Comment Feed for Channel 9 - Microsoft Robotics Studio and Lego Mindstorms NXT http://ecn.channel9.msdn.com/o9/c4f/images/3902344_100.jpg Channel 9 - Microsoft Robotics Studio and Lego Mindstorms NXT In this article, Brian Peek will demonstrate how to use Microsoft Robotics Studio to control the Lego Mindstorms NXT kit.  A simple remote-controlled robot will be built and controlled using C# and the MSRS Visual Programming Language (VPL). Brian Peek ASPSOFT, Inc. Difficulty: Intermediate Time Required: 2-3 hours Cost: $250 for the NXT kit, $40 for the Xbox 360 Controller Software: Visual Basic or Visual C# Express Editions, Microsoft Robotics Studio v1.5 Hardware: Lego Mindstorms NXT, Xbox 360 Controller for Windows, a Bluetooth adapter and stack installed Download: Download   The Lego Mindstorms NXT kit is an amazing upgrade to the original Lego Mindstorms product.  While the building blocks are not the traditional plastic stud blocks everyone is used to, the new construction parts allow for some very complex designs.  Additionally, Microsoft Robotics Studio supports the Lego NXT kit right out of the box, so it's quite easy to get up and going using MSRS with the Lego kit to start coding a robot in C# or VB.NET.  With that in mind, this article will demonstrate how to use MSRS with the simple TriBot robot that can be easily built using the instructions included in the Lego NXT kit. LegoNXT TriBot Building The instructions for building the TriBot are located in the LegoNXT kit.  I am not going to repeat that here as the Lego picture instructions are far better than anything I can come up with.  Really, any 2-wheeled bot will work for this sample, but it is assumed that the TriBot is the one you have constructed. Plug the wires into brick as follows, looking at the front of the bot so the LCD screen is facing you: A - Middle B - Left C - Right Additionally, I added the push button sensor to the front of the TriBot which is plugged into port 1 at the bottom.  In the application, when the push button sensor is pressed, the robot will stop in its tracks until the A button is pressed again.  Here is what my TriBot looks like: LegoNXT and Bluetooth Configuration Setting up Bluetooth can be troublesome.  I have found that the best way to get things working is with the following procedure.  There are known incompatibilities with LegoNXT brick and certain Bluetooth adapters/stacks, so if this doesn't work for you, you may require a different stack/device. Ensure Bluetooth is enabled on the Lego NXT brick.  This can be done by choosing the Bluetooth option from the main menu, and then selecting On/Off from the Bluetooth menu.  Make sure On is selected. From your PC, search for Bluetooth devices in range.  The PC should fine one named NXT.  Select it, and pair both the PC and the brick with the passkey 1234 (the brick will default to 1234 on its own). When the process is complete, you should have a virtual COM port or two installed.  If more than one is installed, make note of the COM port listed as the "outgoing" port. Open a Command Prompt from the Microsoft Robotics Studio (1.5) program group and run the following command:  dsshost -port:50000 -tcpport:50001 -manifest:samples\Config\LEGO.NXT.Brick.manifest.xml .  This should start a web browser.  If prompted for a username/password, enter your Windows login username and password. The first line of the page in the browser is a text box labeled COM Port.  In this box, enter the COM port the Lego NXT brick was installed on via Bluetooth above and click the Connect button at the bottom of the page. If all goes to plan, you will hear the brick beep, the screen will display "Microsoft Robotics Studio", and you will be ready to continue.  If this doesn't happen, attempt the procedure above again.  If you still encounter trouble, try a different Bluetooth adapter. The web page can also be used to configure various things regarding the sensors, motors, get the current battery level, etc.  Feel free to explore these items, but ensure the defaults are used for the rest of this article. Writing the Code A note to Vista/XP x64 users:  For the 6 of us on a 64-bit platform, note that you will not be able to use the XInputGamepad service.  Internally this uses XNA which exists in a 32-bit format only.  So, when dssproxy attempts to build the proxy version of your service, it will be loaded as a 64-bit process and will fail to load the 32-bit XNA assemblies.  The same thing happens with dsshost (it will be loaded as a 64-bit process and won't be able to access the 32-bit XNA assemblies).  You will have to use a 32-bit version of Vista/XP or use something like VMWare which supports USB devices so you can connect the controller to the VM. The code will be written 3 times:  In C#, Visual Basic.NET, and finally in the MSRS Visual Programming Language.  All three versions will perform the same functionality.  It is assumed that you have a fair understanding of Microsoft Robotics Studio.  If you do not, please read through the documentation, specifically the Microsoft Robotics Studio Runtime section.  