Since launching the ZIP Halo HD back in Autumn 2019, it's proven very popular! It's visually impressive, has some fantastic additional features in comparison to our previous ZIP Halo and there's plenty of projects and example code to get you started straight away!
The most recognisable difference, other than the price points, is the number of LEDs on each board. Other than that, what else? It's a great question and one we are keen to provide you the answer to! So, just before we get right on into it, we want to note that you can still get your hands on the original ZIP Halo if you have a smaller budget or are not interested in the new features that we will discuss later on.
ZIP Halo for micro:bit
The original Halo offers plenty of opportunities to add colour to your coding projects and experiments. The Halo has 24 individually addressable full-colour ZIP LEDs, which allows you to create a huge spectrum of colours for visually impressive effects.
The board also has extension connector pads to allow you to add even more ZIP LEDs should you wish! At a lower price point of £11.50 (ex. VAT), Kitronik's Halo is ideal for smaller budgets that want to code with colour.
NEW - Kitronik ZIP Halo HD for micro:bit
Open the door to a whole new world of possibilities with ZIP Halo HD for micro:bit. With 60 individually addressable LEDs, Halo HD offers a much higher resolution! Plus, with 60 LEDs and the built-in Real-Time Clock feature, it is ideal for various time projects. An additional feature also includes a buzzer that gives you audio feedback for alarms or other projects, plus a microphone to incorporate voice command or noise reaction projects! We listened to feedback from our previous ZIP Halo regarding the inconvenience of screwing the micro:bit into the board, so now all you have to do is slot the micro:bit into an on-board edge connector and you're good to go! This makes it a lot easier for younger children and students who are using the Halo HD board. At a higher price point, Kitronik's ZIP Halo HD is £21.50 (ex. VAT) but has a variety of new features that have already been discussed and can be seen below.
The Comparison: ZIP Halo VS ZIP Halo HD
| Features |
ZIP Halo |
ZIP Halo HD |
|---|---|---|
| Number of LEDs | 24 | 60 |
| Screw micro:bit connections: | ✓ | ✗ |
| Plug in micro:bit connections | ✗ | ✓ |
| Power Switch | ✓ | ✓ |
| Built in battery holder | ✗ | ✓ |
| Built in JST connector | ✓ | ✗ |
| Real time clock (RTC) | ✗ | ✓ |
| Buzzer | ✗ | ✓ |
| Microphone | ✗ | ✓ |
| Regulated power for micro:bit | ✓ | ✓ |
| Expansion I/O connectors | ✓ | ✓ |
| ZIP LED expansion pads | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mounting holes | ✓ | ✓ |
| Examples/resources | ✓ | ✓ |
| Typical SSP price (exVAT) | £11.50 | £21.50 |
To sum up the differences between ZIP Halo and ZIP Halo HD, we've created a simple table to help you understand the main differences. It is worth noting that both products have proven very popular and provide lots of possibilities for all age ranges. Our new Halo HD simply has updated features to push users further!
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