Wiring Diagram

Each of the monster servos plug into the Crickit in the Servo block. Start with 1, then 2, then 3.The lightest color (white or yellow) wire faces outward, the darkest (black or brown) inward.

The Circuit Playground Express is attached to the Crickit per these instructions.

Code

Now it's time to upload some code! For this we will be using Microsoft MakeCode for Adafruit, a web-based code editor. It provides a block editor, similar to Scratch or Code.org, and also a JavaScript editor for more advanced users.

If you haven't used MakeCode before, this guide is a good place to start.

Getting into Bootloader Mode

To make your board work with MakeCode, we need to put the Circuit Playground Express into "bootloader mode". All that's required to do this is to connect the board to your computer with a micro USB cable and click the small reset button in the center of the board. 

Click this link or the button below to enter the portal to interact with the code for this project.

How to Upload Code

To upload code, connect you Circuit Playground Express to your computer using the micro USB cable, click the Download button to download the .uf2 file to your computer, and drag 'n drop it onto the CPLAYBOOT drive using your computer's file explorer program or finder.

The drive will automatically eject itself. (Your computer may give you a "failed to eject drive correctly" error, you can ignore this.) The code is now on your Circuit Playground Express and ready to run!

Making Changes

If you'd like to play with this code, click Edit and a new window will open in which you can create your own version.

You can easily click and drag the block of functions around, making it simple to change what will trigger the monsters to start dancing.

You can change the sensitivity of certain triggers in the on start block. 

Settings for both the light threshold and sound threshold can be altered to make your monsters appropriately sensitive to the conditions in which you place them.

Troubleshooting

Problem: My motors aren't responding!

Solution: Make sure that the small slide switch on the CRICKIT near the DC power connector is set to "ON".

 

Problem: My Circuit Playground Express doesn't show up as CPLAYBOOT!

Solution: Your Circuit Playground Express board comes ready to work with CircuitPython, and will show up as a flash drive named CIRCUITPY the first time it's connected to your computer. To switch over to work with MakeCode, connect the board to your computer with a micro USB cable and click the small reset button in the center of the board.  

When Circuit Playground Express is in Bootloader mode, all the LEDs will flash red briefly, then turn green. Your computer should now show removable drive called CPLAYBOOT. Now you can copy the MakeCode file to the CPLAYBOOT flash drive.