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Just out of interest, who'd going to sell their old Mindstorms stuff. According to the Wired article, the new NXT series sets won't be compatible with the old Mindstorms stuff which is a bit alarming. It makes me wonder if it is worth holding onto (...) (19 years ago, 5-Jan-06, to lugnet.robotics)
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| | Re: mindstorms NXT
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(...) My main worry is that the programming interfaces for the new and the old systems won't be able to co-exist on the same computer system, so if you want to use your old RCX you have to program it on different PC from the one you use for the new (...) (19 years ago, 5-Jan-06, to lugnet.robotics)
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| | Re: mindstorms NXT
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(...) Not me. From the press release it looks like this new NXT is going to outclass the RCX, but that doesn't mean I won't play with the "old" stuff a whole lot as well - I've not come near the limits of it as yet (I'm fine tuning my 3T robot as I (...) (19 years ago, 5-Jan-06, to lugnet.robotics)
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| | Re: mindstorms NXT
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(...) And where are the studs???...??? It looks 100% liftarms to me (19 years ago, 5-Jan-06, to lugnet.robotics)
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| | Re: mindstorms NXT
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If this new sensor interface indeed is digital and indeed has an "open" protocol, there will soon enough be some eletronics engineer designing an interface or a multiplexer for the old sensors... Lego won't be the one providing that interface, I (...) (19 years ago, 5-Jan-06, to lugnet.robotics)
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| | Re: mindstorms NXT
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I guess 'digital wire interface' implies the output from the sensor itself is digital? The RCX inputs are analog and the A/D occurs inside the RCX, does it not? (19 years ago, 5-Jan-06, to lugnet.robotics)
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| | Re: mindstorms NXT
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I don't see why you wouldn't be able to install both progs on one comp. People could use NCQ progs and stock Mindstorms on the same comp, after all. -Stefan- (19 years ago, 5-Jan-06, to lugnet.robotics)
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| | Re: mindstorms NXT
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Maybe they're just making it sound better, but it'd certainly be better to have digital sensors... although homebrew will be harder. However, I don't think I'll be able to ask my dad for NeXT after the HuGE expense of the cnc machine... (...) (19 years ago, 5-Jan-06, to lugnet.robotics)
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| | Re: mindstorms NXT
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(...) It sounds simple, but Mindstorms has never been very friendly with things like ports and interrupts. If both systems are installed and competing for the same computer resources..... trouble will occur. If they over-write each others' DLLs, (...) (19 years ago, 5-Jan-06, to lugnet.robotics)
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| | Re: mindstorms NXT
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(...) Yeah it woulda been nice if the new one had IR as well and be able to control the "legacy" bricks. I'm sure the old ones will find a myriad of uses doing simpler jobs like moving cows heads on train layouts ;) (...) Well, I hope they are also (...) (19 years ago, 5-Jan-06, to lugnet.robotics)
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| | Re: mindstorms NXT
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(...) Interesting scenario. Perhaps someone can work up a homebrew bluetooth to IR repeater. Sound crazy? I'll believe anything after what I've seen people accomplish with the RCX, extending it with gameboys and such. I'm sure there are existing (...) (19 years ago, 5-Jan-06, to lugnet.robotics)
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| | Re: mindstorms NXT
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(...) Actually, the RCX outputs 0's and 1's to power the motors as it is right now. It uses Pulse Width Modulation (PWM). Basically for 1/3 power 1/3 of the pulse is 1 and the other 2/3 is 0. For full power, the signal is all 1. This creates a (...) (19 years ago, 5-Jan-06, to lugnet.robotics)
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| | Re: mindstorms NXT
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(...) I thought of this yesterday. If I end up as one of the 100 people who get it early, I'll connect a LEGO USB tower to the NXT USB port and see if I can get the NXT to control the tower. I assume I'll need a USB type-A to type-B converter. As (...) (19 years ago, 6-Jan-06, to lugnet.robotics, FTX)