Additionally, you may wish to read my other MSRS article on Coding4Fun on how to build an R/C car using MSRS which is a bit more introductory. To begin, we need to create a service to drive our bot.  This will be called LegoTriBot.  Open a Command Prompt from the Microsoft Robotics Studio (1.5) program group and run the following command: C#: dssnewservice /service:LegoTriBot VB dssnewservice /language:VB /service:LegoTriBot This will generate a folder with several items, including project and solution files. Open the generated LegoTriBot.sln file in Microsoft C# 2005 Express Edition or Microsoft Visual Basic 2005 Express Edition. You will see that several files were generated. This project will use a bumper (the push button sensor), the generic drive service, and the gamepad service so the namespaces will need to be included in our code.  To do this, you will need to set references to the RoboticsCommon.proxy and XInputGamePad.Y2006.M09.proxy assemblies. Next, open the LegoTriBot.cs/.vb and add the following code to the top of the file: C# using bumper = Microsoft.Robotics.Services.ContactSensor.Proxy;using drive = Microsoft.Robotics.Services.Drive.Proxy;using gamepad = Microsoft.Robotics.Services.Sample.XInputGamepad.Proxy; VB Imports bumper = Microsoft.Robotics.Services.ContactSensor.ProxyImports drive = Microsoft.Robotics.Services.Drive.ProxyImports gamepad = Microsoft.Robotics.Services.Sample.XInputGamepad.Proxy Next, ports on which to communicate with these devices need to be defined.  One port per object is created as follows: C# // partnerships with bumper, differential drive and gamepad[Partner("bumper", Contract=bumper.Contract.Identifier, CreationPolicy=PartnerCreationPolicy.UseExisting)]private bumper.ContactSensorArrayOperations _bumperPort = new bumper.ContactSensorArrayOperations();[Partner("drive", Contract=drive.Contract.Identifier, CreationPolicy=PartnerCreationPolicy.UseExisting)]private drive.DriveOperations _drivePort = new drive.DriveOperations();[Partner("XInputGamepad", Contract=gamepad.Contract.Identifier, CreationPolicy=PartnerCreationPolicy.CreateAlways)]private gamepad.XInputGamepadOperations _gamepadPort = new gamepad.XInputGamepadOperations(); VB '' partnerships with bumper, differential drive and gamepad<Partner("bumper", Contract:=bumper.Contract.Identifier, CreationPolicy:=PartnerCreationPolicy.UseExisting)> _Private _bumperPort As bumper.ContactSensorArrayOperations = New bumper.ContactSensorArrayOperations()<Partner("drive", Contract:=drive.Contract.Identifier, CreationPolicy:=PartnerCreationPolicy.UseExisting)> _Private _drivePort As drive.DriveOperations = New drive.DriveOperations()<Partner("XInputGamepad", Contract:=gamepad.Contract.Identifier, CreationPolicy:=PartnerCreationPolicy.CreateAlways)> _Private _gamepadPort As gamepad.XInputGamepadOperations = New gamepad.XInputGamepadOperations() Now that we have ports to communicate with our services, we must subscribe to our gamepad service and bumper service to receive notifications when either changes.  First, we will subscribe to the gamepad service and setup notifications for thumbstick changes and button changes.  Insert the following code in the Start() method: C# // subscribe to button presses and thumbstick changes on the 360 padgamepad.XInputGamepadOperations gamepadNotify = new gamepad.XInputGamepadOperations();_gamepadPort.Subscribe(gamepadNotify);Activate(Arbiter.Receive<gamepad.ThumbsticksChanged>(true, gamepadNotify, ThumbstickHandler));Activate(Arbiter.Receive<gamepad.ButtonsChanged>(true, gamepadNotify, ButtonHandler)); VB '' subscribe to button presses and thumbstick changes on the 360 padDim gamepadNotify As gamepad.XInputGamepadOperations = New gamepad.XInputGamepadOperations()_gamepadPort.Subscribe(gamepadNotify)Activate(Arbiter.Receive(Of gamepad.ThumbsticksChanged)(True, gamepadNotify, AddressOf ThumbstickHandler))Activate(Arbiter.Receive(Of gamepad.ButtonsChanged)(True, gamepadNotify, AddressOf ButtonHandler)) This code subscribes to the gamepad service and sets up two methods to be called when the thumbsticks change or the buttons change.  The thumbsticks are used to drive the bot, and the button is used to re-enable the motors after the bumper switch has been pressed.  We will need to maintain the state of whether or not the motors are enabled, and this can be done by adding a boolean variable to the state object.  To do this, add the following code to the LegoTriBotState object in the LegoTriBotTypes.cs/.vb file: C# // maintain whether the motors are enabledpublic bool MotorEnabled; VB 'maintain whether the motors are enabledPublic MotorEnabled As Boolean Next, we need to implement the actual handler methods for these events.  