Subject:
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Re: idiot's guide to programming the rcx
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.robotics.rcx
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Date:
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Wed, 3 Nov 1999 04:09:33 GMT
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Viewed:
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1368 times
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Ooooh. thanks for posting all those links. Nice to find all the various
programming software out there.
Tom
(Having just cracked the box on his Mindstorms he got for his birthday in
August)
Chris Phillips <chris.phillips@computerboards.com> wrote in message
news:FKJz9K.8y2@lugnet.com...
> In lugnet.robotics.rcx, Rob Hendrix writes:
> > Can anyone tell me the EASIEST alternate programming language to use for • the
> > rcx. I mean, back in the days of BASIC, I was one of my state's top • student
> > programmers. But that was in the eighties.
>
> The almost universal answer to the question "what is the best/easiest
> alternative programming language for the RCX" is three little letters: • "NQC."
>
> If you are at all comfortable with programming in a "scripted" language • like
> BASIC, then you should have little trouble with the NQC syntax. • Especially if
> you read the (very concise!) on-line help from top to bottom before you • start
> coding. NQC is the easiest because you can download the NQC compiler plus • a
> great GUI front-end called RCX Command Center in one neat bundle, and • install
> the thing in just a couple of meg of hard disk space. RCXCC adds a ton of
> great features (I just _love_ the joystick control window) to what is • already a
> very potent yet easy language.
>
> I was shocked at the recent MindFest event at MIT to realize that • virtually all
> of the robots being demonstrated there were programmed in NQC. (Including • Team
> Ferrari/Berri's awesome tic-tac-toe machine!) The only exceptions that I • saw
> (not that I asked _everybody_, mind you) were actually brought by the very
> authors of the other alternative programming languages. (For the record, • I did
> also see robots programmed in LegOS, pbFORTH, RoboLab, and even the stock • LEGO
> software, but definitely the minority.)
>
> I have certainly "hit my head on the ceiling" as it were in NQC, but not • so
> hard that I've scrapped it yet. (And I might add that the limitations of • NQC
> are actually imposed by its reliance on the standard LEGO firmware, not by • any
> lack of effort on the part of its creator, Dave Baum.)
>
> If you want to do graphical programming, check out RoboLab. (The only
> commercial package listed here, but very reasonably priced.) If you want • raw
> C/C++ programming power, go with LegOS. If you want to be able to program • your
> RCX from a simple ASCII terminal, go with pbFORTH. From what I've seen, • these
> are all fine environments to work in, and each has its strengths. But do
> yourself a huge favor and check out NQC first.
>
> If you're just getting started with the RCX, here are a few useful URLs • that
> you should know about. (You apparently already have the most important • one,
> http://www.lugnet.com/ !!!)
>
> Mindstorms Internals: http://www.crynwr.com/lego-robotics/
> NQC: http://www.enteract.com/~dbaum/nqc/index.html
> RCXCC: http://www.cs.uu.nl/~markov/lego/ (Includes NQC compiler in • download!)
> pbFORTH: http://www.hempeldesigngroup.com/lego/pbFORTH/
> LegOS: http://www.noga.de/legOS/
> RoboLab: http://www.ceeo.tufts.edu/graphics/robolab.html
>
> And most importantly, have fun!
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: idiot's guide to programming the rcx
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| (...) The truth is, I got all those links from the Mindstorms Internals web site. And I got there from here! (Actually, I originally found my way to LUGNET from Mindstorms Internals, and I've practically lived here ever since.) (...) Belated Happy (...) (25 years ago, 3-Nov-99, to lugnet.robotics.rcx)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: idiot's guide to programming the rcx
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| (...) The almost universal answer to the question "what is the best/easiest alternative programming language for the RCX" is three little letters: "NQC." If you are at all comfortable with programming in a "scripted" language like BASIC, then you (...) (25 years ago, 2-Nov-99, to lugnet.robotics.rcx)
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