Summer Newsletter 2020

Computing this term
Micro:bit Steady Hand game
N. Sarris created a “Steady Hand” game
which involves trying to get a metal wand from one
side of a wavy wire to the other, without the two
touching one another—if they connect then a buzzer
will sound signalling your failure. I recreated this using a
micro:bit and a set of components including a buzzer, 3 LEDs,
DuPont wires, a breadboard, copper wires, a small metal washer
and an interface (the interface wasn’t necessary it only made it
easier). My first step in making it was more of a decomposition of the
entire project; I made 2 different systems, a working buzzer and an LED
system. Then with a bit of wiring, I made the buzzer trigger when to wires
connect rather than when a button is pressed. I also made a variable sys-
tem for the LEDs, when the variable was equal to 0, no LEDs turned on
when it was 1, the green LED turned on, the 2 turned on the amber LED
and 3 turned on the red.
I then combined my codes and I made it so that when the game begins the variable is
equal to zero when the handle’s loop-shaped wire connects with the wire that you are
meant to avoid. It makes the buzzer let off the noise and an X would appear on the
micro:bit’s screen and the variable would increase by 1, meaning the LEDs would turn
on one by one as the wires connect. I then made a cap on the variable using a loop,
saying that the connection of the two wires only makes a buzzer go off and the vari-
able change whilst the variable wasn’t equal to 3. I then added a win function by using
the metal washer found at the end of the wire that you need to avoid, if the handle
wire connects with this washer, it makes a victory noise, and the screen of the micro
bit shows a W. I made final changes like when the variable is equal to 3 an L appears
and a sound plays, I also made the A button on the micro bit reset the variable so that
you can restart the game.
‘Aspiring for ‘Nurturing Academic, young Cultural Catholic and gentlemen Sporting Excellence’
Aspiring for Academic, Cultural and Sporting Excellence’