Guide to LEGO® Powered Up programming blocks
The LEGO® Powered Up app features a simple, easy-to-understand programming language
that fans of all ages will enjoy learning and experimenting with. It’s based around a core
experience any LEGO fan will understand instinctively – stacking blocks next to one another
and watching them snap into place.
Programming blocks come in a range of types and colors to tell you what type of block
you’re using.
Here are some examples of commonly used programming blocks. If you’re not sure what a
block does and it’s not listed here, why not try it out in the app? Part of the fun of LEGO
Powered Up is in the experimentation, play, and learning.
Yellow Flow Blocks
Yellow blocks control the flow of your commands. You can use them to start a program,
stop a program, pause a program or even loop commands.
This block starts the program.
This block will start the program if a True condition is
met.
This block starts the program when the condition
switches from False to True.
This block starts the attached code sequence when
the flag number is triggered.
This block triggers a flag number.
This hourglass block will make the program wait for a
specified number of seconds.
This hourglass block will wait for the condition to be
True.
This block will loop the program section for a set
number of times.
This block will loop the program while a condition is
true.
This block will loop the program forever!
This block will run the top sequence if the condition is
True. If the top sequence isn’t True, it will run the
bottom sequence.
This block runs both sequences at the same time and
waits for both sequences to finish before running the
next block.
This block stops all other program sequences and
continues running the attached code sequence.
This block stops all sequences running on the current
canvas. If it’s used in the top program, this will end the
program. If it’s used in a Model Block and the Model
Block is ended, the program containing the Model
Block will continue running.
Orange Sensor Blocks
Orange blocks work with the Color and Distance Sensor, the Move Hub’s Tilt
Sensor, remote control and WeDo 2.0 sensors. These blocks will trigger an action
when a sensor on your model detects something.
Use the Color sensor to trigger an event when a specific color is
sensed.
This block tells the program to wait for the color sensor to detect the
color chosen in the block.
Get current color measured by the sensor.
Get current ambient light level measured by the sensor.
Triggers when the distance measured by the sensor is less than the
specified distance.
Get current distance measured by the sensor.
Wait for the distance measured by the Sensor to be less than the
specified distance.
Get current force measured by the sensor and affect connected block
functions.
Use internal Gyroscope to trigger an event based on Orientation of the
hub.
Wait for the Hub orientation to be equal to Hub orientation.
Get tilt orientation of the hub.
Get X angle position of the hub.
Get Y angle position of the hub.
Get the angle of the specified axis on a tilt sensor.
Get the specified axis on an internal accelerometer/tilt sensor of a hub.
Sets the tilt orientation.
Just for WeDo sensors - Measure distance
Just for WeDo sensors. Get current WeDo sensor tilt angle on the Y
axis (-90/90).
Just for WeDo sensors. Get current WeDo sensor tilt angle on the X
axis (-90/90).
Uses the X axis tilt position of the smart device (left-right). 0 is the
central position.
Uses the Y axis tilt position of the smart device (forward to backward).
0 is around 30 degrees with the device screen facing you.
Detects the button pressed on the A or B side of the connected
remote.
Green Motor or Movement Blocks
Green blocks get your model moving! You can differentiate between tacho motors
(For controlling speed and position) and basic motors (To drive full speed).
Sets power to the motor. Positive numbers rotate
clockwise, and negative numbers rotate counterclockwise.
Removes power from the motor and will slowly stop the
motors.
Stops the motor.
Reads the speed value of the tacho motor attached to the
specified port.
Makes a tacho motor run at a specified speed on a given
port.
Makes a tacho motor run on a specified port, at a specified
speed for a specified duration (in seconds).
Reads the position of the tacho motor. Position is relative.
0 is the position where the motor was turned on.
Turns the tacho motor on a defined port at a defined
speed with the defined degree.
Turns the tacho motor on a defined port at a defined
speed with the defined degree.
Sets the current position of the tacho motor on a defined
port to the defined value.
Stops and holds the tacho motor on a defined port.
This block is used to set the maximum power that a tacho
motor should reach on a defined port.
Sets the power of a pair of tacho motors on the defined
ports, independently.
Set the speed of a pair of tacho motors on the defined
ports, independently.
Sets the speed of a pair of tacho motors on the defined
ports for duration (in seconds), independently.
Sets the position of a pair of tacho motors on the defined
ports with speed set independently.
Sets the speed of a pair of tacho motors on the defined
ports (AB or CD) with the steering direction defining a tank
steering style behavior. 0 sets equal power to both
outputs, 50 only powers one motor and 100 powers the
motors in opposite directions. Positive-negative value for
steering defines the direction.
Sets the speed of a pair of tacho motors on the defined
ports (AB or CD) with the steering direction defining a tank
steering style behavior. The motors run for the defined
duration (in seconds). 0 sets equal power to both outputs,
50 only powers one motor and 100 powers the motors in
opposite directions. Positive-negative value for steering
defines the direction.
