Subject:
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Re: Future Mindstorm Releases?
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.robotics
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Date:
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Wed, 1 Sep 2004 15:29:18 GMT
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Viewed:
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2952 times
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In lugnet.robotics, John Barnes wrote:
> I think this one comment hits the nail on the head. These parts are components,
> not ready to go sensors. If you'd be happy to pay $1.50 for an IRPD, you can buy
> them from most major component resellers. Go browse what digikey sell as
> sensors.
Sure, and then (as I believe you are pointing out), I have something I can't
easily use with RCX.
But if I have the MarkIII's sensor board ($20) with the input expander kit
($22), then the IRPD *is* a sensor -- it will plug right in. As will seven
other similar sensors, on the same input board. How much will it cost be to
connect eight similar sensors to the RCX?
> The thing is, most Mindstorms users are not electronics engineers. Or they don't
> want to be. They want the details taken care of, so when you say "its an RCX
> compatible ultrasonic sensor" you mean to imply it connects to the RCX sensor
> port and the software on the inside of the RCX can use the readings.
That's fair enough, and it's worth paying a bit extra for such plug-and-play
components. But it doesn't address these two problems:
1. Most kinds of sensors you might want are simply not available for RCX at all.
2. Even if you buy aftermarket sensors that do what you want, you have that
three-input limitation to deal with.
I'd be quite happy (as I'm sure y'all would, too), if LEGO would provide some
sort of input expander module that lets you channel (say) eight sensors into one
RCX input, and if they offered a wider variety of sensors.
> There is absolutely nothing stopping anyone buying bare electronic parts and
> sticking them in their own bricks if they want.
Well, yes, there is, if by "bricks" you mean RCX units -- doing so is
considerably harder than connecting them to other controllers, or so it appears
to me (but I could be all wrong there, I'm just a newbie).
Best,
- Joe
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: Future Mindstorm Releases?
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| (...) A relatively simple way to hack together an output expander is to throw a commercially available DCC controller into a brick[1]: (2 URLs) Each one of these bricks can control two lamps and a motor. Since each of these DCC bricks is (...) (20 years ago, 2-Sep-04, to lugnet.robotics, FTX)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: Future Mindstorm Releases?
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| In lugnet.robotics, Joe Strout wrote: .. snip snip (...) .. snip snip I think this one comment hits the nail on the head. These parts are components, not ready to go sensors. If you'd be happy to pay $1.50 for an IRPD, you can buy them from most (...) (20 years ago, 1-Sep-04, to lugnet.robotics)
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