MakerPort Basic Kit

This kit has everything you need to set up your interactive maker project. Easily and quickly add motions, lights, music and sensors to school projects, models and art installations. The MakerPort can control up to 12 LEDs and watch 12 touch sensors in any one project. The components can be reused many times.

• Add lights & music to any school, craft or holiday project (a laptop is only required for putting mp3 files on the microSD card; it is not required when projects are active)
• Touch-to-send keyboard characters to Scratch games and music players
• Make creatures, robots and cars move with motors (motors sold separately)
• Learn coding and write your own programs with the MicroBlocks block coding editor.
• The MakerPort is powered by either the laptop or an external USB battery pack (sold separately).

The MakerPort ports are:

• USB for power, data and interaction with Scratch & MicroBlocks
• Built-in Mp3 audio playback with direct access to the microSD card files via USB cable for adding mp3 tracks for playback
• Built-in speaker + headphone/audio jack
• (2) 6-pin LED ports (12 LEDs total)
• 12-pin touch sensor port for one-wire (!) touch sensing
• 1 analog input for light, temperature, sound sensing, or conductivity experiments
• I2C connector for LCD digital display or other devices
• “Extra” 4-pin (two digital I/O pins plus ground &. power)
• (2) servo ports

Built-in (pre-programmed) MakerPort actions include:

• Keyboard character output through USB for interaction with Scratch & MicroBlocks
• Touching any sensor turns on the corresponding LED and plays the corresponding mp3 track
• Touching sensor 12 changes folders of mp3 tracks for use with alternate languages, instruments, sound collections, etc.
• Optional operation with LCD text display, microphone, neopixel ring, servos, distance sensor and more.

The MakerPort Basic kit contains:

• MakerPort hub
• 128mb microSD memory card for mp3 files
• USB-C to USB-C cable plus USB-A (traditional) to USB-C adapter
• (25) touchpoints & backs
• (2) 12-socket easy-connect cables for touch sensors
• (4) 6-LED flashing rainbow colors pre-attached LEDs on easy-connect cables
• (6) alligator clip cables
• 8×8 RGB LED matrix & connecting cable
• 9g angle servo
• 9v battery & clip
• hole-making tool for LEDs
• Resource Booklets
  • The MakerPort Story
  • Introduction to the MakerPort
  • What You Can Make Without Coding
    • (“Tricks You Can Show Your Friends with a Minimum of Effort”)
  • Your First Project: Mr. Happy-Sad
  • Making Music: The Mini-Piano
  • Introduction to MicroBlocks
• (7) 11cm strips of conductive fabric tape
• cardstock mini-piano keyboard
• glue stick

The MakerPort system works with coding software such as Scratch, Snap! and MicroBlocks.