Subject:
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Re: NXT What Programming Languages + Open source?
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.robotics
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Date:
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Thu, 2 Nov 2006 13:41:19 GMT
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Viewed:
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3818 times
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In lugnet.robotics, Ross Crawford wrote:
> In lugnet.robotics, John Hansen wrote:
> >
> > I suspect that the firmware sourcecode will be released very soon. Once it is I
> > think that non-open source solutions will quickly fade into obscurity.
>
> Not sure I agree with that sentiment - I think there will always be a place
> closed-source programming environments, as long as they provide quality
> solutions with useful features, and good support.
I am not wishing that they fade into obscurity. I just will be extremely
surprised if they don't.
Already a single not very bright individual with no monetary funds, working in
his spare time has produced an open source IDE that is 10-times better than
current proprietary alternatives. And he released a cross-platform open source
text-based programming language solution that supports the standard NXT firmware
well before a commercial alternative became available - even though the
commercial solution had the entire firmware sourcecode at their disposal for
many months before work ever commenced on NBC. Additionally, several powerful
open source NXT utilities and libraries were produced during this same time
frame by just one individual. NQC for the standard NXT firmware is in progress
as is also NQC for the LEGO Robolab 2.9 NXT firmware, and I plan on working on a
brickOS NXT port, if I can find a bit more spare time.
Since the release of the NXT and the SDKs we've started to see a flood of open
source off-brick programming tools and utilities. And it's just the beginning
of what we are about to see once the firmware sourcecode is released.
Ralph Hempel's firmware will almost certainly eclipse the RobotC firmware in
terms of features, programming power, and speed. And Lua is a language that is
soaring in popularity. Michael Barrett Anderson has indicated his intent to
produce an open source RCX2-compatible firmware for the NXT once the firmware
source code is released. I have no doubt it will be extraoridinarily popular.
Brian Bagnall and Jurgen Stuber are working on leJOS for the NXT which will also
draw a huge crowd. Dave Anderson and others have discussed a uCOS
implementation for the NXT which will also be a huge draw - especially in the
university setting. All of these alternative firmwares and programming
languages will be supported in the open source BricxCC IDE and I am sure there
will be Eclipse-based solutions developed as well.
Before long there simply won't be a reason to pay for an alternate firmware and
a second-rate development environment.
John Hansen
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Message has 2 Replies:
 | | Re: Open source?
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| (...) Who cares? Years ago, we saw many IDEs for the RCX come and go. I suspect for most people, it was a chance to play with programming and LEGO at the same time. A challenge to one's self to see if it "can be done". I doubt any of these were (...) (18 years ago, 2-Nov-06, to lugnet.robotics)
| | | Re: NXT What Programming Languages + Open source?
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| (...) That's why I qualified it by saying "as long as they provide quality solutions with useful features, and good support". Yes, RobotC has a way to go before it gets to the commercially acceptable stage, but that doesn't mean it won't. And (...) (18 years ago, 2-Nov-06, to lugnet.robotics)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: NXT What Programming Languages + Open source?
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| (...) Not sure I agree with that sentiment - I think there will always be a place closed-source programming environments, as long as they provide quality solutions with useful features, and good support. Having said that, I'd love to see an (...) (18 years ago, 1-Nov-06, to lugnet.robotics)
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