.org editor, click the Connect button, and set up the connection.
    • Then connect to Google Chrome Labs Serial Terminal as well, make sure that you check the box at the top that says local echo.
  • Option 2: Connect the micro:bit modules to different USB ports on the same computer.
    • Use USB cables to connect two micro:bits to two USB ports on your computer.
    • Open two separate chrome browsers, and take each one to makecode.microbit.org.
    • Click the Connect button in one browser, choose one micro:bit from the list, and confirm by clicking Connect in the dialog.
    • Click the Connect button in the other browser, choose the other micro:bit from the list, and confirm by clicking Connect in the dialog.
    • Then in another browser connect to Google Chrome Labs Serial Terminal as well and choose one of the available micro:bits, make sure that you check the box at the top that says local echo.
    • Then in yet another browser connect to Google Chrome Labs Serial Terminal and choose the other micro:bit, make sure that you check the box at the top that says local echo.

If you accidentally connect both browsers to the same micro:bit, you might need to unplug/replug their UB cables and repeat the browser connecting steps.

It is time to decide which micro:bit you want to be the sender and which one you want to be the receiver. You will start with the browser connected to the receiver micro:bit

• Open the receive_radio_test_message in the receiver micro:bit.
• Update the project to your assigned channel if you are working in a classroom setting. (Each pair of students should share a channel. Channels should be evenly spaced in the 0…255 range.)
• Flash the project.
• Open the terminal browser and make sure your connected to the receiver. Make sure the terminal displays the micro:bit radio receiver message. 

Now, you will use the browser connected to the sender micro:bit.

• Enter and flash the text_terminal_to_radio project to the sender micro:bit.

• Open the terminal browser and make sure the local echo is checked.
• Verify that the “micro:bit radio sender” message is printed.
• Click in the transmitter terminal next to the Send: prompt and type a message like Hello! Then Press Enter.
• Verify that the receiver micro:bit’s terminal displays Receive: Hello!
• Try typing some more messages and verify that the receiver micro:bit is receiving them.
• Try sending longer messages. Do all the characters make it through? How many can go through in one message?

Sender terminal

Receiver terminal