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mirobo.tech
mirobo technology
@mirobo.tech
400 followers 170 following 300 posts
Retired (mostly) high school computer technology teacher creating and sharing simple and fun microcontroller projects and resources for education!

Focusing on electronics, robotics, Arduino, RaspberryPiPico, MicroPython, and beginner programming.
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mirobo.tech
I just got a fresh batch of BEAPER Pico PCBs and have kits available on @lectronz.com here: lectronz.com/products/bea...

BEAPER Pico is a beginner circuit designed for Raspberry Pi Pico. It's easy to build BEAPER Pico into a robot, and introductory programming activities are available on GitHub.
Top view of the front side of a red robot controlled by a Raspberry Pi Pico 2 microcontroller. The green Raspberry Pi Pico 2 is mounted on a blue BEAPER Pico printed circuit board, with an LCD display showing the robot's distance, floor, temperature, and voltage sensor data mounted beside it. The colourful extension cables connect the main BEAPER Pico circuit to two optical floor sensor modules at the corners of the red chassis. A ToF (time of flight) distance sensor module (the black oval) between the floor sensors is wired to the QWIIC (I2C) connector on the BEAPER Pico circuit board. Top view of the rear side of a red robot controlled by a Raspberry Pi Pico 2 microcontroller. The green Raspberry Pi Pico 2 is mounted on a blue BEAPER Pico printed circuit board, with an LCD display showing the robot's distance, floor, temperature, and voltage sensor data mounted beside it. The green screw terminal strip connects to a 4AA battery holder and two N20 gear motors mounted in the red chassis.
November 3, 2025 at 5:51 PM
mirobo.tech
It's hard to film RGB LEDs, but I had a whole lot of fun making and programming my touch-controlled RAINBO-S circuit!

Here it is driving SK6812 RGB+W LEDs:
November 2, 2025 at 5:53 PM
mirobo.tech
TIL that the solder contacts on different brands of NeoPixel strips have slightly different spacing (but not enough to be a problem with the castellations on this circuit board).

Also, the bonus cat hair comes free with anything from my house! 🤣
Close-up photo showing soldered castellated contacts on the circuit boards (top) connecting to their RGB strips (bottom). The solder contacts on the white strip (left), align with the contacts on its joined circuit board. The solder contacts on the black strip (right) are spaced slightly farther apart than the contacts on the circuit board as can see by the sloping shapes of the solder connections. The spacing difference is also visible in the very close contacts (bottom).
October 25, 2025 at 8:20 PM
mirobo.tech
And, I also bough a second USB-C tester with a bar graph mode that clearly shows I can do more to equalize output brightness as I cycle through rainbow colours on my NeoPixel strip...
October 25, 2025 at 8:03 PM
mirobo.tech
I picked up this USB-C voltage and current tester from Aliexpress a few weeks ago, and it makes it really easy to measure the current supplied to a fun little circuit I'm working on...
A USB-C voltage tester (Kowsi KWS-1902L) showing the instantaneous USB voltage, current (including current direction), and power being supplied by a laptop computer to a controllable RGB strip.
October 25, 2025 at 7:33 PM
mirobo.tech
I'm testing a Waveshare RP2040 Plus in my BEAPER Pico. It's got a high current regulator, LiPo charger circuit, and a USB-C connector! 😀 And a really bright LED!! 🕶️

Also, did you know IKEA sells inexpensive USB-C cables? No assembly required!
Close-up of a blue RP2040-Plus Raspberry Pi Pico pin-compatible circuit just above a square LCD display showing the starting screen of a block breaker game. Both are installed on a BEAPER Pico robot circuit built into a red 3D-printed robot chassis. A blue IKEA USB-C cable enters the RP2040-Plus circuit beside a very bright green LED.
October 23, 2025 at 11:44 PM
mirobo.tech
It's teacher Tuesday!!

I've shared the ARPS-2 circuit and a complete set of beginner electronics and programming activities in Tinkercad! Find them here: mirobo.tech/electronics

#STEMeducation #Arduino #electronics #programming
A screenshot of the complete ARPS-2 circuit built on a breadboard in Tinkercad. The code window is open showing a part of the SONAR starter program example.
October 21, 2025 at 6:35 PM
mirobo.tech
A fully-assembled ARPS-2 circuit adds everything beginners need to learn #Arduino programming or make simple robots.

It's got pushbuttons, LEDs, a speaker, temperature sensor, battery voltage divider, motor driver IC, analog and digital expansion connectors, and break-away floor and line sensors.
A fully assembled ARPS-2 circuit with four user LEDs, four user pushbuttons, a piezo speaker, a motor driver chip, battery voltage divider resistors, temperature sensor, IR demodulator, and a variety of analog and digital expansion headers mounted on its main PCB. The upper and lower break-away PCBs can be used to build optical floor, wall, and line sensors for beginner robots, and the middle break-away PCB is an extension mount for an ultrasonic SONAR distance sensor module.
October 19, 2025 at 7:28 PM
mirobo.tech
ARPS-2's Robot Starter configuration quickly builds your #Arduino UNO into a robot using an on-board motor driver and SONAR distance sensor mount.

