Nordic Semiconductor is marking 10 years of supplying wireless technology for the BBC micro, an educational development board used to teach programming, electronics and digital creativity. The Micro Educational Foundation estimates that the platform has reached 73.5 million young people in more than 85 countries. The micro launched in 2016, when one million boards equipped with Nordic technology were distributed to UK schoolchildren through the BBC Make it Digital campaign. The Foundation now aims to reach 100 million young people by 2028. The original board used Nordic’s nRF51822 Bluetooth Low Energy system-on-chip (SoC). The current micro v2 is based on the nRF52833 multiprotocol SoC, which supports Bluetooth LE connectivity and edge AI capabilities. Gareth Stockdale, CEO of the Micro Educational Foundation, said Nordic had supported the project since its launch. “Nordic Semiconductor has been with us from the very beginning. In 2016, they supplied a million components for the original BBC micro, which was given to every Year 7 student across the UK,” said Stockdale. “That was an extraordinary commitment to a new idea, and it helped put a real computer into the hands of a whole generation of young people.” The use of Nordic SoCs gives students experience with low-power wireless technology also found in connected consumer, industrial and healthcare products. The board provides an entry point for learning about embedded systems and wireless development. “Nordic has remained one of our longest-standing and most active partners, with their technology at the heart of every micro,” continued Stockdale. “We’re very grateful for their generosity and their belief in what we do. As we look to the next decade, we’re excited to keep working together to help even more children discover what they can create with technology.” Nordic CEO Vegard Wollan said early exposure to electronics and programming could influence young people’s interest in engineering and technology. “The micro has shown what happens when technology is made accessible, practical, and fun. Interest in technology is often decided early, long before anyone chooses a subject or a career,” said Wollan. “We want children to discover what they can build, and to see technology and electronics as a real option for their education. Many of tomorrow’s developers will first encounter wireless technology in the classroom with the micro. We will keep supporting that, through our technology and through collaboration with the schools and communities closest to us.” Nordic also plans to support technology education through a local event in Norway. On October 15, the company was scheduled to join Electronic Coast at the Horten Tech Festival, where school pupils and university students could meet its technology specialists and propose projects using the micro. Nordic planned to demonstrate the board alongside other wireless IoT technologies. The anniversary highlights the role of low-power wireless platforms in introducing students to embedded electronics. Through the micro, learners can experiment with hardware and programming using technology related to that deployed in commercial connected devices. The post Nordic Marks 10 Years of Wireless Technology in BBC micro appeared first on EE Times Asia .