Subject:
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Re: Mindstorms spirit.ocx programming = RCX ASM coding?
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.robotics
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Date:
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Thu, 23 Dec 1999 03:01:45 GMT
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Viewed:
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494 times
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In lugnet.robotics, Matthew Miller writes:
> [...]
> It's my impression that the spirit OCX API is meant to allow one to write
> programs like NQC (albeit not cross-platform). In other words, when writing a
> VB program to control the RCX, one is writing a program to output firmware
> opcodes -- effectively programming in RCX "assembly language". Am I mistaken?
Not at all. I doubt that LEGO would depart too far from their opcode
protocols when writing their SDK, especially as it's designed for advanced
users, and the syntax of the language seems to mirror assembly. From what
I've seen, the Spirit OCX is as far as you can get to the internal workings of
the RCX without changing the firmware. When got my Mindstorms RIS (362 days
ago :)) I started immediately with the Spirit.OCX, which I have been using
ever since then and which I am quite happy with. It wasn't until later that I
found out about NQC, but as far as I know) the two languages seem to offer the
same functionality, and I see no compelling reason to choose one over the
other.
> So, an advantage of NQC is that it allows you to generate programs for the
> RCX using a relatively high-level language, whereas with VB, while you're
> using a high-level language to write your UI, the guts of what runs on the
> actual brick is done at a low level.
That sounds accurate. While I'll concede that NQC is more understandable in
its use of variable management and mathematical notation, the Spirit OCX is
more useful to me because of its Windows VB implementation. I can easily
write GUIs and real-time interfaces with my robots. And it's definitely the
way to go if you're using the computer as a "host station" to control a roving
RCX. Plus - no offense to Dave or anything - I feel a little more comfortable
using the Spirit SDK since it's "LEGO sanctioned". (Plus you get this neat
little pamphlet explaining the ins and outs of the RCX and the Spirit
language, which is fun to read.)
> I don't want to get into a language flame war with this -- I bring up the
> issue because I want to make sure I'm not incorrect in my answer. If I am,
> I'll have learned something. :)
Me too. Although I've lurked around discussions about NQC, my focus has
pretty much stayed on the Spirit OCX. I've read some programs, but I've never
actually written anything in NQC. I wonder what Dave will have to say about
this.
Ian
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: Mindstorms spirit.ocx programming = RCX ASM coding?
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| (...) My biggest gripe about spirit is that it is only available for Win32. If it had also been available on Mac and Linux I would've layered NQC on top of it and never had to create a non "LEGO sanctioned" interface to the RCX. Actually, TLG now (...) (25 years ago, 23-Dec-99, to lugnet.robotics)
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