[MOC] Mindstorms 51515 Plotter

[ord]

Paper size: A4
Tip speed: 40mm/s
Software used: Pybricks, vpype, Studio 2.0, Blender (Freestyle)
Electronics: Mindstorms 51515 hub, 2 large angular motors, 2 medium angular motors
Pen/paper: anything that fits in the pen-holder/bed
WIP topic: [WIP] Mindstorms 51515 Plotter

 

[Toastie]

This is how I made my graphs back then in 1986 for my diploma thesis - there was an Apple IIe - and a "state-of-the-art" x-y plotter.

OK, the graphs were boring - first and second order kinetics plots - but it was so cool to see them "paint the picture".

The brain was the Apple IIe though - and the data were submitted via RS232 - full 25 pins, as XON/XOFF was not invented yet.

This is sooo cool to watch.

Best,
Thorsten 

[ord]

That's an interesting anecdote and cool that you got to use such equipment!

I will admit, I've watched a few videos of older machines on Youtube just for fun :P (e.g. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iziP0cQhOFY , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpmRMP6rKro).

[CheungsLegoCreation]

Amazing work. Well done!

[Jim]

Wow, that shock absorber is done nicely! Very nice work. I am amazed by the accuracy.

[DrJB]

A rather impressive plotter that you came up with. Congrats, much more elegant than the one they had with the RCX 2.0.... except for the pneumatic pen holder :)

On 3/9/2022 at 3:59 PM, Toastie said:

This is how I made my graphs back then in 1986 for my diploma thesis - there was an Apple IIe - and a "state-of-the-art" x-y plotter.

OK, the graphs were boring - first and second order kinetics plots - but it was so cool to see them "paint the picture".

The brain was the Apple IIe though - and the data were submitted via RS232 - full 25 pins, as XON/XOFF was not invented yet.

This is sooo cool to watch.

Best,
Thorsten 

You bring back a memory of a visit I made to Boston's Museum of Science, about 30 years ago. Back then, admission to the museum was free with student IDs from few schools.

They had the devices below on display. Anyone knows what those are?

 

Edited November 12, 2022 by DrJB

[Davidz90]

Impressive accuracy!

 

42 minutes ago, DrJB said:

They had the devices below on display. Anyone knows what those are?

Magnetic core memory.

[DrJB]

2 minutes ago, Davidz90 said:

Magnetic core memory.

Yep, in 70+ years, we've come a very long way. Though to understand the basic operation, those dinosaurs get the point across ... together with the picture below. Can you imagine what the 'write speed' to those devices was? I should stop here as I'm digressing way too much from Lego, but here's a good read.

https://www.computerhistory.org/timeline/memory-storage/

 

[Toastie]

7 hours ago, DrJB said:

I should stop here as I'm digressing way too much from Lego, but here's a good read.

Wonderful read!

OK, you may stop here, but you can continue as you see fit, no restrictions (and I would very much appreciate that because I love "vintage" computing - to make it work with "vintage" and current LEGO; although the LEGO bit is not that big of an issue :D)

I am wildly into restoring an IBM XT from 1985 I found in the basement of our department; nobody wanted it and everybody is asking "why on earth are you doing this".

Well, even asking that tells me: Just reply "For fun" and take the "aha" reply as reason to change to something else. What very, very (very) rarely happens is, that an >old< individual replies: WHAT??? (And then all hell breaks loose :D)

All the best,
Thorsten

BTW: IBM back then made a "carrying case" with exactly that stuff in it (OK, it is in bloody German)

 

 

Edited November 12, 2022 by Toastie

[DrJB]

10 hours ago, Toastie said:

Wonderful read!

OK, you may stop here, but you can continue as you see fit, no restrictions (and I would very much appreciate that because I love "vintage" computing - to make it work with "vintage" and current LEGO; although the LEGO bit is not that big of an issue :D)

Thank you for the kind comments, and for the fun link/thread. That's an absolute beauty to read :)

I have a couple of Control Lab units with a good collection of Light/Temperature/Touch/Rotation sensors. Hoping one day I find the time to build something 'useful'. Nothing that compares to the link below, but nonetheless very rewarding. Cheers.