The XK04 kit is a great way to upgrade your BBC micro:bit and unlock some exciting opportunities for learning: 

What you can do with the kit:

The XinaBox ecosystem is completely modular, which makes it very flexible. There are a huge range of applications for the XK04 kit, including:

• Use the light and weather sensors to investigate the natural world and undertake experiments / lessons.
• Build automation projects with the servo driver - water a plant or control a fan automatically.
• Design and code screens for the OLED display.
• The battery pack means your digital instruments can be portable.
• Use the data logger app to record huge data files for experimentation and data science.  

Getting Started with XinaBox:

New to XinaBox? Its really easy to connect xChips together and to the micro:bit - you don't need any hardware experience to build sophisticated and useful digital instruments. 

Your BBC micro:bit slides easily into the IM01 interface. Its really easy BUT just make sure they are oriented correctly - they both need to be facing upwards, as shown below:

A micro:bit slides easily into the IM01 interface

All the info you need to get started is outlined on our appropriately named getting started page. 

Get to know the xChips:

There are seven different items in the XK04 kit:

Find out more about the xChips in your kit by clicking on the link in the table below:

Data logging with the XK04:

Did you know the IM01 micro:bit interface is also the basis of a data logger that records large data files (in csv format) onto a microSD card?

Use it on its own with the micro:bit to record acceleration and magnetometer readings, or add the SL01 light sensor and/or SW01 weather sensor and record data from them.  

Find out how to use the data logging capabilities of the XK04.

No-code options:

The XK04 kit can be used to build a thermometer, barometer, hygrometer, lux meter, actuator / regulator, radiometer or any combination of these. This makes it useful in all sorts of learning contexts outside of the Computer Science lab:

• In a Geography lesson, why not measure a week's worth of temperature and pressure data and demonstrate Gay-Lussac's law?
• Physics and physical education classes could make great use of the accelerometer data.
• Biology and Physics teachers can investigate the properties and effects of different forms of light.

Why spend time in your lesson writing the code? You can assemble the hardware in no time at all, so why not flash on pre-compiled code and just use the kit as a digital instrument!  A Geography teacher could have a classroom full of weather stations within minutes. We've compiled some apps for you to use with the XK04:

Going Further with XinaBox:

• Why not connect your kit to the Cloud and utilise the power of IoT?  The XK05 IoT kit for micro:bit is the perfect tool for beginners and experienced users.  Get your XK04 kit online in minutes. 
• The BBC micro:bit is an adequate entry level tool for data science - the support that is available in the ecosystem and the simplicity of MakeCode makes it an easy entry point. But it lacks power and scalability.  Have a look at the XinaBox data science solutions for options to consider when micro:bit's limitations become a bit restrictive.
• The are loads of great projects on our projects portal - several of which you can build with the xChips in the XK04 kit.
• Find out what we are up to on our blog - from orbiting in space to surviving a fall from 30km there's always something exciting happening at XinaBox! We try to publish new blogs weekly so pop back or bookmark us.
• Check out the full range of xChips, including some great kits.