How to Transfer Your Code to a Physical Micro:bit

In this article, you will learn how to transfer your code to a micro:bit robot.

Last updated - July 23, 2024

Using the micro:bit USB cable, you can connect the micro:bit directly to the platform and follow the on-screen instructions, or you can download a file and transfer it to the micro:bit manually. 

Connecting Your Micro:bit

1. Click the three dots ... to the right of the download button at the bottom of the screen.
2. Click "Connect device."
   
   
   
   
3. Connect your micro:bit cable to both your micro:bit and your computer.
   
   
   
   
4. Read the instructions and click "Next" to continue.
   
   
   
   
5. In the second box that pops up, the micro:bit will either be named "BBC micro:bit CMSIS-DAP" or "DAPLink CMSIS_DAP." Select the micro:bit name and click "Connect."
   
   
   
   
6. Now your micro:bit is connected! To download code to the micro:bit, click the "Download" button at the bottom of your screen.
   
   
   
   
7. A light will flash on the micro:bit when the program starts transferring from your computer.
8. Once the light stops flashing, the file is finished transferring and the program can be run on the micro:bit!
   
   

Manual Approach

1. To manually transfer your code to the micro:bit, click the "Download" button at the bottom of your screen. This will download the code as a .hex file.
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Plug one end of the USB cable into the micro:bit and the other end into your computer.
3. Look for a folder that says "MICROBIT."
   
   
   
4. Drag the .hex file from your downloads folder to the micro:bit folder.
   
   
   
   
5. A light will flash on the micro:bit when the program starts transferring from your computer.
6. Once the light stops flashing, the file is finished transferring and the program can be run on the micro:bit!