Add the following code to the class: C# private void ThumbstickHandler(gamepad.ThumbsticksChanged msg){ if(_state.MotorEnabled) { // Left/RightWheelPower expects a value from -1.0f to 1.0f. // the Thumbsticks will return a value form -1.0f to 1.0f. Convenient. // create a request drive.SetDrivePowerRequest req = new drive.SetDrivePowerRequest(); // assign the values req.LeftWheelPower = msg.Body.LeftY; req.RightWheelPower = msg.Body.RightY; // post the request _drivePort.SetDrivePower(req); }}private void ButtonHandler(gamepad.ButtonsChanged msg){ if(msg.Body.A) _state.MotorEnabled = true;} VB Private Sub ThumbstickHandler(ByVal msg As gamepad.ThumbsticksChanged) If (_state.MotorEnabled) Then ' Left/RightWheelPower expects a value from -1.0f to 1.0f. ' the Thumbsticks will return a value form -1.0f to 1.0f. Convenient. ' create a request Dim req As drive.SetDrivePowerRequest = New drive.SetDrivePowerRequest() ' assign the values req.LeftWheelPower = msg.Body.LeftY req.RightWheelPower = msg.Body.RightY ' post the request _drivePort.SetDrivePower(req) End IfEnd SubPrivate Sub ButtonHandler(ByVal msg As gamepad.ButtonsChanged) If (msg.Body.A) Then _state.MotorEnabled = True End IfEnd Sub The above code sets up the controller thumbsticks to drive the TriBot as a tank.  The left stick will control the left motor, and the right stick will control the right motor.  To do this, the value from the LeftY and RightY properties are taken and applied directly to the drive power's LeftWheelPower and RightWheelPower.  This can be done directly since LeftY/RightY return a value between -1.0 and 1.0 and the LeftWheelPower and RightWheelPower properties expect a value between -1.0 and 1.0.  Once the SetDrivePowerRequest object is filled in, it is passed to the _drivePort's SetDrivePower method to turn the wheels. Finally, we need to setup the bumper functionality.  We must subscribe to the bumper service and receive notifications when the switch is pressed.  In the handler for the switch being pressed, the MotorEnabled property will be set to false so the motors will no longer turn until the user presses the A button on the controller.  First, add the following code to the Start method to subscribe to the bumper: C# // subscribe to bumper notificationsbumper.ContactSensorArrayOperations bumperNotify = new bumper.ContactSensorArrayOperations();_bumperPort.Subscribe(bumperNotify);Activate(Arbiter.Receive<bumper.Update>(true, bumperNotify, BumperHandler)); VB ' subscribe to bumper notificationsDim bumperNotify As bumper.ContactSensorArrayOperations = New bumper.ContactSensorArrayOperations()_bumperPort.Subscribe(bumperNotify)Activate(Arbiter.Receive(Of bumper.Update)(True, bumperNotify, AddressOf BumperHandler)) Next, implement the BumperHandler method: C# private void BumperHandler(bumper.Update msg){ if(msg.Body.Pressed) { LogInfo("Pressed!"); _state.MotorEnabled = false; // create a request drive.SetDrivePowerRequest req = new drive.SetDrivePowerRequest(); // stop the wheels req.LeftWheelPower = 0.0f; req.RightWheelPower = 0.0f; // post the request _drivePort.SetDrivePower(req); }} VB Private Sub BumperHandler(ByVal msg As bumper.Update) If (msg.Body.Pressed) Then LogInfo("Pressed!") _state.MotorEnabled = False ' create a request Dim req As drive.SetDrivePowerRequest = New drive.SetDrivePowerRequest() ' stop the wheels req.LeftWheelPower = 0.0F req.RightWheelPower = 0.0F ' post the request _drivePort.SetDrivePower(req) End IfEnd Sub The code above checks to see if the bumper was pressed.  If it was, it creates a SetDrivePowerRequest object, sets the left and right wheel power to 0 and then sends the request off to the drive port to be handled. Running the Service To run the service, we need to tell the MSRS runtime which manifest to load that defines the hardware for the generic services we've used (bumper and drive).  To do this, right-click on the project and select Properties.  In the Debug section, add the following argument to the Command line arguments textbox: -manifest:"samples\config\LEGO.NXT.TriBot.manifest.xml" Also note that you may need to re-path the location of the project's manifest file to where you have extracted the sample archive if you are building from the sample code. That's it!  We can now run our service and drive our TriBot around using the gamepad.  Ensure the Xbox 360 Controller is installed and working.  In Visual Studio, press the F5 button to start the service in debug mode.  Be sure to press the A button first to enable the motors for the first time. Visual Programming Language (VPL) The LegoTriBot service we just built in code can very easily be built using the Visual Programming Language included in Microsoft Robotics Studio.  Describing the process of dragging and dropping blocks around isn't very easy, so let's start by looking at the finished VPL diagram. Drag an XInputController block onto the design surface.  First, let's set up the functionality where pressing the A button enables the motors.  Drag an If block over to the design surface.  Then, drag a line from the bottom node of the XInputController block to the If block.  A Connections dialog box will appear.  In the From column, select ButtonsChanged.  In the To column, select Condition.  Finally, click in the text box of the If block and choose A.  We have now set up our conditional. You'll notice that there are two points on the right side of the If block:  one is for the true statement, the other for the false/else statement.  When our A button is pressed, we want to set the MotorEnabled variable to true.  To do this, drag a Calculate block to the surface.  