ROBOTC.net Blog  

ROBOTC 2.0.2 is available for both NXT and VEX versions. Go here for the links:

Download ROBOTC for NXT |   Download ROBOTC for VEX

NEW FEATURE: Deactivate Licenses! See image below on how to deactivate a license.

Changelog for ROBOTC for Mindstorms 2.0.2:

• ROBOTC for MINDSTORMS 2.0.2 is a maintenance release for bug fixes and small functionality changes.
• New features in ROBOTC for MINDSTORMS 2.0.2
  • Added the Help Menu is a new option to deactivate ROBOTC. This will return your license and allow you to activate ROBOTC on another computer. This requires internet connectivity to return a license.
• Bug Fixes in ROBOTC for MINDSTORMS 2.0.2:
  • Access to long (and float) struct elements in a call by reference struct procedure parameter would generate incorrect code.
  • Unary operator ‘-’ was incorrectly applied to following “expression” rather than following “factor”.
  • Possible Compile and Download Issues have been resolved. ROBOTC now forces a recompile at every download.

Changelog for ROBOTC for IFI 2.0.2:

• New features in ROBOTC for IFI 2.0.2
  • Added the Help Menu is a new option to deactivate ROBOTC. This will return your license and allow you to activate ROBOTC on another computer. This requires internet connectivity to return a license.
  • Completely refreshed user interface – Dockable status and debugger windows.
  • New multi-document interface allows multiple programs to be opened at once – similar to web browsing tabs.
  • VEXnet support for VEX 0.5 systems.
  • Built-in software competition switch is available under the Debugger for testing competition code with VEXnet.
  • VRC Competition Templates are now accessable under the “File – New” menu.
  • VRC Competition Template for “Drivers Skill” challenge has been added.
  • Improved Help Documentation – Sample usage of every ROBOTC function now included!
  • Updated Sample Programs – Over 70 sample programs to show you how to do everything with your VEX controller.
  • No Uninstall Needed – ROBOTC will detect old version of ROBOTC for IFI and automatically uninstall when a new version is being installed.
• Bug Fixes in ROBOTC for IFI 2.0.2:
  • VEXnet Competition debugger window has been fixed. You can now test all modes of competition.
  • VEX Master Firmware download issues have been solved. A failed master firmware download will no longer require IFI loader to fix.
  • Problem with motor ports behaving randomly/running at full speed after new firmware is loaded has been fixed.
  • VEX Master Firmware has ben upgraded to Version V10 – All users must upgrade to Master V10.
  • ROBOTC VEX Firmware has been upgraded to Version to 7.97 – All users must upgrade to User Firmware 7.97.

As usual, remember to uninstall previous versions before installing the newest version! Upgrades are available to customers who have already purchased ROBOTC and have  an activated version of ROBOTC on their PC. You will have to re-enter your License Information when upgrading from 1.x to 2.x.

We have added a new category to the ROBOTC forums: “French forums”. There are two sections, the “ROBOTC pour Mindstorms” and “ROBOTC pour IFI VEX” which will compose of the appropriate questions.

Thankfully, Jerome Laplace of Generation Robots (our Distributors from France) is giving us his time to answer your questions in French. Please give him a warm welcome if you get a chance. Thanks so much Jerome!

http://www.robotc.net/forums/viewforum.php?f=48

French Translation:

Nous avons ajouté une nouvelle catégorie aux forums ROBOTC intitulée
"Forum en français". Cette catégorie est composée de deux sections "ROBOTC pour
Mindstorms" et "RobotC pour IFI VEX" destinée à recevoir les questions appropriées. 

Heureusement, Jérôme Laplace, de Génération Robots, notre revendeur basé en France,
a accepté de dédier de son temps pour répondre à vos questions en français.
Nous vous remercions de lui faire votre meilleur accueil. Merci beaucoup Jérôme !

http://www.robotc.net/forums/viewforum.php?f=48

Hi all!

The ROBOTC team is proud to offer Building Licenses for schools who have to install onto hundreds of computers at a time. This provides a MUCH easier way to get ROBOTC onto your school’s computers.

See the Building Licenses page for more details….

Free upgrades are available to ROBOTC customers in the downloads area.

