Blinks Quick Start Guide

What’s Included

  • 6x Blinks 
  • 6x custom PCBs, 
  • 6x 3D printed bases  
  • 6x 12 polarity aligned magnets
  • 6x CR2032 coin cell batteries
  • 6x battery/magnet security screw
  • 1x Carry Case (magnetic enclosure for carrying 6 Blinks)

  • Programmer
  • 1x AVR Pocket AVR programmer (AKA USBtinyISP)
  • 1x USB mini cable (3’)

  • Service Port (used for Serial Monitor) 
  • 1x Blinks Serial Adapter
  • 1x FTDI board (Red w/ usb on one side and 6 pins on the other) 
  • 1x Molex cable (4 black wires)
  • 1x USB mini cable (6”)

Needed Software

Arduino IDE - Download it here
Blinks Library - Download it here*

*If you want to have the latest and contribute to the development of Blinks, here’s our Github Repo

Installing the Blinks Library

After you have installed the Arduino IDE (> 1.8.5) and launched the application, you will notice that Arduino has created a folder in your Documents folder, aptly named, Arduino. Follow these next 5 steps to have the Blinks library installed:

  1. Create a folder called ‘hardware’ inside of the Arduino folder ~/Documents/Arduino/hardware (it will be next to ‘libraries’, not nested inside)
  1. Download the Blinks Library if you haven’t already done so
  1. Unzip the Blinks Library
  1. Move the Blinks Library into the hardware folder
  1. Restart Arduino (quit and relaunch)

If you click on Tools in your menu bar, and navigate down to Board:  you should now see Move38: Blinks Tile at the bottom. Select it.

Next, click on  Tools in your menu bar, and navigate down to Programmer:  select the programmer USBTinyISP or see below for faster upload time with Blinks Programmer

Now if you go to File/Examples, you should see Examples for Blinks Tiles at the bottom of that list as well. Open the first one up and see if it compiles.


Transfer code to Blink

  1. Connect the USB programmer
  1. Place the magnetic programming jig on top of the Blink
  1. Press Upload to transfer

Not successfully transferring to your Blinks? try these troubleshooting tips from the forum