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| | RE: mindstorms NXT SDK
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In lugnet.robotics, Jordan Bradford wrote: On Jan 5, 2006, at 8:21 PM, Ross Crawford wrote: I'm hoping it's just a matter of hacking the USB driver in the Mindstorms SDK. Which SDK would that be? (19 years ago, 6-Jan-06, to lugnet.robotics)
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| | Re: mindstorms NXT
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(...) I doubt that will do what you want. The RCX motor ports are equipped with motor drivers - ICs that can provide rather a lot of current, switch direction, and even short circuit the port. The digital wires would be I/O, not meant for noticeable (...) (19 years ago, 6-Jan-06, to lugnet.robotics)
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| | Re: mindstorms NXT
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If Lego obeys the USB standard and uses fullsize receptacles, it'll be a "B" type connector on the NXT. Hence, you'd need a B-male to A-female cable, which is "illegal" according to the USB standards. You might hack up your own, but that's (...) (19 years ago, 6-Jan-06, to lugnet.robotics)
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| | Re: mindstorms NXT SDK
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(...) (URL) The Ghost communication stack and API would have to be implemented in the NXT. That's actually what I meant when I said "driver." A custom driver for the tower would probably have to be written for the tower to run from within the NXT. I (...) (19 years ago, 6-Jan-06, to lugnet.robotics, FTX)
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| | Re: mindstorms NXT
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(...) I see no other wires into the motors, which means all the current is coming from that one connection. Whether or not there is separate supply and control lines in that connector is debatable until we get our hands on one - I would prefer not, (...) (19 years ago, 6-Jan-06, to lugnet.robotics)
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| | Re: mindstorms NXT
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(...) I think that saying the RCX outputs 0's and 1's to the motor may be a bit misleading with respect to considerations of digital signalling. It is true that the CPU inside the RCX creates a logic level (1's and 0's) PWM signal intended for the (...) (19 years ago, 6-Jan-06, to lugnet.robotics)
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| | Re: mindstorms NXT
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(...) Indeed, see this image, also clearly showing motor connectors : (URL) (from the article now available here (URL)) (...) An USB On The Go (host+slave) chip is not so expansive. But a host software stack is much more complex, and would expose (...) (19 years ago, 6-Jan-06, to lugnet.robotics, FTX)
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| | Re: mindstorms NXT
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(...) Just as lego says: What is the usability of the USB port in the NXT brick? The USB port is a "slave" which means that it can only communicate with USB "master" ports, e.g. computers. The usage of the USB port is for fast download from PC to (...) (19 years ago, 7-Jan-06, to lugnet.robotics, FTX)
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| | Re: mindstorms NXT
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(...) From the LEGO NXT FAQ... "An electric motor whose speed or position is controlled by a closed loop feedback circuit that can sense its position. The speed of the motor is measured by a tachometer. The tachometer produces a voltage that is (...) (19 years ago, 8-Jan-06, to lugnet.robotics)
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| | Re: mindstorms NXT
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(...) You mean like one of these? ;) (URL) (...) I've read the replies to this post, but I'll respond here. As far as the cable is concerned, the plug type is irrelevant; it's just a standard. The real determination of "master" and "slave" happens (...) (19 years ago, 8-Jan-06, to lugnet.robotics, FTX)
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| | hitechnic compass
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I know everyone is psyched about the NXT, but on another topic-- does anyone have experience with the new compass sensor from Hitechnic? In particular, I'm wondering what chip they use, and how sensitive it is to non-horizontal placement. Also, can (...) (19 years ago, 8-Jan-06, to lugnet.robotics)
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| | Re: hitechnic compass & NXT
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(...) I got one a little while ago. It's pretty cool. With that, and one rotation sensor, I was able to make a robot that could navigate a pre-defined course around my house. I'm not sure what chip is used, but I doubt you'll get better accuracy (...) (19 years ago, 10-Jan-06, to lugnet.robotics)
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