This library provides a Microsoft Makecode package for 4tronix Drive:Bit motor controller
The simplest way to drive the robot is by using the go(...) or goms(...) blocks.
With each of these blocks you specify Forward or Reverse, and a speed from 0 to 100.
Both motors will be driven at the selected speed and direction.
Move forward at speed 60 forever:
DriveBit.go(dbDirection.Forward, 60)
Move backward at speed 100 for 2000 ms:
DriveBit.goms(dbDirection.Reverse, 100, 2000)
You can also spin/rotate the robot with the rotate(...) or rotatems(...) blocks
Rotate left at speed 70:
DriveBit.rotate(dbRobotDirection.Left, 70)
Rotate right at speed 50 for 400ms:
DriveBit.rotatems(dbRobotDirection.Right, 50, 400)
When the motor speed is set to zero then it stops. However, we can also use the motor itself to create a reverse generated current to brake much quicker.
This helps when aiming for more accurate manoeuvres. Use the stop(...) command to stop with braking, or coast to a halt.
Slowly coast to a stop:
DriveBit.stop(dbStopMode.Coast)
Stop rapidly with braking:
DriveBit.stop(dbStopMode.Brake)
If you want more fine grain control of individal motors, use DriveBit.move(...) to drive motor either forward or reverse.
You can specify the direction (Forward or Reverse) and speed between 0 and 100.
If the left motor turns slower than the right motor, the robot will turn to the left
Drive both motors forward at speed 60. Equivalent to DriveBit.go(dbDirection.Forward, 60):
DriveBit.move(dbMotor.Both, dbDirection.Forward, 60)
Drive left motor in reverse at speed 30:
DriveBit.move(dbMotor.M1, dbDirection.Reverse, 30)
Drive forward in a leftward curve:
DriveBit.move(dbMotor.M1, dbDirection.Forward, 40)
DriveBit.move(dbMotor.M2, dbDirection.Forward, 70)
The small DC motors typically used with the DriveBit are not guaranteed to go at the same speed as each other. This can cause the robot to veer off the straight line, either to left or to right, even when both motors are programmed to go at the same speed. We can partially correct for this by adding a direction bias to the motor speed settings. If your robot is veering to the right, then set the bias to the left. Conversely, if your robot is turning to the left, then set the bias to the right. It varies with speed and battery condition etc, but an approximation is that a 10% bias will result in about 15cm (6 inches) change of course over about 2m (6 feet).
If the robot leaves straight line to the right by about 10cm over 2m, bias it to the left by 5%:
DriveBit.dbBias(dbRobotDirection.Left, 5)
If the robot leaves straight line to left by 25cm, bias it to the right by 15%:
DriveBit.dbBias(dbRobotDirection.Right, 15)
The DriveBit has a single FireLed fitted. This library defines some helpers for using it. The FireLed is automatically updated after every setting
Set status FireLed to Green:
DriveBit.setLedColor(0x00FF00)
Use the startFlash(...) block to start the LED flashing in the background at your selected speed (in ms) and colour.
This example starts flashing the status LED in Red, once per second:
DriveBit.startFlash(0xff0000, 1000)
Use the stopFlash(...) block to stop flashing the status LED:
DriveBit.stopFlash()
Clear the status LED:
DriveBit.ledClear()
- for PXT/microbit
MIT