Set its value to true.  Then, drag a Variable block to the surface.  Click the Add button at the lower right corner of the screen.  Create a new bool variable named MotorEnabled.  Finally, connect the If block to the Calculate block, and connect the Calculate block to the Variable block.  Select SetValue from the dialog box. Next, let's set up the bumper switch.  This is just like the above, with the addition of setting the drive power to 0 for each wheel. Drag a GenericContactSensor block to the design surface.  In the Properties window, select Use a manifest from the Configuration drop down, and Import the LEGO.NXT.TriBot.manifest.xml file.  Next, drag over an If block, a Calculate block and a Variable block.  Create and connect them just as you did above, but this time assign the value false to the Calculate block.  Connect the GenericContactSensor block to the If block with the ContactSensorUpdated event.  Finally, drag a GenericDifferentialDrive block to the surface.  As with the GenericContactSensor, assign the same manifest file to the block.  Drag a connection from the If block to this block.  Select the SetDrivePower event in the To column.  In the Properties window, set both the LeftWheelPower and RightWheelPower values to 0. Finally, we must hook up the thumbsticks.  As with code above, we will want to apply the value of the thumbsticks directly to the drive service if the MotorEnabled variable is true.  So, drag out a Variable block and set it to the MotorEnabled variable which already exists.  Then, drag out an If block.  Connect the XInputController to the Variable block with the From set to ThumbsticksChanged and the To set to GetValue.  Then, connect the Variable to the If block, setting the If block's text box to MotorEnabled.  Now comes the tricky part.  We need to get the thumbstick values to a GenericDifferentialDrive block, however, only if the the MotorEnabled value is true.  To do this, we can use the Join block.  A Join block will join two messages together and pass them along to another block, but only if both messages are received.  We can use this by passing the thumbstick values directly to the Join as one message, and the true path of the If block as the second message.  This way, the messages will only be passed on if there's both a thumbstick value and MotorEnabled is true. So, drop a Join block onto the design surface.  Next, drag a connection from the XInputController to the Join block as the first message using the ThumbsticksChanged event.  Then, drag a connection from the true fork of the If block to the second message of the Join block.  Now we can set the output to a GenericDifferentialDrive block.  Drag that block over, selecting GenericDifferentialDrive from the Add Activity popup window, and connect the Join to it using the SetDrivePower event.  Click the Edit Values Directly from the DataConnections popup and set the LeftWheelPower target to the msg.LeftY parameter from the Join, and the RightWheelPower target to the msg.RightY parameter from the Join. That's it!  We now have a VPL-written program that will perform identically to the application we coded in C# and VB above.  To start the project, ensure the Lego NXT brick is connected with MSRS and press F5.  This should sync up with the brick and start the service. One thing to note is that starting with version 1.5 of MSRS, one can generate a .csproj and associated code by choosing Build->Compile as Service from the VPL menu.  Choose an output location and, after the service is compiled, check the directory for the generated code.  This code can be reviewed, edited, recompiled, etc.  You will find this code int he LegoTriBotVPLCS directory in the sample archive above.  Unfortunately, this code generation process appears to be one-way at the moment, so you cannot import your C# code into the VPL environment. Conclusion We have created a robot using Lego NXT and can control it with an Xbox 360 controller via Microsoft Robotics Studio by coding a service in C#, VB or VPL.  As you can see, even a non-experienced coder can develop a MSRS service using the VPL language.  If one requires more power and flexibility, a service can be coded directly in C#, or a VPL service can be converted to a C# project and continued. Bio Brian is a Microsoft C# MVP and a recognized .NET expert with over 6 years experience developing .NET solutions, and over 9 years of professional experience architecting and developing solutions using Microsoft technologies and platforms, although he has been "coding for fun" for as long as he can remember.  Outside the world of .NET and business applications, Brian enjoys developing both hardware and software projects in the areas of gaming, robotics, and whatever else strikes his fancy for the next ten minutes. He rarely passes up an opportunity to dive into a C/C++ or assembly language project.  You can reach Brian via his blog at http://www.brianpeek.com/. en Tue, 21 May 2013 23:50:00 GMT Tue, 21 May 2013 23:50:00 GMT Rev9 Re: Microsoft Robotics Studio and Lego Mindstorms NXT http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc998522.aspx

