mBlock is an innovative way to learn and experiment with programming. It is a custom build upon Scratch – the de-facto standard of graphical programming software taught in many schools. Its functions include but not limited to:
Step 1: Download mBlock
The first steps are downloading and installing mBlock. We provide both Windows and Mac versions of the software.
Step 2: Install USB Drivers
If it is the first time you install and open mBlock, you need to install USB drivers otherwise USB cables won’t work on robots. Select “Connect”, “Install Arduino Driver” as the picture shown below.
Install Arduino drivers for MAC OS
The old driver was not signed, and therefore was not working out of the box on OS-X Yosemite and El Capitan. The latest driver appears to be signed, and should work out the box. The new driver is here CH34x_Install.zip
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Step 3: Connect Your Robot
mBlock provides three ways to connect your robot to the computer. USB cables are recommended for first time users and you can update firmware/reset default program only through USB cables; if you have a 2.4G model of Ranger, you can also connect through 2.4G Serial. Finally, if your computer support Bluetooth and you have a Bluetooth module, you can try Bluetooth connection.
Connect Your Robot Through USB Cables
Here are the steps:
Connect Your Robot Through 2.4G Modules
The 2.4G module set comes with a electronic module and a USB dongle. If you are using the dongle first time, you need to connect the 2.4G electronic module to your robot; power up your robot; press the button on top of the 2.4G module, and then plug the dongle to your computer. When the LED light on the module turns from blinking to steady lighting, it means the 2.4G module is paired with the dongle.
On the software side, after pairing the dongle you need to select Connect->2.4G Serial->Connect in the software menu. When “Connected” is shown in the title bar, you know your Ranger is connected to the computer.
Connect Your Robot Through Bluetooth
If your computer supports Bluetooth and you have Bluetooth Modules for Ranger or Auriga, you can control and program your robot wirelessly.
For Windows Operating system, just power up your robot, select Connect->Bluetooth->Discover, select your device discovered in the list, then you are free to go.
For Mac OS X, you need to pair and connect to “Makeblock” in the Bluetooth menu of your system, then you can find you robot in the Serial Port menu.
Step 4: Select the type of your product/controller board
For Ranger users, select Boards->Auriga; for Start/Ultimate users or DIY users using Auriga Controller Board, select Boards->Auriga as the picture shown below.
Step 5: Upgrade Firmware
Before controlling your robot with mBlock, you need to upload/update the firmware of your Ranger or Auriga controller board. Select Connect->Upgrade Firmware to complete this step.
Step 6: Write your First Program for Your Robots
Now you may enjoy controlling your robots with mBlock. Basically, mBlock is based on Scratch. It includes all the command blocks from Scratch and it can run Scratch programs. Robot-related commands are located on “Robots” section. You can drag a block from this section and double click it to run. See if you own a Ranger, you may drag then double click a “run forward at speed 100” block to let the robot run (at speed 100).
Feel free to explore different command blocks and combinations in mBlock – endless possibilities awaits you!
Step 7: Upload your Program to your Robots
What truly amazed me is that programs written in mBlock may be uploaded into robots and run without a computer. This is particularly useful if you want to build a robot that runs on its own or you what to build a device (such as Christmas decoration) that works without always having a computer at its side. The steps to upload programs are easy: First, select “Edit->Arduino Mode” to switch to Arduino Mode:
Second, you may see the Arduino code generated by mBlock. Arduino is a programming language used to control electronic devices, mainly used by makers. If you are curious, you can see how Arduino code change as you drag and arrange new blocks in mBlock. There is one thing you need to know: your program need to start with a “header block” to work after uploading to the robot; and only blocks attached to the “header block” is effective.
Step 8: Examples for mBlock
Drag the module block you need from Robots Area, select the correct port/pin. Then trigger the running event, you can see it works.
Step 9: Start from some lessons
We have created some lessons about graphical programming and robotics to help teachers or kids get started easier. We suggest you start learning graphical logical programming with Scratch 2.0 The Adventures of Mike, then learn how to use Scratch2.0 to interact with Ranger with the book The Mars Adventure of Mark.
