Mäh W.Jun 17, 2024

After a long time, I've written another blog post. It's about the recent fun I had with the #LEGO #Technic + #Mindstorms (#RCX) plotter. I've also published my #NQC code there.

https://maehw.wordpress.com/2024/06/17/building-a-lego-technic-mindstorms-plotter/

Building a LEGO Technic + Mindstorms plotter

Recently, I bought a used LEGO Technic 8094 set. The set dates back to 1990 and some people speak of it as the first programmable LEGO set in history – which is not quite the truth. The set w…

Tech and reverse engineering
Mäh W.Jun 13, 2024

Another iteration of the #LEGO #Technic + #Mindstorms #RCX based pen #plotter – based on set 8094. I finally understood how to retain the pen as intended by the original instructions - must have missed that before. Also added the "pen up/down" feature (another motor) - and this is why you do no longer see the inter-connecting lines from my last post. But, the pen is wobbly... and so are the lines now. Not too happy with this result. But it works. Used #WebPBrick + #NQC.

https://chaos.social/@maehw/112604455188626952

Mäh W. (@maehw@chaos.social)

Attached: 2 images Found some more free time to work on the #LEGO #Technic + #Mindstorms #RCX based pen #plotter – based on LEGO set 8094. Thanks for pointing me to the Commodore 1520 plotter from where I took the encoded letters of the font from ROM and converted it to segment movements. The font can by the way be found as "FifteenTwenty" for the computer ‐ which helped me to have a reference. Still need to add a "pen up/down" feature and fix other issues... but it works. Kinda.

chaos.social
Mäh W.May 31, 2024
I've rebuilt Ben Williamson's "analog clock" #LEGO model which uses the #Mindstorms #RCX. Unfortunately, I do not have the fiber-optic component which he had used as rotation sensor. The rotation sensor I have still needs have its broken wire fixed. The clock gear defines a ratio so that the it needs to be driven with 48 discrete steps per hour (4 out of 5 minutes). Its programmed in #NQC. Mike Brandl has shared the PDF manual for this ancient technology on his website: https://lego.brandls.info/legbau.htm
legbau

Mäh W.Apr 20, 2024

Danke an die Teilnehmenden meines Talks auf dem 20. Augsburger Linux-Infotag "#LEGO #Mindstorms #RCX reaktivieren: Entwicklungen im Webbrowser" (u.a. https://webpbrick.com). Im Nachgang sind wir teilweise noch ins Gespräch gekommen und konnten ein wenig experimentieren. Die Folien zum Vortrag findet ihr unter anderem auch hier: https://www.luga.de/static/LIT-2024/talks/lego_mindstorms_rcx_reaktivieren_entwicklungen_im_webbrowser/

https://www.luga.de/LIT-2024/ #lit2024 #Augsburg #Linux #OSS #LEGO #mindstorms #rcx #nqc

RCX programmable brick web IDE (prototype)