Sets the speed of a pair of tacho motors on the defined
ports with the steering direction defining a tank steering
style behavior. The motors run until the defined rotation
degree is reached. 0 sets equal power to both outputs, 50
only powers one motor and 100 powers the motors in
opposite directions. Positive negative value for steering
defines the direction.
Sets a tacho motor on the defined port to the given
position in degrees.
Sets power to the motor attached to the selected port and
runs until the program runs without the need of a loop.
Positive numbers rotate clockwise, and negative numbers
rotate counterclockwise.
Sets the acceleration duration (in seconds) of the tacho
motor on a defined port.
Sets the deceleration duration (in seconds) of the tacho
motor on a defined port.
Purple Sound and Light Blocks
Purple blocks can play sounds through your device’s speakers, change the color of
the lights on the move hub, color and distance sensors. These blocks also control
the lights on the LED-light.
Sets the mode of the color and distance sensor connected
to the defined port. 8 is the default value when
connected, 7 is the infrared mode.
Sets the color of the sensor LED.
Sets the hub LED to show color.
Sets the light brightness on the connected to the specified
port.
Sets the light brightness on the connected to port (left
parameter) but sets the four LED half-circles on the sensor
individually.
From left to right, they affect
Right "eye" upper arc
left "eye" upper arc
right "eye" lower arc
left "eye" lower arc
Sends IR commands to the power function’s IR receiver
with the color and distance sensor connected to the
defined port. The first input slot is the port where the
sensor is attached. The second is the IR channel used from
0 to 3 matching IR port 1 to 4. The third defines multiple
things but for basic use, set 4 to control the red port and 5
to control the blue port. The fourth sets the speed, 0 is
float (no speed), 1 to 7 is increasing speed forward, 8 is
stop, and 9 to F is decreasing speed backwards.
Sets the hub LED to show color based on the RGB
intensity defined (red, green, and blue value in %).
Plays the selected sound from the house sound library.
Plays the selected sound from the whistle sound library.
Plays the selected sound from the train sound library.
Plays the selected sound from the car sound library.
Plays the selected sound from the plane sound library.
Plays the selected sound from the dog sound library.
Plays the selected sound from the cat sound library.
Plays the selected sound from the fart sound library.
Plays the selected sound from the horn sound library.
Plays the selected sound from the crowd sound library.
Plays the selected sound from the robot sound library.
Plays the selected sound from the target sound library.
Light Grey Math blocks
Light grey blocks allow for some complex programming using variables.
Select a specific hub in the left slot and output the port used for
that hub in right slot.
Reads the number stored in the local variable.
Update local variable to stored number.
Reads the number stored in the global variable.
Update global variable to stored number.
Outputs a random number between number and number (both
numbers included in range).
Returns whether number is equal to number.
Returns whether number is less than number.
Returns whether number is greater than number.
Returns whether number is not equal to number.
Returns true if both operands are true, and false otherwise
Example: Returns true of both input values (left and right) are true,
and false otherwise.
Returns true if either operand is true, and false otherwise
Returns the result of adding number to number.
Returns the result of number subtracted with number.
Returns the result of number multiplied with number.
Return the result of number divided by number.
Return an adorner with multiple math operations.
Example: Returns a value from math operator (left slot) and
numerical value (right slot).
Returns a numeric value between -π and π representing the angle
of an (left slot, right slot) point.
Return the power of the left input powered with the right.
Return the highest of the values.
Return the lowest of the values.
Divides left with right and gives the remainder from that
operation.
Teal Widget Blocks
Teal blocks let you control your model via widgets.
Reports the state (true/false or 0/1) of the widget canvas' button
widget with Channel-ID (1st parameter).
Reports the state (true/false or 0/1) of the Widget Canvas' toggle
widget with Channel-ID (1st parameter).
Reports the state of the widget canvas' multibuttoned widget with
Channel-ID (1st parameter), as an axis. This means: If the lower button
is pressed, it reports -100. If the upper one is pressed, it reports 100. If
neither is pressed, it reports 0.
Instructs the widget canvas' speedometer, integer-display or any other
display with Channel-ID (1st parameter) to show the value (2nd
parameter).
Reports the position (-100 to 100) of the widget canvas' joystick
widget with Channel-ID (1st parameter). The axis is chosen by (2
nd
parameter): If it's 0, the block will report the horizontal axis. If it's 1, the
block will report the vertical axis. Any other value will stop the block
from reporting values.
Reports the position (- 100 to 100) of the widget canvas' slider widget
with Channel-ID (1st parameter).
Reports the amplitude (- 100 to 100) of the widget canvas' joystick
widget with Channel-ID (1st parameter).
The further away the joystick is pulled from the center, the higher the
number will be. In the upper half of the joystick, the numbers reported
will be positive. In the lower half, they’ll be negative.
Reports the angle (normalized to -100 to 100 not in degrees, which
would be -90 to 90!) of the widget canvas' joystick widget with
Channel-ID (1
st
parameter).
If the joystick points directly up or down (regardless of amplitude), the
block outputs 0. If the joystick's handle is then motioned clockwise,
the number will become negative and decrease until it reaches -100 at
directly left or right. If rotated counterclockwise, the number is
positive and increases towards 100.