Scratch 2.0 the adventures of Mike has nine chapters with different projects. Kids can explore the world of Scratch 2.0 by creating a lot of interactive stories, games and animation in the virtual world, aiming to help kids learn basic logical programming and know how the Scratch2.0 works. More resources about Scratch2.0 https://scratch.mit.edu/.
Thanks to the cooperation with Scratch teachers, we are developing sixteen chapters about learning graphical programming with Ranger. This course will guide you to program Ranger in lots of interesting scenes.
Resources and Going Further
(1) Arduino Firmware for mBlock: visit Github
(2) Makeblock Official Web Site: https://www.makeblock.com/ (3) Makeblock Community: http://learn.makeblock.com/ Explore more about mBlock
Knowledge on Scratch is useful for using mBlock. If you are new to Scratch programming, you may check out one of Scratch books.
More Tutorials are available in mBlock tutorial sections of Makeblock’s forum.
Maybe you’ve always wanted to make C-3PO or R2-D2, or wondered whether you could create a Roomba Robotic Floorvac yourself. Whatever your motivation, the Lego MindStorms Robotics Invention System has everything you need in order to build robots. So you put down $200, take the kit home, and build something brilliant—only to discover that the software is Windows only.
Can’t you use a Mac to program robots? Of course you can! Several excellent Lego robot-programming tools exist for the Mac, many of them free. I’ll show you how to get started with one of the most popular tools, MacNQC. (For others, see “Programming Choices.”)
About Lego Robots
The Lego MindStorms Robotics Invention System (RIS) kit contains more than 700 Lego bricks, including motors, sensors, gears, wheels, and a robot brain called the RCX. You can write programs for the RCX on your computer and then download the programs to your robot via an infrared link. The kit includes an infrared USB tower that you plug into your computer so it can talk to the RCX.
So what can you do with all this stuff? Whatever you want. Imaginative builders from around the world have built robot bugs, pets, tanks, plant waterers, lawnmowers, chess players, and just about everything else. You won’t be making C-3PO or the Jetsons’ Rosie, but you’re going to have fun and learn a lot. In fact, many teachers now use Lego robots to teach programming to beginners of all ages.
Meet MacNQCRobot Run (jakevac89) Mac Os 11
Although there’s Windows-only software in the regular MindStorms box, the clever and dedicated Lego robotics community, composed of enthusiastic fans worldwide, has created a wide variety of alternative RCX programming environments.
NQC (Not Quite C), originally developed by Dave Baum, compiles text source files and can download the compiled programs to the RCX. In its purest form, NQC can be a little uncomfortable for people who don’t live on a command line. Fortunately, there’s MacNQC, an excellent GUI version of NQC that runs in OS 9 and OS X. At this writing, the current version of MacNQC X (the version for OS X) was 3.0 r2.
MacNQC Quick Start
The first thing you need to do to start programming robots with MacNQC is install firmware on the RCX. The RCX is a very tiny computer. Like a Mac without system software, or Frankenstein without a brain, the RCX can’t do much by itself. The firmware serves as a kind of operating system, enabling you to download and run your own programs.
MacNQC does not come with its own firmware; you will use the firmware that Lego supplies with the RIS kit. The easiest way to get the firmware file is to download the RCX 2.0 Beta SDK. Click on the link at the bottom of the page to download the SDK. (You’ll need to click through one or two more pages to get to it.) Once you’ve downloaded and unzipped the SDK, copy the firm0328.lgo file into the Firmware directory of your MacNQC folder.
If you don’t have an Internet connection handy, you can get the firmware file from the RIS disk, but you’ll need to install the RIS software on a Windows computer first. Then you can copy the firmware file from Windows to your Mac and install it on the RCX using MacNQC. On the Windows computer, you can find the firmware file here: Program FilesLEGO MINDSTORMSRIS 2.0scriptFirmware firm0328.lgo. Copy it to your Mac and place it in the Firmware directory of your MacNQC folder.
