[FTC]: number of sensors?

[chopperdudes]

Hi every1, i was wondering... since there's only 3 ports on the nxt for sensors, is the maximum number of sensors 3? (besides touch which you can use the Multiplexer).

is there any ways to for example, use 3 light sensors, compass, and a sonar?

thx

[basicxman]

There is no multiplexer available to do what you wish to do. You can only have 3 sensors (or 2 sensors and 4 touch). However you can use a HiTechnic prototype board (http://hitechnic.com) and with the right circuit you could develop your own mutliplexer. You could also hook up light sensors to it (any sensor that uses a low amount of current (a single NXT port only supplies so much current and you cant use external batteries)).

What are you wishing to use the 3 light sensors for? If you want to make an array of light sensors for a line follower you should know that it's very easy (and sometimes even more efficient) to make a line tracker with a single light sensor.

[basicxman]

P.S. I have an untested theory that given the values that NXT sensors send it might be possible to use light sensors with the touch sensor multiplexer but it probably would only be able to do a one bit value (dark or light).

[chopperdudes]

thx! hmm okay then i'll only use one light, but probably not for the line tracking. i'm thinking of doing direction auto correcting with compass. but the problem is... if we're soo unlucky to get a direction near 0... then the correcting might take abit more code.