"64-bit: Running services from VPL now calls VplHost32.exe which is compiled for 32-bit systems and hence force use of the Microsoft Windows-32-on-Windows-64 (WOW64) subsystem on 64-bit systems. Services that use Visual Simulation Environment or other services that require running in 32-bit mode now run seamlessly from VPL on 64-bit systems. "

So I'm going to assume yes it can run 64bit but don't quote me on that please!

posted by Clint

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c633662100000000000 Tue, 30 Dec 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c633662100000000000 Clint Re: Microsoft Robotics Studio and Lego Mindstorms NXT How did you all get your XBOX 360 controller to work with your PC?  Did you buy the specal one?  Or is there a trick?  I downloaded the software for it, and had the hardward wizard find the drvers too seperately, and nothing seems to connect it.

posted by Bill

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c633671604000000000 Sat, 10 Jan 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c633671604000000000 Bill Re: Microsoft Robotics Studio and Lego Mindstorms NXT @Bill, the Wired controllers work straight out, wireless you need to get the little hub that plugs into the computer.

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/hardware/x/xbox360wirelessgamingreceiver/

posted by Clint

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c633680244000000000 Tue, 20 Jan 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c633680244000000000 Clint Re: Microsoft Robotics Studio and Lego Mindstorms NXT Question, I have a problem with running dsshost -port:50000 -tcpport:50001 -manifest:samples\Config\LEGO.NXT.Brick.manifest.xml I am forbidden http 403

posted by RNolan

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c633696660000000000 Sun, 08 Feb 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c633696660000000000 RNolan Re: Microsoft Robotics Studio and Lego Mindstorms NXT @RNolan Try adding localhost to "Local Intranet" in Internet Options -> security tab

posted by Clint

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c633698388000000000 Tue, 10 Feb 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c633698388000000000 Clint Re: Microsoft Robotics Studio and Lego Mindstorms NXT I am trying to use Xbox360 Controller to control one robot that I created. The robot has 2 separate motors, connected to a AX1500 dual channel high current motor controller board.

The motor will turn on when it accepts an ASCII code like this : "!A00"

How can I convert the value "1" sent from the Xbox360 controller to an ASCII code that will enable my motor?