An optional voltage divider, optical floor sensors, servo headers, and an IR demodulator can be added on-board to create more sophisticated robots. 🤖
An ARPS-2 circuit built in the Robot Starter configuration which adds a motor driver IC, screw terminal strip, and SONAR distance sensor module socket to the Educational Starter version of the board.
October 19, 2025 at 6:53 PM
mirobo.tech
This is ARPS-2's Educational Starter configuration – just pop it onto an #Arduino UNO R3 or R4 and start programming!

It's great for beginners because it's quick to build, has enough I/O devices to make a variety of simple programs, and is more reliable than the spaghetti wiring of a breadboard. 🤣
An ARPS-2 circuit assembled in the Educational Starter configuration with four user pushbuttons, four user LEDs, a power LED, a piezo speaker, and a reset button.
October 19, 2025 at 6:38 PM
mirobo.tech
I couldn't just assemble one of my new ARPS-2 circuits! 🤣

It can be built in different configurations for different purposes...
A bare ARPS-2 circuit board (foreground) with five boards assembled in slightly different configurations arranged behind it.
October 19, 2025 at 6:15 PM
mirobo.tech
It's freebie Friday!!

Are you learning or teaching #Arduino? Take a look at the beginner #programming activities I've shared on #Tinkercad. Here's the first one: www.tinkercad.com/things/0A7EI...

#STEMeducation #electronics
A screen shot of a simple circuit composed of pushbuttons, LEDs, resistors, a piezo speaker, and a temperature sensor built on a breadboard and connected to an Arduino in the Tinkercad circuits simulator. The code window is open showing a part of a beginner programming activity.
October 17, 2025 at 3:05 PM
mirobo.tech
I'm back from my holidays and starting to assembly my latest ARPS-2 board!

ARPS-2 is designed to help beginners learn Arduino programming and build simple robots using one of those old UNOs that are just sitting around... 😃

#STEMeducation #robot #robotics #Arduino #programming
A vaguely Arduino UNO-shaped blue circuit board, upside down on a lighter blue silicone soldering mat, with part leads sticking up and ready to be soldered. A red-handled low-profile lead cutter is sitting on the soldering matt, along with various through-hole electronic components.
October 16, 2025 at 2:42 PM
mirobo.tech
I may be biased, but I think this is a really cute robot. 🤖 😉

Find out more: mirobo.tech/beaper

#STEMeducation #robot #electronics #programming
A yellow, 3D-printed BEAPER Bot robot sitting on a blue silicone mat. BEAPER Bot has dove-tail slots that allow sensors and servos to be mounted around its periphery. Two optical floor sensor modules are attached to the front of the robot and connected using colourful extension cables. An ultrasonic SONAR distance sensor module is mounted to a blue circuit board, centred between the floor sensor modules. The robot can be controlled by either a Raspberry Pi Pico mounted in BEAPER Pico circuit, or by an Arduino Nano ESP32 mounted in a BEAPER Nano circuit. This robot is built with a BEAPER Nano, and the Arduino Nano ESP32 is visible between the SONAR module and an LCD panel.
September 10, 2025 at 7:40 PM
mirobo.tech
It's teacher Tuesday!!

Hey teachers, are you looking for an amazingly versatile starter circuit for #RaspberryPiPico?

BEAPER Pico is a beginner circuit that students assemble and expand using common through hole parts, and it can easily be built into a #robot!

Take a look: mirobo.tech/beaper
A red 3D-printed BEAPER Bot robot controlled by a Raspberry Pi Pico 2 microcontroller mounted in a BEAPER Pico circuit board. A white drive wheel is visible at the rear left, and left (L) and right (R) optical floor sensor modules have been broken away from the PCB and installed in holders at the front corners of the robot. The dark oval window in the middle of the front of the robot contains an I2C time-of-flight (ToF) distance sensor module. The BEAPER Pico PCB contains user pushbuttons, LEDs, a piezo speaker, ambient light sensor, two potentiometers, and a 240x240 pixel graphical LCD module. Top view of a simple educational robot built on a piece of MDF and driven by two commonly-available yellow plastic gear motors powered by 4AA batteries. The robot is controlled by a Raspberry Pi Pico microcontroller mounted in a BEAPER Pico circuit board containing user pushbuttons, LEDs, a piezo speaker, and level shifter and motor driver ICs. An ultrasonic SONAR distance sensor module is plugged into a header in the centre of the front side of the robot. On either side of the SONAR module, IR LEDs and phototransistors have been installed in break-away floor sensor modules. Top view of a BEAPER Pico PCB assembled in an IOT configuration with four user pushbuttons, four LEDs, a piezo speaker, two potentiometers, and an ambient light sensor. An I2C QWIIC connector and four expansion headers are installed above the Raspberry Pi Pico microcontroller.
September 2, 2025 at 8:13 PM
mirobo.tech
It's freebie Friday!!

