Tiny Code Reader Micro Bit

Example of accessing the Tiny Code Reader from MicroPython on a BBC Micro:bit.

The Tiny Code Reader from Useful Sensors is a small hardware module that's intended to make it easy to scan QR codes. It has an image sensor and a microcontroller with pretrained software and outputs information from any identified codes over I2C.

It is designed to be used as an input to a larger system, and this example shows how to read it from a BBC micro:bit board using MicroPython. It can also be used as the starting point for other MicroPython-based boards, but since the exact syntax used to access the I2C bus varies across platforms, you'll probably need to modify the lines that mention i2c in the main Python script. For a full developer's guide, see usfl.ink/tcr_dev.

BoM

To build this project you'll need:

• Micro:bit board.
• Tiny Code Reader from Useful Sensors.
• Qwiic connector cable.
• SparkFun Qwiic micro:bit breakout.

I suggest the SparkFun breakout because it converts the micro:bit's small I2C pins into a standard Qwiic socket, but if you're skilled at soldering you could attach the wires directly to the edge pins on the board instead.

Assembling

Slot the micro:bit into the breakout slot, with the two I2C sockets on the breakout facing in the same direction as the front of the board (the side with the buttons and LED display on it). Plug one end of the Qwiic cable into either of the breakout's I2C sockets, and the other into the socket at the top of the tiny code reader. If you power the micro:bit board, you should see the blue LED on the tiny code reader start flashing multiple times a second.

Running

Create a new project in the Python micro:bit editor. Click on the Open button, and choose the main.py file in this folder. Make sure you have your Micro:bit plugged in and click Send to micro:bit to upload the program to the board. If you point a QR code at the reader module, you should see the text content of that code start scrolling on the display of the Micro:bit.

For example if you open this QR code on your phone and hold it about fifteen centimeters or six inches from the module, facing the camera, you should see http://en.m.wikipedia.org scrolling on the front LEDs of the board.