Thanks

posted by Kee

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c633747600000000000 Wed, 08 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c633747600000000000 Kee Re: Microsoft Robotics Studio and Lego Mindstorms NXT @vikram, not understanding your question.

posted by Clint

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c633778704000000000 Thu, 14 May 2009 04:00:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c633778704000000000 Clint Re: Microsoft Robotics Studio and Lego Mindstorms NXT i am not having NXT brick device......i got one project on object tracking by matching the color......in that NXT com port is used.....i want to activate computer parallel port to switch on the laser if the color is matched......please help me.......

posted by vikram

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c633778704000000000 Thu, 14 May 2009 04:00:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c633778704000000000 vikram Re: Microsoft Robotics Studio and Lego Mindstorms NXT I purchased my NXT unit back in June 07 and received the 1.0 version of software, which was not compatible to my OS (Windows 2000).

I am unable to source any upgrades to use my NXT with current OS (Vista 32).

Please help.  Thanks.

`Adam

posted by Adam Cox

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c633808944000000000 Thu, 18 Jun 2009 04:00:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c633808944000000000 Adam Cox Re: Microsoft Robotics Studio and Lego Mindstorms NXT @adam Cox, sadly, this is up to Lego, not us.  based on http://en-us.kb.lego.com/ics/support/KBAnswer.asp?questionID=180 looks like you'll have to give them a call.

posted by Clint

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c633814128000000000 Wed, 24 Jun 2009 04:00:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c633814128000000000 Clint Re: Microsoft Robotics Studio and Lego Mindstorms NXT While using the code as in img in VPL I am getting the error "There is no input for value A".

So how to solve the error??

Please help me

posted by Sunil

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c633824496000000000 Mon, 06 Jul 2009 04:00:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c633824496000000000 Sunil Re: Microsoft Robotics Studio and Lego Mindstorms NXT Hi!!...

Username and password is asking in the Web Browser(Mozilla FireFox) when i run theabove VPL example....So am not able to overcome this problem...Can u please help me with this problem

posted by Karunakar

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c633880656000000000 Wed, 09 Sep 2009 04:00:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c633880656000000000 Karunakar Re: Microsoft Robotics Studio and Lego Mindstorms NXT Im having the same problem as Karunakar. It will NOT accept my windows username and password.

posted by Jake

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c633922128000000000 Tue, 27 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c633922128000000000 Jake Re: Microsoft Robotics Studio and Lego Mindstorms NXT @Jake and @Karunakar, After talking with the author, I guess MSRS rewrote the LEGO NXT stuff.  This may have changed how stuff works.  This article is known working on version 1.5, past that, we don't know.

posted by Clint

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c633924720000000000 Fri, 30 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c633924720000000000 Clint Re: Microsoft Robotics Studio and Lego Mindstorms NXT ^^^ must be an issue with firefox, when i ran the program in vpl, it went to firefox and refused to accept my pw. Changed my default browser to IE and its all good now...

posted by diiirk

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c633929940000000000 Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c633929940000000000 diiirk Re: Microsoft Robotics Studio and Lego Mindstorms NXT Hello i was wondering if I can use the triggers of the x-360 contoller (which are touch sensative) and drive it like a tank.Please let me know if this is possible:

left triger: Left track with sensitivity

right triger: right track with sensitivity

left bumper: backwards left track ( no sensitivity)

right bumper: backwards right track (no sensitivity)

Y button: Accesory mottor forward (no sensativity)

A button: accesory mottor backwards (no senistivity)

Please let me know if thuis is possible or not by contacting me at: sebiemil@yahoo.ca      Thanks!!!

