Subject:
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Re: Problems with RCX, ROBOLAB and Macintosh
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.robotics
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Date:
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Fri, 4 Jun 1999 16:20:10 GMT
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Original-From:
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Ralf <rkrause@bvs-ge+SayNoToSpam+-dormagen.ne.nw.schule.de>
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Viewed:
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1233 times
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Hallo Chris,
I got the page http://www.ceeo.tufts.edu/troubleshoot/.
I restarted my Mac without AppleTalk.
At once I launched ROBOLAB for downloading the firmware to RCX.
The used port is modem port. The cable is the original one from Lego.
The batterie in for ir tower has 9.4 V, the RCX is connected to 11.5 V
AC transformer. The green light is on for some seconds after clicking
the download button.
The error message of ROBOLAB software shows 3X over the cable, the ir
tower and the RCX. I tried again and got the same picture but changed
numbers of bytes.
The text message at the top of the window says "Wrong Tower Response (80
bytes read on port 1)" and that one in the scroll windows under the
picture "Wrong Tower Response (80 bytes read on port 1) .... Wrong RCX
Response (812 bytes read on port 1) .... Checksum Error (812 bytes read
on port 1) ..."
After this experiment I restarted the mac and tried the same with the
printer port ... with the same results.
I had a look at the signals on the serial cable with a RS232 tester with
some led on it. When the download is started the lights of TD and RD are
blinking ... the light for DTR (this is the Macintosh HSkOut) changes
from green to red and after skipping the download back to green.
There is a software NQC http://www.enteract.com/~dbaum/lego/nqc/
from Dave Baum that downloads the original firmware firm0309.lgo to the
RCX. The connection is fine using NQC. All tested sample programs could
be compiled and loaded to RCX without any problem.
Waiting for any result about ROBOLAB.
Ralf
Chris Rogers wrote:
>
> Ralf - we have a page that might help you http://www.ceeo.tufts.edu/troubleshoot/
> - I am not sure what is going on there - although it is aways a bummer when Daves
> works and ours does not. You said that the green light goes on - but do any
> bytes come back over? You can tell this by in the error box it tells you.
>
> If nothing on the troubleshooting page helps I can ship you some testing tools.
>
> good luck - and sorry that you are having problems...
>
> see ya
>
> Ralf wrote:
>
> > ----------------------------------------
> > Problems with RCX, ROBOLAB and Macintosh
> > ----------------------------------------
> >
> > I 've my RCX since 3 weeks. I bought it together with ROBOLAB from Lego dacta.
> > I wish to communicate to RCX from my Macintosh PPC9500/200 with the
> > iconic ROBOLAB. I tried a lot of things but there is no connection
> > possible with the ROBOLAB software (1.5.1). The communication with the
> > NQC software from Dave Baum seems to be okay ( - so that the hardware
> > RCX, ir tower and cable must be all right).
> >
> > I posted the problem on Fri, 21 May 1999, but I got no answer that could
> > help me.
> > Dave Baum answered:
> >
> > > I don't think speed is a problem. I was running an early version of
> > > Robolab on a 604e/132MHz. It was annoyingly slow to use, but it was able
> > > to talk with the RCX. You may want to try the IR tower in both "near" and
> > > "far" modes (that's the switch on the front of the IR tower). Some people
> > > say "near" is more reliable, some say "far".
> > >
> > > Since NQC works, you at least know the RCX, IR Tower, and cable are all
> > > fine. NQC is fairly permissive on what it considers "reliable"
> > > communication, so it isn't inconceivable that NQC would work when Robolab
> > > would fail.
> > >
> > > Dave
> >
> > Dan answered:
> >
> > > Why don't you try the Robolab web site. They have debugging info and a
> > > new version up now.
> > > http://www.lego.com/dacta/robolab/defaultdecaf.htm
> > > Let me know how it goes.
> > > DAN
> >
> > ... but I had already installed this update of ROBOLAB (1.5.1) with no result.
> > I tried other MacOS system versions 7.6.1, 8.0, 8.1, 8.5, 8.5.1 but
> > these changed nothing for the communication problem.
> >
> > Please give me an answer if someone has no connection problems with
> > ROBOLAB and Macintosh. I want to use it.
> >
> > Ralf
> >
> > My first mail was:
> >
> > -------------------------------------------
> > Problems with RCX and ROBOLAB for Macintosh
> > -------------------------------------------
> >
> > I can't get any communication from Macintosh to RCX. The RCX and the
> > IR-tower are okay - the connection from a Windows98-PC to RCX shows no errors.
> >
> > Trying any port (modem or printer) I get an error when the operating
> > system should be downloaded to the RCX. The message shows "no connect to RCX".
> >
> > I tested a lot of settings but all of them were insuccessfully. To show
> > what I have tested I write a list my computer system profile:
> >
> > - Macintosh 9500
> > - PowerPC 604e / 200 MHz
> > - 96 MB RAM
> > - 4 GB hard drive
> > - ...
> > - System 8.5.1 German (7.6.1 und 8.1 have already been tested)
> > - AppleTalk via Ethernet (or switched off)
> > - FileSharing switched off
> > - ROBOLAB installed
> > - original Lego connection cable from Macintosh to IR-tower
> > - tested battery voltage of IR-tower 9,4 V
> > - tested external voltage for RCX (11.5 V AC)
> >
> > The green led at the IR-tower is lighted trying to transmit some data. The
> > diplay of the RCX shows the transmission symbol and counts up from 1 to 20
> > for 10 times. After this the Macintosh displays the error massage.
> >
> > The ROBOLAB help site http://www.lego.com/dacta/robolab/ told me that I
> > can get a software update up to version 1.5.1. The installation was successful
> > but without anny result to my problem.
> >
> > Is there a problem with the tranmission timing - but my 200 MHz mac is no
> > racer.
> >
> > Who can help?? Please tell me how to get a successful communication.
> > Thanks
> >
> > Ralf
>
> --
>
> ____________________________________
> Dr. Chris Rogers
> Associate Professor
> Department of Mechanical Engineering
> Tufts University
> Medford, MA 02155
>
> email: crogers@tufts.edu
> Research www: http://www.tuftl.tufts.edu
> Education www: http://ldaps.ivv.nasa.gov
> phone: (617) 627 2882
> lab: (617) 627 3013
> fax: (617) 627 3058
--
Did you check the web site first?: http://www.crynwr.com/lego-robotics
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