Subject:
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Re: Elimating the need for the IR tower
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.robotics
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Date:
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Thu, 11 Jan 2001 16:00:17 GMT
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Viewed:
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728 times
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YOU ROCK!
let me know when something happens and i'll see what i can do about getting
a parts kit ready for order from the industrial electronics.
a no-power ir tower is exactly what i was looking for for programming from
my PSPC bu i think that i will need to amp it a little cause of the low
voltage from the serial port on those, i don't know how .5V can be gotten
from a device with an input of 3V :)
anyways,
m.
"John Barnes" <lego-robotics@crynwr.com> wrote in message
news:4.2.0.58.20010111100931.01b5d1e0@mailserver...
> Ken Warren wrote:
>
> > Has anyone actually got a circuit diagram? I'd be most interested to see • it
> > as I've got the Robot Development Kit and it doesn't come with an IR • tower
> > and Lego's promise of 'available Autumn 2000' for the upgrade seems to • have
> > failed.
>
> There are all sorts of dire consequences for reverse enigneering things • these
> days. But rest assured, the tower is not that complex.
>
> Last night, after yesterdays flurry of messages about the this thread, I
> built up
> a self powered "tower". As I expected, there is adequate power to be had • from
> your typical RS232 control lines to run it.
>
> I obtained a range of about 6 inches which is perfect for "short range".
> The only
> problem I had was to make sure the RCX is set to short range. If it is set
> to long
> range, its output seems to overload the tower sensor at such distances. • (The
> RCX's IR output in long range mode is very very bright!!)
>
> The ultimate test is to be able to download the firmware, especially
> firm0328.lgo
> which is by far the largest. I used a 100 watt light bulb as an ambient
> light source
> to determine the sensitivity to ambient light. If the bulb was closer than
> six feet,
> then the download normally failed. If it was closer than two feet, then • simple
> polls failed also. As a comparison, the official Lego tower is not a lot
> better. You
> cannot download the firmware with a 100 watt lightbulb two feet from the • RCX.
> With the the nearest 100 watt lightbulb about 8 feet away, I had no • problems.
> I am sure that, appropriately shaded, these figures can be changed, but my
> prototype setup wasn't easy to shade ;)
>
> I will try to get the schematic into a suitable format asap. I ensured • that
> every part
> is obtainable from Digikey. The testing was done with a Compaq laptop • which has
> a fairly weak RS232 output port, so I am assuming that beefier PCs will be • ok.
> (I tested the circuitry powered from a 9 - 12 volt supply too, and it • works
> just fine.
> My Compaq only makes +/- 5 volts on its outputs under a 1k load.)
>
> JB
>
>
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | RE: Elimating the need for the IR tower
|
| Ken Warren wrote: >Has anyone actually got a circuit diagram? I'd be most interested to see it >as I've got the Robot Development Kit and it doesn't come with an IR tower >and Lego's promise of 'available Autumn 2000' for the upgrade seems to have (...) (24 years ago, 11-Jan-01, to lugnet.robotics)
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