P.S. I have a wireless x-360 remote and lego mindstorms nxt 2.0 with a computer NOT capable of bluetooth. Can I still do this???

posted by sebastian

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c633969684000000000 Mon, 21 Dec 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c633969684000000000 sebastian Re: Microsoft Robotics Studio and Lego Mindstorms NXT @sebastian With computer, you sure can.

straight xbox controller to lego mindstorm, no.

posted by Clint

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c633970548000000000 Tue, 22 Dec 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c633970548000000000 Clint Re: Microsoft Robotics Studio and Lego Mindstorms NXT Hi, I am new to lego Minstorms NXT 2.0, please excuse. I am using MS Robotics Develper Studio, but cannot find a service for the color sensor. Is there such a service

posted by Clive

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c634019796000000000 Wed, 17 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c634019796000000000 Clive Re: Microsoft Robotics Studio and Lego Mindstorms NXT @Clive, not sure, I think that is a newer sensor.  I'll try and find out for you

posted by Clint

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c634022388000000000 Sat, 20 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c634022388000000000 Clint Re: Microsoft Robotics Studio and Lego Mindstorms NXT @LegoMan, I do believe the XInputController service requires a true 360 controller as it wraps the XInput API which is specific to 360 controller accessories.

posted by Brian Peek

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c634123440000000000 Thu, 17 Jun 2010 04:00:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c634123440000000000 Brian Peek Re: Microsoft Robotics Studio and Lego Mindstorms NXT Hi, I'am trying to test the application but it doesnt work. From service menu I can see that the motors are ok and the bumper. Bumper works fine. The problem is that nothing happens when I tried to drive.

I have Visual Studio 2008, MSRDS 2008 R2, Win Xp, Logitech Dual Action gamepad.

Is it necessery to use xbox 360 controller? Is the problem my logitech?

thanks,

posted by LegoMan

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c634123440000000000 Thu, 17 Jun 2010 04:00:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c634123440000000000 LegoMan Re: Microsoft Robotics Studio and Lego Mindstorms NXT planning to attempt to program a robot but so far cannot find a simple list of all the instructions to control it using vb.net could you possibly help?

posted by demodraco

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c634217616000000000 Mon, 04 Oct 2010 04:00:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c634217616000000000 demodraco Re: Microsoft Robotics Studio and Lego Mindstorms NXT @demodraco with MSRS, this is as simple as it will get.  You could try netduino / Fez boards that run .NET Microframework or their is a Robotic Connection Stinger robot as well which is pretty fun and easy.

posted by Clint

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c634218480000000000 Tue, 05 Oct 2010 04:00:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c634218480000000000 Clint Re: Microsoft Robotics Studio and Lego Mindstorms NXT I have a wired Xbox controller is this for wired?

posted by HIA

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c634301460000000000 Sun, 09 Jan 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c634301460000000000 HIA Re: Microsoft Robotics Studio and Lego Mindstorms NXT @HIA yes

posted by Clint

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c634302324000000000 Mon, 10 Jan 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c634302324000000000 Clint Re: Microsoft Robotics Studio and Lego Mindstorms NXT I tried the example in VPL, works fine with a Lego Mindstorm and the xbox controller.
But when i try to write a program in VS2010 C#, i use the 
using drive = Microsoft.Robotics.Services.Sample.Lego.Nxt.Drive.Proxy;
i dont see the function for the drive.SetDrivePower(req);
 do you know what i can do ?

posted by Oddmar

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c634365864970000000 Thu, 24 Mar 2011 18:01:37 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c634365864970000000 Oddmar Re: Microsoft Robotics Studio and Lego Mindstorms NXT posted by Matthew S.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c634372715410000000 Fri, 01 Apr 2011 16:19:01 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c634372715410000000 Matthew S. Re: Microsoft Robotics Studio and Lego Mindstorms NXT I too used VC# 2010 and noticed some differences like that. I'm currently writing an updated version of this article using MC#2010 and MRDS 2008 R3 that utilizes all the sensors. I suggest you use the following instead:
//At the top of the code
using drive = Microsoft.Robotics.Services.Drive

//The partner service
[Partner("drive", Contract=drive.Proxy.Contract.Identifier, CreationPolicy=PartnerCreationPolicy.UseExisting)]
private drive.Proxy.DriveOperations _drivePort = new drive.Proxy.DriveOperations();

//Down in the function
drive.Proxy.SetDrivePower(req)

posted by Danielle

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c634373112600000000 Sat, 02 Apr 2011 03:21:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c634373112600000000 Danielle Re: Microsoft Robotics Studio and Lego Mindstorms NXT posted by Adrian

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c634385453670000000 Sat, 16 Apr 2011 10:09:27 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c634385453670000000 Adrian Re: Microsoft Robotics Studio and Lego Mindstorms NXT // Are there any other resources or tutorials where i can learn the communication between visual basic and nxt?
Thanks.
Omar

posted by Omar

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c634415956210000000 Sat, 21 May 2011 17:27:01 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c634415956210000000 Omar Re: Microsoft Robotics Studio and Lego Mindstorms NXT posted by Thomas