Hey #STEMeducation teachers, check out the free electronics labs and #Tinkercad activities on our electronics webpage: mirobo.tech/electronics

Good luck as you start your next school year!
An Arduino circuit with connected pushbuttons, LEDs, a piezo speaker, and a temperature sensor assembled on a breadboard in Tinkercad. The code windows shows that beginning of the program that will control the circuit.
August 29, 2025 at 9:28 PM
mirobo.tech
I've got two bundles of prototype ARPS-2 circuit kits for a class to build their own robots at a special price! Take a look: mirobo.tech/store/cleara...
A bundle of blank ARPS-2 circuit boards (back) and two assembled prototype ARPS-2 circuits (front) built in the educational starter configuration (left) and robot starter configuration (right).
August 27, 2025 at 4:11 PM
mirobo.tech
Hey computer technology and #STEMeducation teachers – I've got a simple shield that makes learning programming with #Arduino UNO easy and lets beginners create a variety of #robots like this one!

Check out ARPS-2 here: mirobo.tech/arps
Front view of a white robot powered by 4AA batteries and propelled by two common yellow gear motors. The robot is controlled by an Arduino UNO R4 Minima with an attached ARPS-2 shield. The two optical sensor modules have been broken away from the ARPS-2 and mounted at the front corners of the robot chassis, and a SONAR module is plugged into the top of the ARPS-2. Rear view of a white robot powered by 4AA batteries and propelled by two common yellow gear motors. The robot is controlled by an Arduino UNO R4 Minima with an attached ARPS-2 shield. The two optical sensor modules have been broken away from the ARPS-2 and mounted at the front corners of the robot chassis, and a SONAR module is plugged into the top of the ARPS-2.
August 27, 2025 at 4:00 PM
mirobo.tech
It's freebie Friday!!

I had a great time presenting #Arduino Nano ESP32 features and capabilities to high school computer technology teachers at the CEMC conference this week.

Here's a link to the sample code and presentation, including the WiFi AP example, below: github.com/mirobotech/C...
Mobile phone screenshot of the Nano_ESP32_AP_Webserver Arduino C program allowing WiFi control of the RGB LED on the Arduino Nano ESP32. Three buttons (top) allow momentary operation of the LEDs, while three toggle sliders set RGB state.
August 15, 2025 at 6:02 PM
mirobo.tech
Quickly adds another slide to his presentation showing teachers how to downgrade an Arduino Nano ESP32 #MicroPython image using the Arduino Labs MicroPython Installer (labs.arduino.cc/en/labs/micr...). 🤣
Screenshot of the Arduino Labs MicroPython Installer flashing the MicroPython 1.25 app-bin firmware onto an Arduino Nano ESP32 board.
August 11, 2025 at 10:06 PM
mirobo.tech
So, I'm presenting a workshop for teachers on the Arduino Nano ESP32 at the CEMC conference on Wednesday, and the fresh new #MicroPython 1.26 breaks simple example code. 🤷

This works just fine in 1.25. Has anyone else had problems with 1.26 and this (or other) microcontrollers?
A screenshot of a short, 15-line MicroPython program designed to configure Arduino Nano ESP32's built-in LEDs and blink one of them. When run, it fails at line 19! I did not choose the randomly-generated file name assigned by the Arduino Lab for MicroPython IDE, but I'm certainly enjoying its prescience. ;)
August 11, 2025 at 9:51 PM
mirobo.tech
It's freebie Friday!!

Are you teaching using #PICmicro microcontrollers? Check out our UBMP4 and CHRP4 circuits developed for the classroom – we've made both available on @[email protected]: www.pcbway.com/project/shar...

#STEMeducation #microcontroller #electronics #programming
A UBMP4 (top) educational PICmicro development board and its robot-focused CHRP4 (bottom) sibling.
August 1, 2025 at 5:49 PM
mirobo.tech
Are you teaching Arduino or Microchip C language coding? Check out our free and re-mixable Introductory C Programming Reference Google doc: docs.google.com/document/d/1...

#STEM #STEMeducation #programming #Arduino
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yp5hYdfk8DyOxsZMnK3hLx-SyQgwrTDfbLW6OnaLBF8/edit?usp=sharing
June 6, 2025 at 3:49 PM
mirobo.tech
Cleaning my workspace and exposing my many mistakes to the harsh light of day! 😂

These are all of my prototype BEAPER Bot robot chassis iterations... I'm happy with the final results!

Design files are on #Tinkercad, print files are on #Makerworld: makerworld.com/en/collectio...
Top down view of twenty-four white, red, and blue 3D-printed iterations of the BEAPER Bot robot chassis sitting outside on grey concrete. Side angle view of a variety of white, red, and blue 3D-printed iterations of the BEAPER Bot robot chassis sitting outside on grey concrete. Front-left view of a BEAPER Nano robot assembled into a white 3D-printed robot chassis. A white drive wheel is visible at the back, and a stainless steel roller ball assembly is visible underneath the front. An SG90 servo is attached to the front corner in a snap-in mount, and an oval window (front, middle of the robot) allows the robot to determine the distance to an object using an optical time-of-flight (ToF) module.
June 3, 2025 at 1:41 PM
mirobo.tech
I'm also a big fan of break-away pcb parts! 😆
BEAPER Pico circuit with break-away optical floor sensor modules.
June 3, 2025 at 3:02 AM