At this point, you’re ready to plug in the infrared tower and start up MacNQC. Turn on the RCX and place it near the infrared tower. Choose RCX: Download Firmware from the MacNQC menu. MacNQC will find the firmware file you just copied and install it on the RCX. Be patient; this takes a couple of minutes. With the firmware installed, you’re ready to start playing.
Choose RCX: Motor And Sensor Panel from MacNQC’s menu. This window allows you to control motors (outputs A, B, and C) and view sensor readings (inputs 1, 2, and 3). For example, you can see the current reading of a light or temperature sensor. To turn on a motor, click on one of the green arrows for forward or reverse, and then click on the Start button. To view a sensor value, first choose the sensor type from the pop-up menu and then click on Refresh to get the sensor values from the RCX.
Ready Your Robots!
Programming in NQC is simple. Let’s start with a rudimentary example: a program that makes a robot move forward for one second and then stop. If you haven’t built a robot yet, make a basic one, such as my own RoboTag or Trusty.
I’ll assume you have a robot that uses motors A and C to move. All the program has to do is turn on the motors, wait one second, then turn them off.
In MacNQC, create a new file and enter this:
The commands in this program are all straightforward. You just need to remember that the Wait command accepts a time measured in hundredths of a second, so
means “wait for one second.”
You can save the file if you want, but it’s not necessary for testing. Make sure that your RCX is turned on and that the infrared tower is pointed at it; then click on the toolbar button that looks like 1s and 0s. MacNQC will download your program to the RCX. (Your robot will chime when it has received instructions.) To try the program out, press the Run button on the RCX.
If you’d rather just check your program for errors without downloading it, click on the red check-mark button. MacNQC will tell you about any errors it finds in a separate error window. Double-click on an error to go to that spot in your program.
The next example moves the robot forward until it bumps into something. You’ll need a robot with a bumper on the front, connected to input 1. (The bumper should press a touch sensor on input 1 when the robot bumps into something.) Also, motor A should control the left side of the robot; motor C, the right side. RoboTag will work for this project. After a bump, the robot will back up, turn right, and then drive forward again.
The
line <>A<> (as seen in the screenshot) tells the RCX that a touch sensor is attached to input 1. Next, the program moves the robot forward. If the bumper ever touches anything (that’s when equals ), the robot backs up for one second, turns for one second, and then starts moving forward again.
When you’re ready to do more, check out the comprehensive documentation for the NQC language, and information about MacNQC, available from the Help menu.
Welcome to a New World
By now you should be pretty pleased with yourself. You have successfully used your Mac to program Lego robots, and it didn’t cost you anything. (You can watch RoboTag navigate obstacles using the second program outlined in this article.)
You are now part of an amazing global community whose nexus is LUGNET, the Lego Users Group Network. You’ll find other enthusiastic, brilliant people who like to build Lego robots. Browse or search the archives for project ideas or information about troubleshooting, advanced programming, and building techniques. Or you can join (for free) and participate in the discussions.
Now go forth and program robots with your Mac. Have fun!
[ Jonathan Knudsen was the author of one of the first Lego MindStorms books in 1999. By day, he writes about Java technology. ]
Less Geeky You can’t use the Windows-only software that comes in the MindStorms box, but you can use Lego’s Robolab software for OS 9. (It also runs in Classic.) In this visual environment, snap together little program blocks, such as
or . When you’re finished, click on a button to download the program to your robot for testing. This is a good choice for younger robot builders or those with little computer experience. Buy it separately at the Pitsco Lego Dacta store for $69.
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Also, don’t miss the cool kits sold at the Pitsco site, such as the $114 Robolab Intelligent House Building Set, which you can use to create a working model of an automated home.
Robot Run (jakevac89) Mac Os Download
Geekier If you’re familiar with Java, try the free leJOS, an environment based on the Java programming language.
Use MacNQC’s Motor and Sensor Panel to control robots directly, or create programs in a color-coded text editor.
Robot Run (jakevac89) Mac Os UpdateSee RoboTag navigate obstacles using the second program outlined in this article.Comments are closed.
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