| Developer/Provider: | Calliope (adaptation for Calliope mini), Arduino open-source development, board extension by Sandeep Mistry with contributions from the community |
| Application Type: | Application |
| Operating System: | Windows, Mac, or Linux computer |
| Calliope mini Version: | V3, V2, V1 |
| Account Required: | No |
| Installation Required: | Yes |
| Offline Usable: | Yes |
The Arduino development environment has been available for quite some time and is widely popular worldwide for introducing text-based programming of microcontrollers.
For those who want to program the Calliope mini 3 with it, the "board extension" has now been updated, offering the opportunity to directly upload sketches (script files in Arduino terminology) to the Calliope mini.
Integrating Calliope mini
Board Management
After downloading the Arduino IDE, a small extension needs to be added to enable direct programming of the Calliope mini. To do this, open the settings in the Arduino app (found under "File") and then enter the following URL under "Additional Board Manager URLs":
https://sandeepmistry.github.io/arduino-nRF5/package_nRF5_boards_index.json and then close the window.
Now, in the main window under the Board Manager menu, search for "Calliope mini" and you will find the "Nordic Semiconductor nRF5 Boards" extension. Install this in version 0.8.0 (or higher).
Select Calliope mini V3
Now that the extension is installed, you can select the Calliope mini V3 under "Tools," "Board" under "Nordic Semiconductor nRF Boards."
Programming
When you connect the Calliope mini V3 to your computer via USB, direct sketch upload becomes possible.
The Calliope mini V3 will appear as the selected hardware in your window, and you can now program it directly.
Programming Concepts
| Block-Based Programming | No |
| Text-Based Programming | C++ |
| Multithreading | Yes |
| Events (Event-Based Programming) | No |
| Variables | Yes |
| Lists | Yes |
| Loops: While / For / Foreach | Yes / Yes / Yes |
| Functions / with Parameters / with Return Value | Yes / Yes / Yes |
| Serial Communication | Yes |
| Sensors/Actuators Extensions | Yes, they can be imported as external libraries |