Subject:
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Cybermaster-RCX interface (was: Questions about unoficial (?) use of electrical LEGO parts)
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.robotics
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Date:
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Wed, 1 Mar 2000 16:31:30 GMT
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Original-From:
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Marco C. <marco@soporcel.STOPSPAMMERSpt>
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Viewed:
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724 times
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At 13:28 01-03-2000 +0100, Thomas Christiansen wrote:
> Hi Marco
> Perhaps you can connect the two directly, but just like you I'm not going to
> be the first to try.
> I'm planning to connect the CyberMaster and RCX too. I haven't started yet,
> but some day this week
> I'll check the motor-outs with an oscilliscope and try to figure out how
> they work...
Well, that's my problem, I don't have any kind of measuring tool (er... nor
the expertise ;) to check for myself if it's safe to try a direct
connection between the OUTPUT-INPUT ports.
Please, share your findings :) !
> I've heard something about the speed of the motors being regulated via a
> variating pulse...
> Few pulses generating a low speed and so on. If this is correct, one could
> possibly count the impulses,
Yes, I think it's PWM.
> either via the input, directly on the CyberMaster/RCX (but this would call
> for a low frequency)
Yup, that could be a way. I don't know if the pBrick's fast enough to read
the pulses.
> or via some chip, converting the frequency to an 8-bit signal, which can be
> converted into resistance via resistors.
For the digital-electronics aware guy (not me, I'm afraid), that's the
perfect way to deal with the Cybermaster-Mindstorms pBrick comms.
Heck, LEGO *should* do an interface like this available !!!!
> I should perhaps use a little more time to explain what my thoughts are, but
> I'm in a hurry, so I hope you understand the above. ;)
Ok, thxs for your info on this :)
> PS: What I'm also thinking about at the moment, is how to make a
> communications-protocol which makes it
> possible to transmit more complex messages between the pBricks. Any ideas?
That's the next step, after deciding if a direct electrical "interface" is
possible.
If not, there's always the optocoupler method.
I was planning to use a custom made (with standard firmware, using NCQ)
bidirectional(*) serial comms protocol, through *slower* software
controlled "pulses".
(*)= (Cybermaster OUT -> RCX IN) + (RCX OUT -> CyberMaster IN)
Don't know about VLL, if it's usable here. Must check info about Scout's
VLL, to see if it's possible to make something compatible with the it in
NCQ (for the CyberMaster).
____________________
Marco C. aka McViper
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