Link to ROBOTC for LEGO Mindstorms [version 2.0.1]

Link to ROBOTC for IFI VEX [version 2.0.1]

Remember to uninstall previous versions before installing the newest version!
Note: Free upgrades are available to customers who have already purchased ROBOTC and have  an activated version of ROBOTC on their PC. You will have to re-enter your License Information when upgrading from 1.x to 2.x.

Thanks C. Shepherd for submitting this one. Here is his really awesome project:

“So I was tinkering around with a bunch of mechanisms, and before I knew it I was into another project and it kept getting bigger and bigger. Take Omnibot, throw in some Kismet with some Lego Lips, and this is what you get.

It’s far from being done. Right now, it has 4 NXTs, 9 servos, 3 Ultrasonic sensors, 3 touch sensors (bumpers), the compass sensor, 5 PF motors, the HiTechnic SMUX, and on and on. More will be added soon. I’ll give full details along with a video when it is done.

OK, I know I said I was going to build a car factory. I still have a bunch of pieces lying around waiting to be worked on. I am trying to design a cool car that can be handled by the grippers and that is an unforeseen problem. I have bunches of Technic pieces, but not a lot of small car parts. ”

More details can be found here

Now here’s a great robot that actually prints words using dominoes. You’ll have to see the video to get the full effect, but here’s the description:

“A Lego NXT robot that uses one Lego NXT, three servos, the HiTechnic IRLink sensor and 8 medium PF motors with receivers to lay dominoes to spell a message. For more information, visit www.tinkernology.blogspot.com”

YouTube Direct Link 

Hi all,

It’s probably long overdue, but we’ve created a new “Submit a Ticket” page so you can send a ticket straight from the site (rather than your email programs).

I also moved the General Support questions into the specific NXT and VEX support pages in case any of you are wondering where those pages are.

Thanks for all of the feedback you guys have given us. We really do take your feedback and appreciate the time you take to send them. We use this information to try to make ROBOTC even better for the next updates.

You can find it under the “Support” menu, or you can click here: Contact Us / Submit a Ticket

This article first appeared here.

Mindsensors was kind of enough to send me one of their prototype sensors, the Power Meter, to play with.  It’s a sensor that allows you to measure, among other things, the current and voltage of anything you care to connect to it (within limits, of course).

The first thing that came to mind was building something that would log the incoming data to an Excel sheet using the NXT HID, but then Andy M scooped me on that so I had to come up with something else (damn you, Andy!).  Then it hit me!  Why not make an oscilloscope? So without further ado I started programming. This is what I came up with.

YouTube Direct Link 

The result is quite nice, I must say.  Right now it takes a sample every couple of milliseconds and refreshes the screen every 20 milliseconds.  There are five scales for each unit (amps and volts), to cover the full range of the sensor (up to 13V5 and up to 3A).  You can switch between ranges using the arrow keys and between units using the enter key.  This program, together with the driver will be available with the next release of the 3rd Party Driver Suite.

Things I’d like to implement at some point is data recording, zooming and manual scrolling of the screen.  I had the manual scrolling implemented at one point but ditched it for the cardiogram-look instead.

Another cool project using the Power Meter sensor can be found here: [LINK].

[Correction: updated description]

Here’s another neat video that Tim found. It features a joystick that you can use to point its “missile shooter” towards a target. Here’s the description:

NXTShot 2.0 is lego NXT model cannon. Its targeting is driven in realtime by a Mindsensors Acceleration Sensor mounted on a remote. Its firing mechanism is powered by springs from old BIC pens. It has an innovative homing system that sets the limits for turning and inclining using a single light sensor. It has an onscreen menu system that uses a voice to give feedback on selections. It is programmed in ROBOTCC.
I have made plans of NXTShot using Google SketchUp and the fantastic NXT components provided by Payton White (see tinyurl.com/yw7tnw). More pictures of NxtShot can be found at tinyurl.com/2l7m2m.

YouTube Direct Link 

In case anyone really wanted to download the previous versions of ROBOTC, they are at the bottom of the downloads page for NXT and VEX. Please keep in mind that they could contain bugs that are fixed in the newer versions.