Subject:
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Re: "Non-Robolab" LabView functions
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.robotics.rcx.robolab
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Date:
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Sun, 30 Nov 2003 14:56:27 GMT
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Viewed:
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9967 times
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In lugnet.robotics.rcx.robolab, Don Stauffer wrote:
> I've been experimenting with some of the LabView icons available in
> "Investigator" mode in Robolab (under the "hourglass" item on the outermost
> menu). They seem to cause some odd behavior sometimes. It seems like it's
> especially a problem if one of the terms comes from a "container". For
> instance, in one case I used the little "-1" triangular icon to decrement a
> value stored in a "generic container". The decrement was in a Sub VI, along
> with a couple of LCD display icons, each followed by a 1-second pause. The
> container contents was set in another Sub VI. Both Sub VIs were called from
> another Sub VI.
------------------->snip
I've not had the time yet to analyze the patch. Seems that you replace the first
firmware handler.
In Robolab the firmware is found under ..ROBOLAB\Engine\RCX1\Text. They simply
have changed the extension .lgo to .txt and call it firmware.txt . Be sure you
patch the correct firmware-version.
As to LabVIEW behind ROBOLAB, you must be aware that ROBOLAB is in fact a
"code-generator" creating LASM-code from icons. This is comparable to RIS, but
much more efficient. The power of this graphical tool is that kids and
youngsters easily may program the RCX without dealing with text-programming
orthography. Of course the icons must be used correctly -also a kind of grammar-
but much easier to understand and to use. Another advantage is the completeness
of ROBOLAB in programming, evaluating, debugging, publishing. This makes it the
best didactical tool for Mindstorms in schools. (Note also that LabVIEW runs on
all platforms.)
If you try to use LabVIEW-functions like the triangular decrement icon, you must
understand that these functions applie to the PC-programm, e.a. the
code-generation process. So the decrement icon will act on the way, the
container-icon is understood by ROBOLAB, not on the container-value itself while
the RCX-program will be executed later. This sounds a bit confusing. Perhaps you
should try to find more tutorial information on the Web about LabVIEW in
general. In any case LabVIEW is one of the most sophisticated
programming-environments, especially the new version LabVIEW 7 Express. If you
start playing around with it, you'll discover tremendous possibilities in
RCX-programming. Note that ROBOLAB (2.5) is based on a student's edition of
LabVIEW 6.
This year we've realized a Robolab-extension, currently studied at Tufts',
called "Ultimate Robolab". This is a kind of graphical firmware-builder for the
RCX designed for college-level.
Some ULTIMATE ROBOLAB characteristics:
- signed and unsigned (global and local) 8-bit, 16-bit, 32-bit integer
operations (addressable by names or numbers)
- single precision IEEE standard floating point operations
- pointers
- 1D and 2D arrays
- access to standard basic ROM-functions
- each user-program is in fact a firmware, no need to pre-install any other
- 32 motor power levels
- pre-emptive multitasking (H8 OCIA-handler also schedules the tasks)
- variable OCIA-interrupt time
- variable "powered sensor" time (possibility to deliver higher current for
homebrew sensors)
- 1/100 sec timers
- On/Off - Run - View -Prgm button-functions
- display access to single symbols
- infrared communication
- standard ROBOLAB compatible data logging
- subroutines may call other subroutines
- subroutines and tasks may be called indirectly through variables
- possibility to include user Assembler-code
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: "Non-Robolab" LabView functions
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| (...) Still waiting to hear from Dick about that. (...) I disagree that it's easier to understand and use. Possibly easier to learn or figure out without documentation, up to a point. But ease of learning is not the same as ease of use. Graphical (...) (21 years ago, 30-Nov-03, to lugnet.robotics.rcx.robolab)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | "Non-Robolab" LabView functions
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| I've been experimenting with some of the LabView icons available in "Investigator" mode in Robolab (under the "hourglass" item on the outermost menu). They seem to cause some odd behavior sometimes. It seems like it's especially a problem if one of (...) (21 years ago, 30-Nov-03, to lugnet.robotics.rcx.robolab)
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