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c634479697770000000 Wed, 03 Aug 2011 12:02:57 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c634479697770000000 Thomas Re: Microsoft Robotics Studio and Lego Mindstorms NXT
I have the LEGO Mindstorm 2.0 and I'd like to know where can I find some samples of coding C# with lego mindstorm API's.I intent to add the API's reference in visual studio 2010 and start programing my robot.Do you know where can I find some samples?I'm getting some dificults to find some material on internet.

Thanks & Regards
Leandro Garcia

posted by Leandro Garcia

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c634491993460000000 Wed, 17 Aug 2011 17:35:46 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c634491993460000000 Leandro Garcia Re: Microsoft Robotics Studio and Lego Mindstorms NXT posted by Joshua

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c634553287476961751 Thu, 27 Oct 2011 16:12:27 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c634553287476961751 Joshua Re: Microsoft Robotics Studio and Lego Mindstorms NXT
*** Error creating service. Service type:http://schemas.microsoft.com/robotics/2006/09/xinputgamepad.html

Any ideas?

posted by Jim

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c634557728407416140 Tue, 01 Nov 2011 19:34:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c634557728407416140 Jim Re: Microsoft Robotics Studio and Lego Mindstorms NXT I haven't been able to get this working either.  Has anyone got this to work with robotics studio 4 and visual studio 2010?  If so, post source please Big Smile

posted by dobus

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c634579736660188750 Sun, 27 Nov 2011 06:54:26 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c634579736660188750 dobus Re: Microsoft Robotics Studio and Lego Mindstorms NXT posted by Vahid

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c634581699253025856 Tue, 29 Nov 2011 13:25:25 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c634581699253025856 Vahid Re: Microsoft Robotics Studio and Lego Mindstorms NXT posted by Eric

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c634591009022541482 Sat, 10 Dec 2011 08:01:42 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c634591009022541482 Eric Re: Microsoft Robotics Studio and Lego Mindstorms NXT i really learned alot

posted by nisa74

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c634603271918968349 Sat, 24 Dec 2011 12:39:51 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c634603271918968349 nisa74 Re: Microsoft Robotics Studio and Lego Mindstorms NXT

, nisa74 wrote

i really learned alot

owwww!!!!!!!!!!!!!!www u said alot

posted by nisa74

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c634603272321427133 Sat, 24 Dec 2011 12:40:32 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c634603272321427133 nisa74 Re: Microsoft Robotics Studio and Lego Mindstorms NXT posted by JC Solis

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c634641531596183455 Mon, 06 Feb 2012 19:25:59 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c634641531596183455 JC Solis Re: Microsoft Robotics Studio and Lego Mindstorms NXT i am having problem starting examples from RDS 2008 R3.
The examples i tried are : "VplExamples\LEGO\MindSensorsCompass-FaceNorth" and "VplExamples\LEGO\UltrasonicExplorer". Program connects to lego brick. i get "beep" from it, but it is unable to connect to sensors (thats what i think is wrong).
The error i am seeing is
Error: I2C Communication Error System.InvalidOperationException: I2C Communication Error
: http://www.w3.org/2003/05/soap-envelope:Receiver -> Fault

I read that i should try starting it on port 0 so it will reload sensors so i tried and than got this error:
None: ### SecurityForwarder:InboundFailure. Exception:No permissions found for this action: S-1-5-7 Get

Did any of you face this kind of problem? I couldn't find solution for it even through i tried rly hard.

I will appreciate any tips you could give me.

posted by kostek

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c634685337328094184 Wed, 28 Mar 2012 12:15:32 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c634685337328094184 kostek Re: Microsoft Robotics Studio and Lego Mindstorms NXT posted by kostek

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c634685338372857690 Wed, 28 Mar 2012 12:17:17 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c634685338372857690 kostek Re: Microsoft Robotics Studio and Lego Mindstorms NXT posted by habib rebai

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c634691575879658735 Wed, 04 Apr 2012 17:33:07 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Microsoft-Robotics-Studio-and-Lego-Mindstorms-NXT#c634691575879658735 habib rebai