Bliss

You may find some information on the net about alternative to the original software. For exemple: https://www.shamlian.net/projects/dacta/ (Provides Links and what seems to be a Dacta.zip that contains what seems to be some Python language stuff) The later URL has some interesting links about the reverse engineering of this interface. One of the links is from Anders Isaksson who also offers a little windows executable to test you interface which I recall having used successfully in the past: http://www.blockcad.net/dacta/ Another cool software to test your Interface B: https://www.lgauge.com/technic/LEGOInterfaceB/9751.htm I do have the RoboLab software that works on Windows 95 (And MAC) but it seems to be in french only. Other links of interest: https://www.dajlab.org/jcontrollab.html I also did play around on my own years ago with this interface and used the information provided by others to program some VB.Net stuff that you can still find here: https://app.box.com/shared/xc44rksi2h Yves

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...

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...

I played with VB.Net about 10 years ago to get connected to my Dacta 9751 InterfaceB... Was fun project... But still, the language is not a real "Automation Friendly" one like we have in industrial automation. I would have liked to be able to program this little baby using simple "Ladder" language. Then, while browsing the internet recently I found out the OpenPLC project and that gave me an Idea... The OpenPLC supports the 5 languages according to IEC 61311-3. - Ladder (the most popular I believe) - SFC (Sequential Function Chart, or Grafcet, the best for sequential process) - FBD (Function Bloc Diagram. Has it's strenght... for me it's more for analog process and calculation) - ST (Structured Text, as in C) - IL (Instruction List... I don't use this one really) The OpenPLC supports the Modbus TCP protocol to communicate with I/O's. Since there are some Modbus Library code freely available, I had the idea to make a Modbus IO server with the Lego InterfaceB. I did not used my VB.Net but rather re-used the C# .Net code provided by: http://www.lgauge.com/technic/LEGOInterfaceB/9751.htm I modified it, improved the reading perfomance by using a continuous thread and stripped some code a bit, and I integretated the EasyModbusTCP Library and here we have a Modbus IO Server (Slave) using the Interface B. I then used some Modbus tool, like a Modbus Client simulator (Modbus Master) like the one provided by Radzio to test it. Then, I Installed the OpenPLC software as per their very clear instructions on their website and managed to build quickly a ladder program using Interface B I/O's... And it's very very performing. very fast response time. If anyone interested, here is my source code. (Exe is in the Bin\Release folder.). Please, read the Readme file. https://app.box.com/s/f1rpaucw84nd24md1neuuj8is4vuqmv2 In a near future, I would like to make it work with more than one InterfaceB...

I'm Yves from Montreal city, Quebec province in Canada. While I don't consider myself a true AFOL as I don't build big mocs, I still love legos and I love to find out the unlimited creative talent of others. I'm not into castle, themes etc. I'm more into buildings, vehicles, technics (I have many technic sets... not the recent ones). I've been working in the industrial Automation fields (PLC = Programmable Logic Controller) for 30 years and I also own few mindstorms sets :) But I did not really "played" much with them yet. I've been off of the scene for about 10 years but recently, I stumbled on my old Lego Interface B (9751 - 70909) and had an Idea. 10 years ago or so, I did some VB.Net project to control this old baby. Was OK, certainly better than nothing but still lacking of some friendly programming language like we have in Automation. Then I had an idea to revive the Interface B. I'm going to share in the proper section if I can find it :) Here's my old brickshelf gallery: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?m=YvesLev