Digital Nightlight¶

A Pico on a breadboard with a button, two potentiometers, a power switch, and a photoresistor, so the LED strip shows a pattern only when the room is dark.

Source book: Moving Rainbow
Kit page: https://dmccreary.github.io/moving-rainbow/kits/digital-nightlight/
Printable one-pager: digital-nightlight-one-pager.html

Features¶

Uses the 10K Potentiometer
Uses the LDR Photoresistor
Uses the Raspberry Pi Pico RP2040
Uses the WS2812B NeoPixels

Benefits¶

Free, open lessons: the Moving Rainbow textbook has the kit page, wiring, and MicroPython code.
Classroom friendly: built on a solderless breadboard or no-solder connectors.
Real-world data: students read sensors and turn measurements into decisions.
Budget: about $16 (estimate: the $15 Moving Rainbow base parts plus two potentiometers and a photoresistor, each about $1 or less).

Parts¶

Raspberry Pi Pico ($4) — Microcontroller
10K Potentiometer — Input knob
LDR Photoresistor — Sensor
WS2812B NeoPixels — LEDs
830-Point Breadboard ($1.10) — Breadboard
Micro-USB Data Cable ($2.50) — Power and programming cable