Subject:
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Re: software-controlled motors
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.robotics
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Date:
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Mon, 13 May 2002 22:05:05 GMT
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Original-From:
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Steve Baker <sjbaker1@airmail+AvoidSpam+.net>
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Reply-To:
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sjbaker1@+spamless+airmail.net
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Viewed:
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1986 times
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Russell Nelson wrote:
> A non-lego posing:
>
> I wish that somebody sold software-controlled motors. The motors
> would have a power connection, and a signal connection. The motors
> would be controlled in a multi-drop fashion, so that one controller
> could talk to as many robots as necessary. The motor would always
> know its own position, and could be commanded to move to another
> position at a certain time in the future.
>
> Kind of like servomotors, only multi-turn, and with an integral
> controller.
What I'd like to see would be a Lego computer that was as flexible,
expandable and reconfigurable as the mechanical parts of the Lego
system.
I'd like to think in terms of using something like an I2C bus between
'modules' - where a module could be a CPU, some memory, an EPROM, a
sensor or a motor - all strung together on a single bus cable with
power being supplied from a battery box. IR communication would be
another module and so would the LCD panel with associated buttons.
With this kind of setup, one would have the kinds of 'smart motors'
that you are talking about - and also be able to have essentially
unlimited numbers of motors and sensors (because they'd be 'bussed'
together rather than having descrete connectors).
Since most 'modules' would consist of just one or two small components,
most would fit inside a 2x4 brick.
There are dozens of I2C compatible devices out there including some
fun things like voice synthesisers and modems.
I think it's a shame that Lego didn't go this route in the first place.
The whole unexpandable rigid 'RCX' concept is quite contrary to what
makes Lego fun.
----------------------------- Steve Baker -------------------------------
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URLs : http://www.sjbaker.org
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | RE: software-controlled motors
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| This modular RCX ideia is perfect, very LEGOish in did :) (...) <OFF-TOPIC> IMHO, TLC isn't thinking "LEGO" anymore... It lost the main original ideia that made LEGO look so logic, modular and limitless (and fun). The ideia behind the newer sets (or (...) (23 years ago, 14-May-02, to lugnet.robotics)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | software-controlled motors
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| Steve Baker writes: > I've used a collection of four Scouts driven by IR commands from an RCX > to drive a total of eleven motors. Just program the scouts to read simple > 1-byte messages sent from the RCX - use the top two bits to select which > (...) (23 years ago, 13-May-02, to lugnet.robotics)
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