Project: Programs to allow interactions between old Lego Control Interfaces (RCX, Lego Interface B, others?)

[Bliss]

5 minutes ago, Wapata said:

Yes it does ! 

... Where did you take your info from for this particular thing ??  

Already posted by @Toastie in another thread:

http://www.activevb.de/rubriken/mindstorms/downloads/pbrick.pdf

 

[Wapata]

Thanks. My lecture for the bed.

So. Everything is working, it's time to make a panel with multiple buttons, a resistor ladder will be a good start to control a lot of things from a single input port ! 

[Bliss]

I added in the latest version, a Highlight execution checkbox in the top bar.

This is for debugging if your code block somewhere for exemple.

This highlight the block(s) being executed...  In a non blocking application, you will not see much as loops goes fast, but in a blocking WAIT UNTIL or other situations, like a IF Condition that never go through...

This has to be checked before you press run.  But once running you can unchecked this option and this will stop the hightlighting...

[Toastie]

6 minutes ago, Bliss said:

I added in the latest version, a Highlight execution checkbox in the top bar.

Very nice! As said next week, I'll break out my CM, RCX, Int A and Int B.

Now on the left column, last entries: I feel the "LEGO" as label is not really required, is it? Wouldn't "Int A", "Int B", and "RCX/CM" do it? I am asking because in the RCX drop down list, all the blocks are always referring to CM as well?

And finally: I guess the Scout (in my view largely underrated) as well as the Spybots should eventually also make it into LEGO Blockly. My reasoning: The Scout speaks natively VLL. Which means, the CodePilot as well as the MicroScout come into range (as "entensions"). The MicroScout has a light sensor, so has the CodePilot. That would complete the pre-NXT (BT) evolution of PBricks, all relying on IR or VIS light communication. That would be so cool! 

All the best
Thorsten 

[Bliss]

@Toastie, thanks for the suggestions, I will probably change the toolbox category yes...  RCX/CM might become PBricks :-)

I found very difficult to find clear informations about the CM particularities, a lot of readings...  It is scattered here and there and I even had to check in the Bricxcc nqc source code which wasn't easy for me...

And debugging a code you try to implement for a Brick you don't own, as you saw for the CM and Int.A, it's a lot back and forth posts and waiting for replies etc...

You talk about VLL, I think I read about it somewhere...  maybe in the mindstorm sdk...  It uses the IR serial Hub I guess for that?  So this VLL is to command the Outputs only through IR?  No inputs reading?

Edited 9 hours ago by Bliss

[Wapata]

VLL is coding by light impulses 

Barcode scanner use white and black strips, but @Toastie can send data with a controlled light... Cool no ?

Mmm I will try to find a video with a short example of that by someone else and edit this post.

Edit : here at nearly one minute https://youtu.be/q7a1G2klfo0?t=57&is=u-YZ5v6vPA7H3Yv5

Edited 9 hours ago by Wapata

[Toastie]

On 4/8/2026 at 5:58 PM, BrickTronic said:

What value is correct (Resistor placed at middle Pin of TO92) ?

@BrickTronic

Hi Jo,

would that photograph do it? See below.

Best,
Thorsten

4 minutes ago, Bliss said:

It uses the IR serial Hub I guess for that?  So this VLL is to command the Outputs only through IR?  No inputs reading?

@Bliss

VLL is LEGO's "visible light link". They abandoned of course ... they always do.

It uses light you can see. Red, blue, green etc. all work, white is best performing. I am using plain vanilla light fibers exceeding 5 m length (in addition to the thick LEGO plastic wires of short length, max. 20 cm, to speak to the MicroScouts on my train layout. There are several posts about that here on EB.

It is fairly easy to generated VLL pulses. The RCX can do it with the 9V lamp, the Scout does in on its output 3. The Scout has 9V 2 motor outputs and output 3 is the red VLL LED located at its front. Whenever you use a LEGO byte code for output 3, the Scout flashes its LED. There is fwd, rev, and so on. Let me find my posts regarding VLL for CodePilot and MicroScout ... here they are:

 

The CodePilot also recognizes VLL on its sensor, in addition it does react to light changes:

 

 VLL just reaches out to the two vintage "PBricks" (both, the MicroScout and the CodePilot can be scripted). The Spybot can do that as well.

All the best
Thorsten

 

[Bliss]

   @Toastie, well that was a good read (VLL)... What a technologie :-)

Yes the modern computer are faster but when you run blockly you use a Multitasking OS Windows computer that is doing tons of stuff...  Me I have tons of other tabs openend in Chrome ;-)

Maintaining a perfect 20ms unit timeline in windows and chrome, I'm not so sure about that...  The pulses could vary when Chrome or OS are busy with some events...

When using an old IBM PC with MS-DOS, it was dedicated to the task of making pulses, nothing else could affect the timing...  It was like using a micro controller dedicated to this VLL task...

So...  I could try to implement VLL in Blockly directly using a FTDI (USB to TTL) with DTR+LED approach with no garantie the timing would always be precise...  I don't know how Lego VLL in devices is forgiving on the delays...
OR, we can rely on an Arduino Nano like we do for the Int.A.  We could even implement this in the sketch we use for the Int.A maybe?

I wonder if it's worth the effort...  I think I could implement a test block for the direct + FTDI approach and see how it goes...  Again I have no Devices to test this...  And it would be only to send data, not receive...

Edited 2 hours ago by Bliss