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On 31/01/2018 at 7:22 PM, evank said:

Hi, I'm new here. Google led me to this thread from 2012. I have the Control Lab software but I do not have any instruction manuals for it. There are manuals online for the traditional Lego-building aspect -- I'm looking for the software instructions. Can anyone direct me to it, please? (Not interested in newer software or third-party software.)

Hi there,

I'm also looking for the original manuals/guides of the LEGO Control Lab software but without luck so far :(

Here are the photos of them on Internet:

CLAB_GUIDES1.jpg.a63642785b48137a30dff684384e2b98.jpgCLAB_GUIDES.jpg.4baa58bb52876d635f4ed580e6afc815.jpg

If someone have this guides, please share with us :)

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I uploaded a new version of the Lego IntefaceB Modbus IO Server Gateway.

https://app.box.com/shared/xc44rksi2h

This version (V2) supports the use of TWO (2) InterfaceB on the same Modbus Server.

I have only one InterfaceB so I did not test with 2 but I tested lego1 et lego2 independantly.

This means you can program a PLC Application with OpenPLC that uses 2 Lego InterfaceB, i.e. twice as much Inputs and Outputs...

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Hi. I'm new to the site and have no idea about these lego dacta 9751 sets. Like others I have found some in the cupboards of the school I work at and do not have the software or any manuals to go with them. I have read through all of this thread but I simply don't understand a lot of the 'jargon' to be able to understand what I need to do to get these running on the computers of today. Is it worth it? 

Thanks heaps in advance :wink:

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Monivae,

This 9751 works with older 9V sensors and motors.

It is still worth if you have also a bunch of these 9V sensors and motors and have also recuperated the 9V power supply to power the 9751 unit.

It is worth because this unit has 8 inputs and 8 outputs which makes it interesting if you have fixed projects requiring lots of motors, lights, sensors.

You can even plug many to your computer to multiply to number of Inputs and Outputs.

This unit communicate with a computer using serial port RS-232.  So you need to buy USB-to-RS232 Converter for each 9751 you want to connect to your computer.  The quantity of unit you can connect at the same time depends really how many USB port you have available.  (I assumed you have newer computer that have no RS232 built-in port anymore). 

You also need a serial cable that you might also have been able to recuperate from the original unit.  If you don't have the original serial cable, probably a standard null modem cable will do the job (Male DB9 plug at one end, female at the other end.  May need sex changer).

Once you have a unit connected to your computer and powered on, then you can use software provided here (Bricklab.zip) to test the Inputs and Outputs.

You can also use this other software to test a 9751 unit: http://www.lgauge.com/technic/LEGOInterfaceB/9751.htm

Once you managed to get it to work with the test software, let us know here and we can discuss further how you can make your OWN program that controls the inputs and outputs the way you want to...

 

Edited by Bliss

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Hello again! Does anyone have the DOS (not Windows 95) version of Control Lab?

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6 hours ago, evank said:

Hello again! Does anyone have the DOS (not Windows 95) version of Control Lab?

Hello everyone,

I've uploaded the LEGO DACTA 9751 CLab software for MS-DOS and Win3.x via OneDrive (here) for those who need it.

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Update: I've got a period (mid-1990s) PC running Windows 3.1 on top of MS-DOS 6.22. I installed the DOS and Windows 3.1 versions of Lego Control Lab 1.3. But there are two problems:

1. Both versions boot to an error message saying it doesn't see the hardware box. The PC has a real serial port which, AFAIK, works properly. I've got a null-modem cable connecting it to the 9751 interface box which is powered on.

2. I can't figure out how to access the menus! The usual "alt" and "ctrl" keys do not get me to the top menus. In the Windows version, the mouse doesn't operate in the Lego window; the cursor doesn't even appear there. No clue why or how to proceed! In the 1980s version of TC Logo (on my Apple II), you press something like ctrl-U (for 'up') and ctrl-D to go up/down between the main menu and the console. That also didn't work here in the DOS/Windows versions. So, again, I have no idea how to proceed! Does anyone know?

