DUELink CincoBit: MicroBlocks Setup and Curriculum Overview

2026-07-20 | By Travis Foss

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I was recently asked what I knew about the DUELink CincoBit. Up to that point, I had heard of it; however, I had never tried the hardware. I decided to test it out and walk through a couple of the examples given through the curriculum DUELink has for the CincoBit based on the MicroBlocks coding system.

MicroBlocks is a free, block-based programming environment — similar to Scratch, but for physical computing. Instead of writing code line-by-line, you drag and snap visual blocks together to control hardware: read sensors, blink LEDs, drive motors, and more. It runs in Chrome or Edge with no software to install, so getting from "board in hand" to "code running" is measured in minutes, not setup sessions.

What sets MicroBlocks apart from similar tools is a combination that's less common than you'd think: live programming and autonomous operation in the same environment. Click a block, and it runs on your board immediately — no compile cycle, no upload button. You see results in real time, which makes experimenting and troubleshooting a lot more forgiving when you're learning. And when you unplug your board, your code stays. It's stored directly in flash memory, so if you create a project, your CincoBit runs your project on battery power without needing a computer attached.

To get the board set up to use with MicroBlocks, I started by following the guide on the DUELink page explaining how to update the firmware to work with MicroBlocks firmware. The first page I navigated to was the firmware loading site, loader.duelink.com. Once on that page, I clicked on the MicroBlocks update steps button. Once on the MicroBlocks page, I next connected the CincoBit to my computer and clicked the Erase All button. After a few seconds, I received a message that the firmware was erased successfully. I then proceeded to Step 2, loading the firmware. This is where I ran into my biggest problem of the entire process. I was using a Windows computer and couldn’t get the device to load on my computer. I then noticed that there was a message stating that I needed to download and install the DFU driver prior to clicking on the button. After clicking on the download button and downloading the driver, I wasn’t exactly sure how to load it on my computer. After a bit of research on the GHI electronics DUELink forum, I discovered that I needed to download a program called Zadig, https://zadig.akeo.ie/. Once in the Zadig software, I had to first go into the Options drop-down menu and select List All Devices. Next, I selected the WinUSB option in the right box beside Driver. Then I clicked the Install Driver button.

Image of DUELink CincoBit: MicroBlocks Setup and Curriculum Overview

Once I had the driver installed, I was able to go back to the loader page mentioned above and click on the Load MicroBlocks Firmware button. Once that was selected, I was able to get the board to show up as shown below.

Image of DUELink CincoBit: MicroBlocks Setup and Curriculum Overview

Once the firmware had been successfully loaded, I then clicked on the button to start using MicroBlocks at the bottom of the page. Once on the MicroBlocks page, I read through it, opened a new browser window, and navigated to https://microblocks.fun/run. From there on, on my original browser page, I clicked on the CincoBit curriculum button. Since I wanted to evaluate the hardware, I skipped over the Lesson 1 curriculum, as it was focused on using the virtual board in MicroBlocks. Since I’ve worked with block-style coding on a number of different boards, it was very easy for me to program the board; however, if this is your first time, DUELink does a very good job walking through step by step how to get the projects working on your board. The other cool thing about MicroBlocks is that you can see what a block does prior to putting it into your code. By clicking on the top of the block, for example, the display block under the LED Display library, it will show what is shown on the display automatically.

Image of DUELink CincoBit: MicroBlocks Setup and Curriculum Overview

Through the curriculum, DUELink walks participants from the very beginner level of turning on a pixel all the way through building a working video game. It also steps through several coding fundamentals such as algorithms, variables, conditionals, loops, coordinates, Boolean logic, arrays, and functions. The lessons are set up to be able to be completed in a single class period with minimal setup; for example, the first lesson doesn’t even need physical hardware.

If you get through the full curriculum and you have students who are looking for additional challenges, the CincoBit can also be programmed in Python, JavaScript, .NET, MicroPython, MakeCode, Arduino IDE, C++, MIT’s App Inventor, Swift, and even Excel. DUELink has links and descriptions on how to do this located on this page: Languages | DUELink.

Overall, the CincoBit impressed me. The hardware is capable; the MicroBlocks environment makes it very accessible for beginners, and the curriculum gives educators a ready-made path from the first pixel to the finished game — complete with CSTA standards alignment if you need it. The only real friction in the entire process was the DFU driver setup on Windows, and once you know the Zadig fix, it's a one-time problem. If you're a teacher looking for a platform that bridges block coding and real CS concepts without a steep setup overhead or a maker who wants to introduce someone new to physical computing, the CincoBit is worth a serious look.