NXT Sensors

[dmitch]

I was wondering how you connect the NXT sensors to your robot and then if they are recognized in LabView just like the other sensors. I am specifically looking at the ultrasonic and color sensors.

[wexlerd1]

The NXT sensor connects via cable to the NXT intelligent brick. The brick connects via cable to the servo controller.

[JamesBrown]

Originally Posted by wexlerd1

The NXT sensor connects via cable to the NXT intelligent brick. The brick connects via cable to the servo controller.

I don't think this is what he is looking for.

http://mindstorms.lego.com/en-us/sup...s/default.aspx

From that link you should download the Hardware developer kit. The Hardware developers kit PDF will give you the information you need for wiring and Programming for the Ultrasonic Sensor. I didn't see anything about the color sensor in that document, and a quick search online didn't turn it up. If you don't find it before 5pm I will look for it after work.

[mikets]

I assume you are trying to use the NXT sensors on your main robot, not the minibot. If so, it depends on what kind of NXT sensors you are using. There are at least two kinds: analog sensors and I2C sensors. The Digital Side Car has an I2C port. So if the sensor is I2C, you could custom-made a modular cable and connect it there. But the next difficulty is write I2C code to talk to the sensor. You may be better off getting a regular ultrasonic sensor that is supported by WPILib.

[dmitch]

We are already getting a real ultrasonic sensor but I would like to hook up the color one. We are using the color one for applications on the drivers station and as a way to sense our arms position (i know we could use other sensors for this but the way we built our robot means a color sensor would work best.)

[apalrd]

How interesting. I am looking into the color sensor as well (not for the same reasons).

I opened up the HiTechnic I2C Compass example, and went to the HiTechnic site for some information (device name returned, where the data I want is) and just modified some of the Compass VI's to handle a color sensor. Since they are both made by the same manufacture, they are almost identical.

I haven't tried running it yet, since the color sensor didn't arrive yet. Tell me how it goes.

[mikets]

Just want to make sure you realize there are two different kinds of color sensors: the Lego Color Sensor v2 and the HiTechnic Color Sensor. I haven't used these before, but I read that the Lego Color Sensor has proprietary interface so it is not compatible with I2C. Only the HiTechnic Color Sensor is I2C.

[9lives11]

I would just like to correct one thing as having done FLL for 4 years now they are not color sensors but in fact light sensors that read the amount of light coming back. They are not accurate with colors and i would not recommend them for it.

[dmitch]

I believe I am using the HiTechnic one, it is the one that comes with the lego mindstorms kit. And I thought that these were mainy used for line following and color sensing in FLL. Even the package describes it as a color sensor.

[mikets]

I believe the one came with the Mindstorm 2.0 kit is the Lego Color Sensor v2 not the HiTechnic one. Check out this post:
http://www.robotc.net/forums/viewtop...our+I2C#p10309