I have RCX 1.0, what more do I need?

[Owen Dive]

Hi all.

I have recently come into possession of an RCX 1.0 brick (the one with the power
socket), but nothing else that would come with it. What other things do I need
to purchase to make my new brick useful?

I understand that at the very least I will need an IR Tower so that my computer
can communicate with the brick. From what I've read, I should be able to use the
USB version of the tower that came with RIS 2.0 [is this correct?] (I'm much
more familiar with USB than I am with serial ports - I'm not even 100% sure that
my computer even _has_ a serial port!). I know that I will need to install some
form of software that will let me interact with the brick, but I am unclear as
to exactly what is required. I can think of three fuctions that will need to be
taken care of: some form of development environment where I can write programs;
a driver for the tower so that I can pass these programs to the RCX; and
firmware that will allow the brick to execute the programs. I've read terms like
ROBOLAB and BrickOS, but I don't know which software performs which function,
nor whether I can download everything I'll need from the Internet or if I'll
need to source a copy of the original CD with drivers etc.

I did find this thread from last year
http://news.lugnet.com/robotics/?n=27598
which I think goes some way to answering my questions, but I'm still confused
because I'm unsure of how all the components of the software work together.

I also know that without sensors of some description I'm going to be very
limited in what I can do. I'm ok with that. :-)

Of course, one possibility is to simply purchase a RIS 2.0 kit. That way I'd at
least have all the basics, with the added bonus of two RCX bricks. However, if I
can get away without spending that much money I'd be happier.

I'm running Windows XP, which seems to have some problems running the original
software, but I can cross that bridge when or if I come to it!

Thanks in advance for your help.

Owen.

[Mr S]

Looks like you didn't get any answers?

The towers make no difference to the RCX brick at all. The originals with serial port work
with some things better than the newer USB version. I have both to play with.  A serial port
on your pc would be a d-type 9 pin male connector ( the video connector on your pc is a female
if you are unsure which has pins and which has holes). If your motherboard is a few years old
you will probably have a serial connector. Also, the OS you use could affect which will work
best for you. XP will know how to use the USB tower. I can look to see if I have a copy of the
original CD's.


The firmware in the RCX 1.0 brick can be flash upgraded to version 2.0 firmware. I can't remember the
latest version number off the top of my head,  but upgrading is easy. Essentially, when the code is
compiled to download to the RCX brick, the firmware is included in the compilation. So you essentially
write your code in NQC/Bricx and click on the program button... the rest is taken care of for you. There
are other ways which are more technical in nature but its easy enough for a young child to do, right?

Once you have that hardware, you need to write programs. The Lego CD has some CAD
like software to use blocks to program. It's clunky to my way of thinking. Try a search for
NQC and Bricx. When you get to the more technical end of programming the brick, there are
ways to use your favorite text editor to write the code, then use a utility to compile / download to the
RCX. Editpad Pro is my fav and has syntax highlighting for NQC  :-)   I wouldn't be surprised to
find support for NQC on Eclipse either.

also find mindsensors.com brickshelf and ebay. The way I started was finding a brick much
like you have then buying bulk sale items off of ebay that had lots of technic bricks in them.
Basically it was a bunch of grandma selling grandson's old legos etc.

The gear motors are worth about 22 USD. Any of the bricks are worth what you are willing
to pay for them. Check around before laying out any cash. You'll see ebay listings of $5+ for
some mini figures but can often get them from Lego for $3. The market for used Lego is not
steady nor a buyers market, but you will find some deals. Those dumping RCX Mindstorms
for newer versions might offer a good deal here and there.

Lugnet is a great place to find reading links.

As soon as I get time to dig in the closet I'll follow up with a bit more info.

Cheers and have fun





----- Original Message ----
From: Owen Dive <captainowie gmail.com@...>
To: lego-robotics@...
Sent: Friday, September 18, 2009 5:00:27 AM
Subject: I have RCX 1.0, what more do I need?

Hi all.

I have recently come into possession of an RCX 1.0 brick (the one with the power
socket), but nothing else that would come with it. What other things do I need
to purchase to make my new brick useful?

I understand that at the very least I will need an IR Tower so that my computer
can communicate with the brick. From what I've read, I should be able to use the
USB version of the tower that came with RIS 2.0 [is this correct?] (I'm much
more familiar with USB than I am with serial ports - I'm not even 100% sure that
my computer even _has_ a serial port!). I know that I will need to install some
form of software that will let me interact with the brick, but I am unclear as
to exactly what is required. I can think of three fuctions that will need to be
taken care of: some form of development environment where I can write programs;
a driver for the tower so that I can pass these programs to the RCX; and
firmware that will allow the brick to execute the programs. I've read terms like
ROBOLAB and BrickOS, but I don't know which software performs which function,
nor whether I can download everything I'll need from the Internet or if I'll
need to source a copy of the original CD with drivers etc.

I did find this thread from last year
http://news.lugnet.com/robotics/?n=27598
which I think goes some way to answering my questions, but I'm still confused
because I'm unsure of how all the components of the software work together.

I also know that without sensors of some description I'm going to be very
limited in what I can do. I'm ok with that. :-)

Of course, one possibility is to simply purchase a RIS 2.0 kit. That way I'd at
least have all the basics, with the added bonus of two RCX bricks. However, if I
can get away without spending that much money I'd be happier.

I'm running Windows XP, which seems to have some problems running the original
software, but I can cross that bridge when or if I come to it!

Thanks in advance for your help.

Owen.