Subject:
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Re: RCX & RIS, a fading glory?
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.robotics
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Date:
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Sat, 1 Feb 2003 17:40:03 GMT
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Original-From:
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PeterBalch <PETERBALCH@COMPUSERVEantispam.COM>
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Viewed:
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3257 times
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Kyle
> > ROM-bricks with
> > flow-chart elements printed on them that could be stacked to build
> > programs...
> very quickly the
> physical shape, design, and mechanical funtions of the creation
> start to be dictated by this growing combination of flowchart bricks.
> It also has the downside of not being able to finish a program
> just because you ran out of 'If/then' bricks (as an example.)
Very true.
> a compromise
> computer would connect to a 'bus' or communications interace
> (which could be a simple as the 2 wires we use today, and which
> possibly could carry both power and data.)
CAN bus? I2C bus? But that would require a third wire for power. They could
be connected with miniature stereo jacks.
> blocks with motor , motor controller, an RPM/Rotation/Torque Sensor
> a compass, or a sonar, or even a
Sure.
> camera could directly interface to the computer block,
Hmmm. I don't see how. The data rates for pictures are too high and would
swamp the bus. And the real problem with a images is what to do with them.
I guess if you had an intelligent camera like the CMUCAM then the output is
just a few bytes per second.
> The downside, (and
> maybe what stopped LEGO from doing something like this) is
> the programming.
Why is it different from programming the RCX? Except whenever you buy a new
block, you also get a mini CD (or do a download) which contains the
driver/interface for that block, an icon for the drag-and-drop programming
language, etc.
> each motor has to
> have it's own address hard coded
Each block has a unique (in the universe) ID - such as the Dallas ID chips.
When the cpu is turned on it queries who's there (I think both CAN and I2C
can do that). When the PC starts a dowload, it checks that the hardware is
as expected and if it's in doubt asks which motor you meant when you said
"the left hand tracks".
> very similiar to the DCC
> system used in model trains.
I suspect that the DCC system can send power and data because it only uses
low bit rates.
Peter
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: RCX & RIS, a fading glory?
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| (...) While did take some EE courses in college I don't claim to have enough background in that area to comment on which bus could be used. I made that statement mainly based on my suspicion that something like DCC could be made to work. 2 Wires (...) (24 years ago, 3-Feb-03, to lugnet.robotics)
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