# Maker Toolkit / Circuit Playground Troubleshooting Guide **URL:** \ **Category:** Website and Tools How-To\ **Tags:** csdunit6, makertoolkit, csd-unit-6\ **Created:** [February 20, 2018, 4:18pm UTC](https://forum.code.org/t/maker-toolkit-circuit-playground-troubleshooting-guide/14555 "2018-02-20T16:18:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![josh](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.code.org/josh/32/868_2.png) [@josh](https://forum.code.org/u/josh)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2018, 4:18pm UTC](https://forum.code.org/t/maker-toolkit-circuit-playground-troubleshooting-guide/14555/1 "2018-02-20T16:18:32Z")
Hey all, I’m excited to see how many folks are getting rolling with the Maker Toolkit. I’ve put together a shortish troubleshooting guides that walks through the most common issues I’ve seen [here](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UpBSYC0OzZDsGLkGFrj_kMhNCm8asmo4VXAS5RS9XDg/). If there are things missing from this doc that you’ve run into, please let me know so I can add them. ---
**Author:** ![azeno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@azeno](https://forum.code.org/u/azeno)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2018, 4:33pm UTC](https://forum.code.org/t/maker-toolkit-circuit-playground-troubleshooting-guide/14555/2 "2018-03-15T16:33:44Z")
Can the circuit playground be used as a standalone unit when students finish their projects? ---
**Author:** ![karenma](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.code.org/karenma/32/4924_2.png) [@karenma](https://forum.code.org/u/karenma)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2018, 3:37am UTC](https://forum.code.org/t/maker-toolkit-circuit-playground-troubleshooting-guide/14555/3 "2018-03-16T03:37:09Z")
Last year I had my CSP students use Unit 6 as a standalone unit. They really enjoyed the circuit playgrounds. Unit 5 Building Apps gives them the ability to jump right into Unit 6 CSD. ---
**Author:** ![astra.zeno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dbc845/32.png) [@astra.zeno](https://forum.code.org/u/astra.zeno)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2018, 1:25pm UTC](https://forum.code.org/t/maker-toolkit-circuit-playground-troubleshooting-guide/14555/4 "2018-03-16T13:25:08Z")
I meant, can you unplug the circuit playground from the computer, add a battery and run the code. ---
**Author:** ![elizabeth\_admin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bb73d2/32.png) [@elizabeth\_admin](https://forum.code.org/u/elizabeth_admin)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2018, 4:52pm UTC](https://forum.code.org/t/maker-toolkit-circuit-playground-troubleshooting-guide/14555/5 "2018-03-16T16:52:40Z")
Hi Astra, The board has to be plugged into the computer to work. The code is on the computer, not the board. Elizabeth ---
**Author:** ![abraick](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.code.org/abraick/32/3729_2.png) [@abraick](https://forum.code.org/u/abraick)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2018, 1:45pm UTC](https://forum.code.org/t/maker-toolkit-circuit-playground-troubleshooting-guide/14555/6 "2018-05-21T13:45:59Z")
HELP NEEDED : PHYSICAL COMPUTING Hello, My students participated back in the Code Interactive Hackathon held in Dec, 2017 and they posted their project on DEVPOST here is the link: [https://devpost.com/software/ringalert](https://devpost.com/software/ringalert) The project is about an idea for a wearable ring that will connect to your phone when you have an emergency and you can not reach your phone. The group would like to use the Circuit Playground or Microbit to demonstrate how you press the ring to send a signal to your phone via bluetooth. They are working on designing the App Interface. I wonder if there is a way to demonstrate the idea in action. The group is planning to submit the project to EMOTI-CON showcase. Thanks a lot Alise ---
**Author:** ![josh](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.code.org/josh/32/868_2.png) [@josh](https://forum.code.org/u/josh)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2018, 5:45pm UTC](https://forum.code.org/t/maker-toolkit-circuit-playground-troubleshooting-guide/14555/7 "2018-05-21T17:45:49Z")
It kind of depends on how important actually demoing the bluetooth component of it is versus demoing the interaction between hardware and an app. If the bluetooth element is more important, then you would probably want to go with the micro:bit and MakeCode. If the interaction between hardware and app is more imporant, then I’d go with the Circuit Playground and App Lab, explaining that the USB cable is playing the role that bluetooth would in a later iteration. ---
**Author:** ![abraick](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.code.org/abraick/32/3729_2.png) [@abraick](https://forum.code.org/u/abraick)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2018, 1:04am UTC](https://forum.code.org/t/maker-toolkit-circuit-playground-troubleshooting-guide/14555/8 "2018-05-22T01:04:33Z")
I guess I will stick with the circuit playground and App Lab since my students are designing Apps on App Lap. Thank you Josh for your prompt response, and hope to see see in Atlanta. ---
**Author:** ![cpautler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@cpautler](https://forum.code.org/u/cpautler)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2019, 5:07pm UTC](https://forum.code.org/t/maker-toolkit-circuit-playground-troubleshooting-guide/14555/9 "2019-04-07T17:07:16Z")
I was wondering about this as well. Why would the circuit playground have an attachment for a battery if it has to be plugged in to work? does this mean it does not actually have memory of its own? Which then means that it’s not technically a “computer?” It sure would be nice to be able to unplug it especially since we’re trying to show this as an example of IoT.