Subject:
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Re: mindstorms NXT
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.robotics
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Date:
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Fri, 6 Jan 2006 01:35:41 GMT
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Viewed:
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7121 times
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In lugnet.robotics, Mike Walters wrote:
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2) In addition to the desire for multiple motors on a single port, hasn’t
there been some use found in the past for multiple sensors on a single port?
For instance, two touch sensors can be connected in parallel on RCX to create
an “OR” touch sensor. It appears that the NXT does not allow parallel
connection of sensors in this way. Perhaps an external multiplexer will be
one of the first things that the Mindstorms community creates, but it won’t be
as simple as just plugging multiple ones in to a single port.
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My hope is that this is some sort of bus system which will allow someone
(possible LEGO itself) to make a “hub” which you could use for this. There are
three ways to do this:
- the hub could do the logic operations itself (perhaps with a switch on the unit to make it do AND or OR)
- each sensor could have a unique ID (like an ethernet MAC address) and you do the operation in software .. this one seems unlikely as it might be confusing for kids (it’s easier to identify things by where they’re connected rather than an arbitrary ID number .. and if a sensor died and you had to replace it, then you’d have to edit your program to reflect the change)
- each sensor could be identified by how it is connected (ie. if you had a two port hub on port 1, then the sensors could be 1.1 and 1.2 .. if you had another hub rather than a sensor in the second port on the hub, then you could end up with 1.2.1 and 1.2.2, etc.) and again you’d do the logic in software
I assume the motors are limited to three for power issues.. there’s only so many
milliamps to go around. (also, with the rotation sensor, how would you handle
conflicting rotation information from different motors??)
It would be cool to have an external unit with its own battery pack and motor
ports to supply extra motors. (It could be connected through the motor or
sensor ports, or through USB, or through bluetooth.. of course, for those
willing to spend a lot extra, you could probably use an extra NXT for this by
having a master NXT send commands to a slave NXT over bluetooth)
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3) Although I should be more upset than anyone about the obsolescence RIS 2.0
(considering that I *just* paid $200 for one two weeks ago and it is now
official obsolete), I am cool with a new version being created that is
unencumbered by an attempt to be backward compatible. With all that being
said, I still think it would be cool to build robots that use both the RCX and
the NXT. I mean, if you’ve got the RCX and all those sensors, why not use
them? But, how would the two communicate? Since the NXT does not have IR and
the RCX does not have bluetooth...
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What I’d love to see would be an adaptor which would plug into one of the NXT
ports which would provide 2x2 electrical stud connectors for old parts. Some
for sensors, plus some others to drive motors, lights, etc. you could probably
also build one which would connect to the RCX in order to exchange data. (use
an RCX motor output to send data to the NXT, use a sensor port to receive data
from the NXT. or an IR unit, to avoid using up the RCX’s ports)
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5) I wonder if there will be Technic parts kits made available specifically
for expanding NXT?
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There were some expansion packs for the RCX kits, so I’d certainly expect some
for the NXT. Plus, LEGO’s announcement mentions third party development, so
hopefully we’ll see some third party sensors and such as well. Perhaps the move
away from putting studs on the parts is to allow for third party parts.. LEGO
probably would authorize third parties to make brick-compatible ones (to protect
the public’s association between studded bricks and the LEGO brand) but a few
technic holes would be permissible, I’d think.
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: mindstorms NXT
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| (...) I was just thinking .. the rumors about this year's trains are that they'll be remote controlled battery-powered units (probably so LEGO can use cheaper track without the metal conductors) .. those would fit the bill exactly. Bluetooth (...) (18 years ago, 7-Jan-06, to lugnet.robotics, FTX)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: mindstorms NXT
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| I'm embarrassingly new to Mindstorms. My first Mindstorms system (RIS 2.0) was purchased just two weeks ago. I'm still very much a novice. With that in mind...I have a few observations/questions of my own: 1) I'm stunned by this announcement! After (...) (18 years ago, 6-Jan-06, to lugnet.robotics)
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