3. I will see if this machine's old HDD has enough space for Windows 95 and then try that version of the Lego software. But the Windows 3.1 version is the one I care about.

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Solved part of question #2, got DOS mouse drives installed. Apparently the 3.1 version is just the DOS version. :) Still no clue about the up/down issue!

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Solved the up/down thing -- it's Alt-1/2. Easy to see now that the mouse works and I can click on the menus. :)

So, here's where I am at:

- Got an older (P-3) PC running Win 3.1 on top of MS-DOS 6.22

- Got the mouse drivers and CD drivers installed

- Got the Lego Control Lab 1.3 installed for DOS and Win 3.1, although it's the same thing AFAIK

- Tomorrow at work, I will burn the Win 95 upgrade CD because I don't have a burner on my modern PC and also don't have any blank CDs. (I need the upgrade version because I want it in parallel with 3.1. The trick is to install DOS first in a direction not called DOS, so I called it c:\dos6 instead of c:\dos, and then install Win 3.1 the same way so I called it c:\win31 instead of c:\win. Don't forget to change your autoexec.bat and config.sys settings to match the non-standard directory names. Then install the Win 95 upgrade also in a non-standard way (c:\win95, for example) ... that'll let you boot into any of the three operating systems. I'd argue 3.1 is a shell, not an OS, since it runs on 6.22, where as DOS 7.0 is "fake" on Wind 95 ... but I digress. :)

- Tonight I ordered a proper null-modem cable on Amazon. It will be here Tuesday. So no testing the 9751 interface until then. :(

- The splash screen for TC Logo in the 1980s version (Apple II) is ugly and the Lego bricks shown in it are upside-down! See for yourself: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EH6BO2q7mKDXtktOuDcYL0MIby_OE1mk/view?usp=sharing ... however the splash screen for Control Lab 1.3 (better version of TC Logo) is much nicer: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xVmmdF8VMkbGIunKzndY-F-o8DoutV32/view?usp=sharing. I had to make that screen capture the old-fashioned way -- maximize the window, press alt-print screen, paste it into Paint, save it to floppy, then open it with a USB floppy drive on my modern computer in GIMP. :)

- I'll have to get a period-1990s CRT for when I take this to Lego shows. The 22" Dell LCD is great for my workbench :) but wrong for realistic presentation.

- I'll also have to get a ball mouse. I was surprised to find an optical mouse with a PS/2 connector (my USB adapter didn't work), but again I want it to be realistic for public demonstrations.

- I'll document all this in the 16/32-bit section of my website at http://www.mindsbeforethestorm.com in the next couple of weeeks.

Off to sleep now. I have to wake up in 6 hours 30 minutes and then drive an hour to work.....

-Evan (in the U.S., not Europe, but this forum is where the answers were!)

Edited by evank
fixed second image link

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In case anyone is reading this :) ... null modem cable arrived, and it works now! Happy camper here. Now I have to brush up on this version of Logo. I guess my old cable is a straight-through variety. Would have done a continuity test for the pins with a multimeter, but my probes didn't fit and I did not have paperclips handy.

Will update my website soon.

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6 hours ago, evank said:

In case anyone is reading this :)

I >for sure< do!!!

Good luck - cross my fingers!

Best
Thorsten

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One more update ... did some tweaking and the PC now triple-boots in DOS 6.22, Windows 3.1, and Windows 95 ... take your pick each time ... with each version able to run the Lego software. For 6.22/3.1 it's the same application (Control Lab 1.3), and for 95 it's 1.0 version of that revision (software has a few more bells/whistles and an upgraded splash screen).

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You're welcome! I am having fun. Got it all working perfectly. I made batch files so I can type "win31" or "win95" from any directory (such being in those same directories when I exit either OS) and go right into the other one without having to CD back to root and typing a path each time. It works great.

