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Subject: 
Re: IR to FM
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.robotics
Date: 
Thu, 31 Aug 2000 22:12:37 GMT
Original-From: 
Simon Bogaert <Simon.Bogaert@=spamless=advalvas.be>
Viewed: 
783 times
  
<snapped an excellent technical description>

I have used a small 8051 (single chip) microprocessor to decode these • kinds
of signals in the past. I converted them into RS-232 so that I could plug
this into a PC's serial port - which I used to drive a flight simulator
program that I'd written for a radio controlled model plane!

So it's certainly not impossible that you could do it in software inside
an RCX with the output of a radio receiver (appropriately
demodulated/amplified/attenuated/whatever) stuffed into one of the inputs.
The RCX is quite a bit faster than an 8051 - so this shouldn't be too
hard.
I wasn't exactly thinking of the RCX doing the smart job of the FM
communication.  I imagined more of the RCX just outputting IR signals to an
apparatus that translates them to FM.  These radio waves are then picked up
by a second apparatus that translates the FM back to RCX compatible IR
signals, thus enabling the two RCX'es to communicate outside the line of
sight and on a greater distance.

However, I do think you'd need to use a true machine-code/C approach using
LegOS or something to do the decoding. The NQC byte-code wouldn't be fast
enough - and the task scheduler would do bad things to your high precision
timing.

Getting this to work would actually be rather cool - the radio system
could easily provide up to 8 analog/switched inputs using only one
RCX input.

On the other hand, any filtering/protection circuitry that Lego may
have hung off the RCX inputs might screw things up to the point where
you can't read the input signal anymore.
Making an RCX the heart of radio comms is indeed a very interesting project.

Using one of the RCX outputs to drive a radio transmitter ought to
be possible too.  Some RC transmitters have an optional 'buddy box'
input that lets you slave one transmitter to another so that an
'instructor' can take over and fly your model plane if you are
in danger of crashing it while learning to fly.

The buddy box input is in the same format at the RC output
signal - except that it's not FM or AM modulated.  Again, I'm
not sure what voltages you'd need - but in principle one
could connect the output of an RCX to the buddy box input via
some kind of signal conditioning and some careful timing
software and have a radio link!
This also is a very interesting project!

I considered doing this once before (but with a laptop's printer
port - not an RCX) - so I could teach my computer to fly
an RC plane...

...but then sanity prevailed.

   :-)
Which wasn't in-sane...

** WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING **

     PLEASE DON'T DO THIS UNLESS YOU ARE FULLY AWARE OF
         THE
EXACT VOLTS, AMPS, OHMS, WATTS, HERTZ,
          BITS AND BYTES OF WHAT YOU ARE DOING!

If you do any of these things and wreck either the RCX, your
computer or your radio gear, I will not be accepting responsability!
Of course not: doing anything with your RCX that's not in the book of
correct use is at your own risk.

Don't stop constructring...

Simon



Message has 1 Reply:
  Re: IR to FM
 
Hi, Here is a link on ebay for the exact item I was talking about: (URL) Original Message ----- From: "Simon Bogaert" <lego-robotics@crynwr.com> To: <lugnet.robotics@lugnet.com> Sent: Thursday, August 31, 2000 6:12 PM Subject: Re: IR to FM (...) (...) (24 years ago, 2-Sep-00, to lugnet.robotics)

Message is in Reply To:
  Re: IR to FM
 
(...) Well, I know a little about the format of Radio control signals of the kind you get in RC planes and cars. There is a signal pattern (which can be either FM or AM depending on the waveband of the radio) that represents a train of pulses that (...) (24 years ago, 29-Aug-00, to lugnet.robotics)

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