 | | | | | | |
| |
|
In lugnet.dacta, Jetro de Chateau wrote:
>
> Thanks a lot for sharing. I have one of these interfaces but my main problem
> with it (using Robolab) has always been the incredibly slow response to inputs
> (press a touch sensor and wait about 1 second for the motor to stop).
> Can you tell me anything about response times in your program?
>
> Jetro
Hi Jetro,
This is the exact reason why I started this project.
I did try Robolab (V5.1 I think) and was very disappointed about the time
response.
Of course, If people don't know about Visual Basic (VB), there is some learning
if they want to use the proposed DLL in their own projects since it is NOT as
easy as Lego Logo or any graphical programming langugage.
But still, The VB certainly brings more power and you can build a pretty User
Interface with buttons and lights on your computer screen...
If you try my Installable Demos (Using the Setup), I did set the Scan Time to 50
ms which is very Fast. If you open the source of the Demos in VB.NET, you can
change this Scan Time to whatever you want.
The Demo 2 will give you a good idea of the response time at 50 ms since the
Output 1 follows the status of a switch connected to input 1.
The installable versions (setup) of the demos don't request to have VB.NET
installed, but you need to have MS .NET Framework 3.5 sp1 (free) which you might
already have. If demo 2 or 3 don't install, proceed to the installation of Demo
(1) first.
I believe I've read somewhere that the CLI sends updates of its inputs about
sixty times per second. So, I guess that a scan time of about 15-20 ms is the
fastest you can get for a user program.
Give some feedback if you try it.
Thank you.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| |
|
In lugnet.dacta, Yves Levesque wrote:
> In lugnet.dacta, Jetro de Chateau wrote:
> >
> > Thanks a lot for sharing. I have one of these interfaces but my main problem
> > with it (using Robolab) has always been the incredibly slow response to inputs
> > (press a touch sensor and wait about 1 second for the motor to stop).
> > Can you tell me anything about response times in your program?
> >
> > Jetro
>
> Hi Jetro,
>
> This is the exact reason why I started this project.
> I did try Robolab (V5.1 I think) and was very disappointed about the time
> response.
>
> Of course, If people don't know about Visual Basic (VB), there is some learning
> if they want to use the proposed DLL in their own projects since it is NOT as
> easy as Lego Logo or any graphical programming langugage.
>
> But still, The VB certainly brings more power and you can build a pretty User
> Interface with buttons and lights on your computer screen...
>
> If you try my Installable Demos (Using the Setup), I did set the Scan Time to 50
> ms which is very Fast. If you open the source of the Demos in VB.NET, you can
> change this Scan Time to whatever you want.
>
> The Demo 2 will give you a good idea of the response time at 50 ms since the
> Output 1 follows the status of a switch connected to input 1.
>
> The installable versions (setup) of the demos don't request to have VB.NET
> installed, but you need to have MS .NET Framework 3.5 sp1 (free) which you might
> already have. If demo 2 or 3 don't install, proceed to the installation of Demo
> (1) first.
>
> I believe I've read somewhere that the CLI sends updates of its inputs about
> sixty times per second. So, I guess that a scan time of about 15-20 ms is the
> fastest you can get for a user program.
>
> Give some feedback if you try it.
>
> Thank you.
That sounds very promising! I have absolutely no idea about VB. My idea was to
build something for a display at a LUG event which would require the interface
to be connected to a laptop. Unfortunately, the only laptop I have that has a
serial port (the other 'big' problem of the interface) runs windows 98 and
cannot run XP - Will that be a problem?
Otherwise, do you think your VB application will work over a USB-Serial
converter? (robolab doesn't - I've tried half a dozen different adapters).
Jetro
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
In lugnet.dacta, Jetro de Chateau wrote:
>
> That sounds very promising! I have absolutely no idea about VB. My idea was to
> build something for a display at a LUG event which would require the interface
> to be connected to a laptop. Unfortunately, the only laptop I have that has a
> serial port (the other 'big' problem of the interface) runs windows 98 and
> cannot run XP - Will that be a problem?
> Otherwise, do you think your VB application will work over a USB-Serial
> converter? (robolab doesn't - I've tried half a dozen different adapters).
>
> Jetro
I have not had any problems using the CLI with a Startech USB-Serial converter
on my laptop (running WinXP). I have also used the converter successfully with
Robolab 2.5.4 and 2.9.
http://www.startech.com/item/ICUSB232-USB-to-RS232-DB9-Serial-Adapter-Cable-Male-to-Male-Serial-Adapter-USB-to-Serial.aspx
Brian
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| |
|
In lugnet.dacta, Brian Bachmeier wrote:
> In lugnet.dacta, Jetro de Chateau wrote:
> >
> > That sounds very promising! I have absolutely no idea about VB. My idea was to
> > build something for a display at a LUG event which would require the interface
> > to be connected to a laptop. Unfortunately, the only laptop I have that has a
> > serial port (the other 'big' problem of the interface) runs windows 98 and
> > cannot run XP - Will that be a problem?
> > Otherwise, do you think your VB application will work over a USB-Serial
> > converter? (robolab doesn't - I've tried half a dozen different adapters).
> >
> > Jetro
>
> I have not had any problems using the CLI with a Startech USB-Serial converter
> on my laptop (running WinXP). I have also used the converter successfully with
> Robolab 2.5.4 and 2.9.
>
> http://www.startech.com/item/ICUSB232-USB-to-RS232-DB9-Serial-Adapter-Cable-Male-to-Male-Serial-Adapter-USB-to-Serial.aspx
>
> Brian
I am using a Prolific USB-Serial Adapter for my CLI project and it works great.
I am using it on a Dell Latitude E6500 with Win XP SP3.
I don't believe my VB solution will work on windows 98 because it needs the
Microsoft .Net Framework 3.5 sp1 which, I think, does not install on win98.
I understand that this solution is still NOT the ultimate solution since VB.NET
is not as easy as simple lego logo langage.
I did choose VB.NET because I currently use VBA (Visual Basic for application)
that comes as part of all MS Office applications (Excel, Access). VB.NET
express edition is Free and not that difficult to learn by ourself compare to
other langages. A lot of good ref exist on the net.
And it offers lots of possibilities. Not only it provides a way to make a
program to handle CLI's I/Os but it also gives a great Graphical User Interface
(GUI) where we can put Push Buttons and feedback indications, counters
indications etc... (try Lego70909DemoSource.zip to have a look at the GUI for
testing all CLI's I/Os).
I could eventually write a PDF document that explains, step by step with images,
how to build a Lego CLI application in VB.NET if people shows interest in
building their own lego CLI project using my VB.NET DLL.
If you tell me what exactly you want to do with your CLI at your LUG event (What
is connected to your CLI I/Os, How many CLIs, A functionnal description
explaining the logic in relation to all I/Os.), I would be glad to build a
program for you. As long as it is not a very long term contract ;-).
Yves.
| | | | | | |
