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 Dear LEGO / 1098
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Subject: 
Re: Mindstorms Wishlist
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.dear-lego
Date: 
Fri, 24 Dec 1999 00:40:50 GMT
Viewed: 
1276 times
  
On Wed, 22 Dec 1999 15:13:50 GMT, Steve Bliss
<blisses@worldnet.att.net> wrote:

How about a new, smaller, style for input/output ports, perhaps a 3.5mm plug?
This would allow more ports in less space on the RCX.  But it would also require
a port-to-LEGO conversion wire, so all the existing electric stuff can be hooked
up.  A smaller-footprint port would be useful for both a Pro and a Mini RCX.

I like it.

Also, could/should a MiniRCX have an *external* battery case, allowing more
building flexibility?

Yes. Absolutely. Over one half of the current RCX is batteries, and
another quarter or so is IO ports. I can see a very small mini-RCX
being possible, especially if you make the display smaller or remove
it altogether.

What you need is a power port the same size as current external power
ports, which can accept either the lead from the current
power-transformers, or the lead from the external battery box. The
battery box itself should include a bit of trickle-charge circuitry
(can be done in very little space and cheaply nowadays) and an input
port for the external power connector, making it dual purpose as both
a battery box and a rechargeable battery charger.

What do you think?

Jasper



Message has 2 Replies:
  Re: Mindstorms Wishlist
 
(...) Yes -- the miniRCX should have a few LEDs to indicate status, but no LCD panel. (25 years ago, 24-Dec-99, to lugnet.dear-lego)
  Re: Mindstorms Wishlist
 
In lugnet.dear-lego, Jasper Janssen wrote: [snipped great ideas about powering mini-RCX's with external battery boxes] (...) I agree! Small, modular robotic bits would be better than one big RCX bit. With the way robotic LEGO creations chew through (...) (25 years ago, 27-Dec-99, to lugnet.dear-lego)

Message is in Reply To:
  Re: Mindstorms Wishlist
 
(...) How about a new, smaller, style for input/output ports, perhaps a 3.5mm plug? This would allow more ports in less space on the RCX. But it would also require a port-to-LEGO conversion wire, so all the existing electric stuff can be hooked up. (...) (25 years ago, 22-Dec-99, to lugnet.dear-lego)

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