Subject:
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Re: Lego R/C etc
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.robotics
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Date:
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Tue, 13 Mar 2001 00:49:04 GMT
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Viewed:
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1620 times
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WOW ! Sounds like someone answered my prayers. #3 appeals to me. It
sounds like just the thing to run the AI on a PC and remotely control the
LEGO(R) Chassis. Would it be too much to ask for pics of the prototypes ?
-Xanthra47
"John Barnes" <lego-robotics@crynwr.com> wrote in message
news:4.2.0.58.20010312125508.0199aa10@mailserver...
> I'm sorry for the delay in being able to post on this subject.
> I've been out of town for a couple of weeks, and will be away for
> a few days this week as well. It's the busy season for me!
>
> Here is the current state of the game;
>
> I have built a few prototype devices, one of which appeared at the
> Cheshire Legofest in the UK - thanks Jennifer for fielding the questions
> for the last week or so.
>
> This is the plan.
>
> 1. Build RF based motor controller with RS232 feature on the controller.
>
> 2. Build RF based sensor controller with RS232 feature on the readout
> device.
>
> 3. Build combo RF unit with both motor control and sensor control.
>
> 4. Build "mega interface" for hardwired connection to host PC with perhaps
> 12 - 16 motor channels and 24 - 32 sensor channels.
>
> (I have also built a "remote control sensor brick". It connects to the • sensor
> input of the RCX, running in the same way as a light sensor - taking its
> power from the RCX. The receiver only draws 2mA. The remote control has
> a number of buttons. Each button causes the receiver to signal the RCX • with
> a different current. This means you can command the RCX by wireless. Why
> you ask? Because if you ever build a multi-RCX robot, you can't use the
> IR remote!)
>
> At the moment, the individual RF devices have 8 channels, while the
> combo unit has 6 + 6. They all have non-volatile memory so it is possible
> to program them remotely and have them act autonomously if necessary.
> The mega device is on the drawing board still, although I have a potential
> user who is looking at a large train control project. The autonomous
> operation I am currently working on is NOT compatible with the RCX byte
> code system because the Lego byte codes cannot easily be extended to
> handle more resources. There is no reason why, for compatibility, this
> could not be done however. I am using the new PIC16F877 devices which
> are easy to reprogram.
>
> The current combo unit uses a single frequency and thus has to switch
> between transmit and receive all the time. The cheap RF modules I am using
> take about 200mS to go from transmit to receive so the maximum message
> rate is very very low. Not good for PC controlled remote control robotics.
>
> At the moment, I am using RF modules which operate at 418 or 433 MHz.
> Output power of about 1mW provides good range (~50' - 100') even with
> very inefficient antennas. What I am intending to do, when I get some time
> at home, is to investigate making a device which runs in full duplex, so • it
> can transmit and receive at the same time. I will try to take advantage of • the
> availability of both 418 and 433 MHz modules. If it works, it will speed • up the
> message transfer rate a lot.
>
> The cheap RF modules do not have any kind of channel selection and thus
> multiple simultaneous operation of different communications links at the • same
> time is not possible, unless you want to use the half duplex system and • some
> kind of media sharing protocol which would be very very slow. So these • devices
> will not play well in a Legofest type situation.
>
> Please let me have your comments. I am hoping that the overall response to
> making a range of products like this available would result in a level of
> sales to
> justify the investment in time and energy to build them. And I would like • to
> believe I am building something that would appeal to typical subscribers • to
> this
> news group.
>
> JB
>
>
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | RE: Lego R/C etc
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| erm... for LEGO purists, there's LEGO #8483 Technic CyberMaster ;) (a pBrick with RF PC control that provides a perfect Lego roverbot chassis) Check (URL) -----Original Message----- (...) (26 years ago, 13-Mar-01, to lugnet.robotics)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Lego R/C etc
|
| I'm sorry for the delay in being able to post on this subject. I've been out of town for a couple of weeks, and will be away for a few days this week as well. It's the busy season for me! Here is the current state of the game; I have built a few (...) (26 years ago, 12-Mar-01, to lugnet.robotics)
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