mindsensors

Hi guys,

I found this library a few days ago when I was looking for an easy framework for my NXT bric which I dug out after a long time. I want to program a robot which will move around any entire room. So I looked for better sensors and found the website www.mindsensors.com. I really like the "Dual Range, Triple Zone Infrared Obstacle Detector for NXT (NXTSumoEyes-v2)" sensor but I know that this sensor is not supported by the MindSqualls framework. So am asking myself if it's possible to add this sensor to this library but I'm not familiarly enough with the NXT protocol or the inner construct of the library. But I would help adding support for this sensor so that when I buy it I can use it with this framework.

Greetings
Armagetron

There is no reason to believe that it would not be possible to expand the framework with support for the NXTSumoEyes-v2 sensor.

I have had a brief look at the mindsensors.com site. There are some samples of NXC code there, and from that it seems that this sensor is actually a variation on the NXT 1.0 light sensor, making it a “passive” sensor rather than a “digital” sensor like the Ultrasound sensor is.

Perhaps – although I will not swear on this – you will be able to use the NxtLightSensor class as-is. If not, I suspect that it will only be a small amount of work to create a MindSensorsNxtSumoEyesV2 class.

I can of cause assist you, but since I don’t have this sensor myself I will not really be able to test things out myself.

Thanks for your quick reply. I will try adding a class for this sensor.

What do you mean with passive sensor? There will be notification when a given distance is reached? And I think this sensor is like three Ultrasonic sensors build in one with different orientations. So I think the best point to start is with a class based upon the Ultrasonic class or so.

According to the technical documentation (http://mindstorms.lego.com/en-us/support/files/default.aspx) the NXT supports three types of sensors:

• “Active sensors” – these includes the old RCX sensors from the very first generation of Mindstorms – the Robotics Invention System set.
  
• “Passive sensors” – this is the Light- and Sound sensors from NXT 1.0 and the Touch sensor. The new NXT 2.0 Color sensor is also of this type.
  
• “Digital sensors” – this includes the Ultrasonic sensor. Most if not all of the HiTechnic sensors are of this type as well.
  

Since the NXTSumoEyes-v2 resembles the Ultrasonic sensor, my first guess was that it was the same type of sensor. I was wrong.

The MindSqualls library has the class NxtPassiveSensor which you will have to inherit from if you want to support the SumoEyes. It will not work basing your code on the NxtUltrasonicSensor; although the functionality seems to be the same, the underlying way of controlling a passive sensor is completely different form that of a digital sensor.

Using the Lejos class as a reference is a good point to start I think. Because the class design can be easily converted into C#.

You can find it here: http://www.mindsensors.com./index.php?module=documents&JAS_DocumentManager_op=viewDocument&JAS_Document_id=160

I think that is a good bid – especially since it seems that it is the Mindsensors-guys themselves that has made the programming.

BTW: you can see that they have in fact based it on the code for the NXT 1.0 Touch sensor. Personally I would base it on the NxtPassiveSensor class and not the NxtLightSensor – this is more a matter of taste, but since it is not a secialiced light-sensor it should IMO not be programmed as such.

I would also recommend the NXC code:
http://www.mindsensors.com/index.php?module=documents&JAS_DocumentManager_op=viewDocument&JAS_Document_id=111

I think that you should have a go at the programming. Since I don’t have the sensor I would be programming blind without any chance to try it out. I will of cause help you all I can.