programming teaching tools

[stlmom]

I am looking for some tools for the off-season that I can use to improve my own programming skills. Thinking about NXT video trainer 2.0. http://www.legoeducation.us/store/de...ID=1762&bhcp=1
I like the fact that I could also use it with a rookie team next season. In the past we have used http://www.ortop.org/NXT_Tutorial/ which is great for the basics, but I would like to go beyond that. Before making a purchase this size I'd love to know if anyone else uses this program and if so, would you recommend it? Or--is there something else you would recommend for a non-engineer with little programming experience beyond FLL? Thanks

[liwalson]

I currently own the Robot Engineering I and II CDs. The first one is basic and can be extremely helpful for beginners. I just went through part II over the winter break and found it to be helpful for intermediate tasks such as variables and line following techniques.

The program, however, seems to be lacking (in topics) for the steep price of $269 but they do an excellent job in explaining the topics they cover. If you purchase it for the project activities then you may find some value in it since it contains activities that you can do with your students. For me, I purchased it to help learn the more advanced programming concepts and although it did help to clarifiy a few questions I had, I feel it didn't cover enough for the price.

I'm currently reading the book The Art of Lego Mindstorms NXT-G Programming by Terry Griffin. I'm hoping it will cover more intermediate/advanced topics beyond what is currently out there. Keeping my fingers crossed.

[Dave Parker]

Once you get to a certain basic level of programming ability (which a book is a good way to get to), learning by example (reading other people's programs) can be very effective. There are lots of free (and fully commented) programs to study at http://www.nxtprograms.com/.

In addition, on the CD "LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0 by Example" (available at http://www.nxtprograms.com/cd.html) there is an extensive set of example programs organized by category (motors, various sensor types, etc), described here: http://www.nxtprograms.com/NXT2/multi-bot/programs.html. Even if you don't have the 8547 (retail NXT 2.0) kit, you can still open, study, and use these programs with the LEGO Education NXT-G 2.x software.

Dave Parker
www.nxtprograms.com

[philipdmartin]

Are there restrictions with using these programs on a NXT 1.0 robot? What things do you need to watch out for that might be in a NXT 2.0 program but can't work in NXT 1.0?

[Dean Hystad]

Originally Posted by philipdmartin

Are there restrictions with using these programs on a NXT 1.0 robot? What things do you need to watch out for that might be in a NXT 2.0 program but can't work in NXT 1.0?

1.x has integer math. 2.x has floating point math. You'll need to be careful when doing math that involves division. For Example:

NXT 1.x : 1 / 2 = 0
NXT 2.x : 1 / 2 = 0.5

When evaluating equations you'll want to do division as the last step.

[Dave Parker]

Originally Posted by philipdmartin

Are there restrictions with using these programs on a NXT 1.0 robot? What things do you need to watch out for that might be in a NXT 2.0 program but can't work in NXT 1.0?

In addition to the Integer vs. Floating Point difference that Dean mentions, a couple of blocks such as the Rotation Sensor block are different in 2.0. In general, you should not plan on using a 2.0 program with 1.0 software. But you can buy NXT-G 2.1 from LEGO Education, which will then work. Too bad they charge $80 for it, though (and no upgrade price!).

Dave Parker
www.nxtprograms.com