OnBrick version 0.06

Programmable NXT Bluetooth remote control for Windows XP (pre-release version).

The NXT brick should be turned on before launching OnBrick. Check, select & if necessary open & test the NXT-Bluetooth COM port link by clicking the Comms tab.

RC tab:

20 programmable RC buttons. Click a button of function key to execute the program. Clicking another button stops the current program, if any. While running 5 program steps (2 previous, current & 2 next) are shown at the top of the display.

At start up the default RC overlay (My NXT\default.nxt) is always loaded - use File Open to select other overlays.

Click one of the yellow buttons to edit a button program. Each RC program contains up to 10 program blocks. The current block is shown at the top centre. Use scroll buttons at the top left & right to move throught the program. Use the scroll arrows below the current block, or tabs & icons, to select a new block & change parameters.

Click the button name to edit it. Action blocks are in tab groups:

Move:
  Forward ? cm
  Backward ? cm
  Turn left ? degrees
  Turn right ? degrees

Distance & angle are calibrated (see Setup).

  Forward
  Backward
  Spin left/right

Assumes 2 wheel base model using motors B & C. Motor power settings  control movement: see Motor actions.
		
  Stop all motors

Wait:
  Wait ? seconds
  Wait for touch
  Wait for loud sound above ? %
  Wait for object closer than ? cm
  Turn light sensor LED on/off
  Wait for brightness above ? %
  Wait for darkness below ? %
		
Sensor ports are fixed:
	port 1 = touch
	port 2 = sound
	port 3 = light
	port 4 = ultrasonic distance

Test sensors using the Sensors tab.

Sound:
  1 beat note ? Hz
  2 beats note ? Hz
  4 beats note ? Hz
  8 beats note ? Hz
  16 beats note ? Hz

Not yet implemented: play sounds, change tempo, easier note selection.

Motor:
  Motor A/B/C forward ? degrees
  Motor A/B/C backward ? degrees
  Power A/B/C ? %
  Stop A/B/C

Different values for B & C power on a 2 wheel buggy can be used for turning while moving forward/back. Angle = 0 turns motors on until stopped by another action.

Control:
  loop ? times
	repeats all previous actions
  back ? blocks
	forever: jumps back n blocks 

Special:
  empty block - does nothing!

Sensors tab:

Reset initialises all sensors (individual sensors are initialised if necessary each time an RC command runs) & motor angles.

Update reads all the sensor values, including motor rotation. Useful when setting up the percentage values for light and sound sensor wait actions.

Setup:

For 2 motor (B & C) robots, forward, backward, turn left & right actions can be calibrated for different models. First set the motor power for B & C to 'normal' (default is 70%) using the motor power actions. Then test your robot going forward 10 cm and turning 180 degrees. Edit the factors until the robot moves the correct distance & angle. Factors are saved with overlays.

Comms tab:

Search not implemented - right-click your Bluetooth icon & Explore My Bluetooth Places to find the NXT COM port. Click Open to establish a link from the PDA to NXT (make sure NXT is turned on). Click beep, battery & version to test 1 & 2 way communications. KeepAlive & Ping check  boxes are useful for testing NXT-Bluetooth communications & range, but should normally be turned off.

Error messages from RC & other commands are shown in the message box.

If the NXT-PDA Bluetooth link disappears, the PDA app will appear to run VERY slowly. Save your overlay if necessary, exit the app, and restart.

RPG tab:

Create, download & run a NXT RPG program, overcoming NXT OnBrick programming limitations. Programs can either loop forever, or run and stop. This programs is independant of the RC button programs, and run on the NXT brick. Do not delete RPGReader.sys - it's the runtime  interpreter for rpg files.

Loop forever programs have slots for 5 blocks; run once programs have 4 slots with a stop block in slot 5.

Each slot is either empty or contains an action block:

  moves:
	Forward
	Forward 5
	Backward
	Backward 5
	Turn left
	Turn left 2
	Turn right
	Turn right 2
	Back left
	Back left 2
	Back right
	Back right 2

  tones:
	Tone 1
	Tone 2

  waits:
	Wait 2
	Wait 5
	Wait 10

  wait for sensor events:
	Wait for touch
	Wait for sound
	Wait for object
	Wait for light
	Wait for dark


Tested with NXT firmware version 1.0, protocol version 1.124.

Last update: 4 April 2006

Feedback to: paul.spurgeon@blueyonder.co.uk