Subject:
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Brainstorms
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.robotics
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Date:
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Thu, 8 Aug 2002 20:34:12 GMT
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Viewed:
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641 times
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Ok. I've seen a similar ebb and flow of ideas for modularization in this
newsgroup before. The difference, is that now, most people who are reading
this a probably well familiar with the RCX, Mindstorms, etc etc.
The subject of this post is intended as an invitation to anyone who would
like to contribute their ideas, wants, wishes, desires for a new direction
for managing a microcomputer controlled Lego creation. As far as I see it
there are only two real candidate architectures, modular and monolithic. I
regard the RCX as a monolithic structure in the sense that is the entire
core entity into which you plug motors and sensors. A modular approach, in
this context, would split that monolithic central "thing" into a number of
constituent entities, like power source, CPU, memory, sound making devices,
displays etc etc.
Modular?
How do you connect them? By wires? By plugging modules together?
What sort of granularity is required? All semi-intelligent? One master with
loads of dumb I/O slaves?
How do you supply power to all the modules? Independently? Along the common
data communication interface (via the wires or plugging scheme mentioned above)?
How does your software deal with the variable topology possible? Do modules
somehow use some kind of dynamic address assignment(how does your software
know which motor controller is which?)? Do modules have preset addresses or
IDs (do you really like those fiddly little DIP switches?)? Or do you have
some kind of initialization process to give them an ID they store internally
in EEPROM (in which case they all look the same, and you have to try and
remember what ID you programmed into each one to be able to talk to it again?)?
etc ... etc ... etc
Monolithic?
Do you want a bigger RCX? How big - 6 motors/12 sensors?
Assuming it uses 2x2 Lego style connectors, can it have connection studs on;
just one face (top?)?, two faces (top and bottom to make it smaller? but
harder to build into a model!)?
Internal or external batteries/power?
How much memory?
Does it need a display? What sort?
Does it need buttons? How many?
Does it need both IR and RF comms?
Does it need to be able to comm with other ones of its own kind?
Please let your imagination wander and contribute your thoughts. Just
remember to keep practicality in the back of your mind when blue-skying
this. I may well decide to build a sample or two of what comes out of this,
assuming something does. So it needs to be able to be done with existing
commonplace technology.
JB
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Message has 9 Replies:
 | | Re: Brainstorms
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| I don't know too much about electronics and micro-computing but here are my thoughts. For modularity I would use some kind of conector plate like the ones for old motors. This connectors would provide electricity and communication between bricks, (...) (22 years ago, 8-Aug-02, to lugnet.robotics)
| | | Re: Brainstorms
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| (...) It's more than that. Lego is all about having no arbitary limits on what you can build. If you have enough bricks, you can build arbitarily complex things. However, RCX is horribly limited - and it's limits are obvious and easily reached. (...) (22 years ago, 9-Aug-02, to lugnet.robotics)
| | | RE: Brainstorms
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| (...) <SNIP> The more things change..... It's funny, but if you look back at the rec.toys.lego archives around 1998 you will find a thread that is very similar to this, and then LEGO brought out the RCX. Producing, selling, and supporting single (...) (22 years ago, 9-Aug-02, to lugnet.robotics)
| | | Re: Brainstorms
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| I'd really love to have the time to do this right, with links to all the neat articles I have been finding for lunch time reading, and to be up todate on the technology involved. But I will be lucky if I can get this written befoe I am required to (...) (22 years ago, 9-Aug-02, to lugnet.robotics)
| | | Re: Brainstorms
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| I'd like to see something inline with all the other comments that would be able to use standard IRDA from my laptop. And have pwm output for servos. Rob (22 years ago, 9-Aug-02, to lugnet.robotics)
| | | Re: Brainstorms
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| Cheers John! Not really a high-end user, I'm fairly satisfied with the RCX brick with a few exceptions: First, it isn't really that robust. I've got 2 RCX bricks, and both get amnesia. Bending out the battery clips reduced the problem in one, but (...) (22 years ago, 9-Aug-02, to lugnet.robotics)
| | | Re: Brainstorms
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| All: I think the project that I am working, called RoboBricks, on is quite relevant to this topic. Since this is my first post to this group, I should introduce myself as a very active member of the Home Brew Robitics Club based out of San Jose, (...) (22 years ago, 10-Aug-02, to lugnet.robotics)
| | | Re: Brainstorms
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| OK, I've been watching this thread for a few days (I am LUCNY's "Expert Lurker" after all !) and refining some ideas that I've had for a while in hopes that I can contibute to this dicussion in a useful way. Please keep in mind that I'm a Mechanical (...) (22 years ago, 11-Aug-02, to lugnet.robotics)
| | | Re: Brainstorms
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| (...) What you want... surely must depend on what you can reasonably expect to get. I have no expectation that LEGO will come up with a major revision that has the breadth and depth of the wonderful suggestions in the responses to John's post. (...) (22 years ago, 11-Aug-02, to lugnet.robotics)
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