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Now I'm trying to install Robolab 2.5. I know Robolab is meant for Mindstorms, but I read that the 2.5 version can also control 9751 Interface B. I installed the program in Windows 95 but it gives me two error messages:

1. "The Robolab2.exe file is linked to missing export OLEAUT32.DLL:183."

2. "C:\robolab\engine\robolab2.exe - A device attached to the system is not functioning."

I'm not surprised about #2 because it is probably looking for RCX hardware which I do not have. But, what's going on with #1? The file is there in c:\win95\system where it belongs.

I thought maybe Robolab software is hard-coded to look in c:\windows\system, whereas I changed the 95 directory to c:\win95 so it wouldn't overwrite 3.1 during installation. But I tested this by creating c:\windows\system and copying oleaut32.dll into there to appease Robolab. :)  Didn't work, same error message.

Google indicates at https://www.taltech.com/support/entry/error_the_setup_exe_file_is_linked_to_missing_export_oleaut32_dll1852 that the problem isn't a * missing * copy of oleaut32.dll, it's that the Windows 95 copy is too old for Robolab. Okay then -- Googled again for newer versions, found myself at https://www.dll-files.com/download/9ebe44d77ad0d88aea813455deea505b/oleaut32.dll.html?c=SUtibFlieEVLRGRIZnhqNlBBeXdpQT09, downloaded the newest 32-bit version, renamed the original file oleaut32.old, and copied the new one into its place.

It worked! Robolab no longer gives that error message on start-up in Win 95.

Now it gets to the main Robolab interface and gives a different error. :( It shows me details and then closes the program.

I copied the details into a text file:

------------------------------------------

ROBOLAB2 caused an exception c06d007eH in module KERNEL32.DLL at 0137:bff9a07c.
Registers:
EAX=00bafb94 CS=0137 EIP=bff9a07c EFLGS=00000246
EBX=00000000 SS=013f ESP=00bafb90 EBP=00bafbe4
ECX=00bafbac DS=013f ESI=00bafc3c FS=1a57
EDX=ffffffff ES=013f EDI=00000000 GS=0000
Bytes at CS:EIP:
5e 8b e5 5d c2 10 00 64 a1 00 00 00 00 55 8b ec 
Stack dump:
23008cd8 c06d007e 00000000 00000000 bff9a07c 00000001 00bafc08 bff8471c 81cd6e4c ffffffff 81cd6e4c 81cd6e68 00000000 bff7c581 81cd6e4c 00000000 

------------------------------------------

Yikes! This one will be tough to fix. No clue how to even start. I'll turn to some of my developer friends.

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Ok just wrote a fuc.... long text and it seams that it has disappeared..

I got it running under W10 32b  :)

On 3/17/2020 at 4:39 PM, evank said:

Apparently kernel32.dll errors are common. That is a relief, because it means one of my dev friends might know how to fix it. Google led me to https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-fix-kernel32-dll-errors-2623533 but the advice seems pretty generic and not necessarily applicable.

 

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I'm trying to keep it period. Robolab debuted in '98 for Mindstorms RCX, but Google says it works with 9751 too, either on Windows 95 or 98 (or a Mac, but I don't have one).

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Ok.. ready to go.

First of all "hi there" and thanks for all the information I have picked up in this posting... Nevertheless it was quite confusing so I decided to write a

Guideline for dummies to run thge LEGO RCX&Control Lab software under W10 32 bit

as I was too lazy to get another PC and install XP or W95

 

This pdf file includes also the links to the software. Everything is hosted on OneDrive so it should work as long as I live :devil:

 

Thanks again and I hope I could help out a bit and clarify things for "common" users.

 

Cheers

EloyBroock

Edited by eloybroock

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Just now, evank said:

Good work!

Thanks... I tried to simplify and clarify steps to make it work... at least it does for me.... I know that there are a trillion other ways but I have no time to go deep into programming Linux/java/python etc etc.... :wink:

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@evank   just saw you LEGO Technic FB page... nice... I just finished today my G-Force training facility for Minifigures :sweet:   IR double motorized 

Bild1.jpg

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