LEGO® Mindstorms™ NXT™ Power Programming Robotics in C

by Hansen, John C.

• ISBN13: 9780973864977
• ISBN10: 0973864974
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-09-01
• Publisher: Variant Press

Summary

With fun projects, tips, instructions, illustrations, and programs, this comprehensive companion to the powerful Mindstorms NXT robot kit will help LEGO popularize robotics in the way that the iPod did for digital music. This second edition to programming on the NXT helps users make the most of the latest LEGO Mindstorms NXT release for further robot enhancements. Included is an ingenious set of projects that explore the complete arsenal of basic and advanced NXT functionality. At the heart of these projects is Versa, a versatile mobile robot platform that utilizes modular attachments.

Author Biography

John C. Hansen is the creator of several LEGO Mindstorms tools and utilities, including the Bricx Command Center and the NXC and NBC programming languages for the NXT. He was a member of the Mindstorms Users Panel, the Mindstorms Developer Program, and is currently a member of the Mindstorms Community Partners. He lives in Nashville, Tennessee.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. v
Table of Contents	p. vii
Getting Started	p. 1
Purpose of this book	p. 2
Programming Languages	p. 3
NBC/NXC Quick Start	p. 6
The NXT Hardware	p. 17
Introducing the hardware	p. 18
Moving about	p. 24
Sensing surroundings	p. 27
The NXT Firmwarep33
The menu interface	p. 34
Introducing the firmware	p. 37
Building Without Bricks	p. 39
Technic Bricks	p. 40
Units	p. 42
Beams	p. 42
Making the connection	p. 43
Gears	p. 49
Online Resources	p. 53
Bricx Command Center	p. 55
Connecting to the brick	p. 56
The programmer's editor	p. 64
Drag and drop programming	p. 80
Exploring your code	p. 82
Managing macros	p. 84
Compiling and running	p. 86
Exploring the tool windows	p. 88
Getting help	p. 105
NXT Utilities	p. 107
Creating Melodies	p. 108
Creating Sounds	p. 113
Creating Pictures	p. 116
Decompiling NXT Executables	p. 122
Exploring the NXT	p. 123
Virtual NXT	p. 127
Programming the NXT	p. 131
Introduction to C	p. 132
NXC Overview	p. 133
NQC Compatibility	p. 154
RICScript Overview	p. 166
NXT Programs	p. 168
Advanced Programming	p. 171
Introduction to Assembly	p. 172
NBC Overview	p. 173
Building Versa	p. 207
Basic NXT Outputs	p. 233
Motors	p. 234
LCD Screen	p. 248
Sounds	p. 257
Basic NXT Inputs	p. 261
Buttons	p. 262
Basic Sensors	p. 264
Advanced NXT Outputs	p. 291
Creating and Writing to Files	p. 292
Sending Messages	p. 299
Custom I2C Output Devices	p. 305
Advanced NXT Inputs	p. 309
Advanced Sensors	p. 310
Opening and Reading from Files	p. 317
Receiving Messages	p. 320
Custom Analog Sensors	p. 322
Custom I2C Input Devices	p. 324
Games People Play	p. 337
Tic-Tac-Toe	p. 338
Pong	p. 345
Bluetooth Direct Commands	p. 353
Direct commands	p. 354
Building and programming a Bluetooth-based PC Joystick remote controller and NXT car	p. 358
Robotic Arm	p. 371
Drawing shapes with your NXT	p. 401
NXC Quick Reference	p. 413
NXT Firmware Modules	p. 479
NXT Picture Format	p. 523
Index	p. 535
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.