Updated LV NXT programming guide?

dunnor · ‎06-16-2014

I see that there exists the "LabVIEW Lego Mindstorms NXT Module Programming Guide" for 2009. Does anyone know if there is a comprable manual with maybe a different title for LabVIEW 2013? Among other things I'm hopping for a complete list of Direct Mode Commands. I am not sure if I've upgraded/updated properly. I was expecting to see in my Direct Mode Pallet: "Creat NXT Object" and "Destroy NXT Object". Are these still part of the newer versions of LV NXT pallets?

Thank you for looking at my post

garrett8357 · ‎06-17-2014

The NXT object is no longer visible from the palette level VIs, and has been replaced by the NXT/EV3 brick reference. Perhap it would be easier to help if you shared what it is you are trying to accomplish.

All of the old VIs still ship with the module, and you'll find Create and Destroy NXT Object in the <LabVIEW>/vi.lib/NXT/DirectCommands folder. This folders content was formerly the complete list of direct mode VIs.

In the newer versions of the module, all of the items on the palettes can be run as either direct or remote mode, exept those on the 'Direct Only' palette which is not visible from VIs targetted to a MINDSTORMS brick. Any of the VIs you can access from the palettes on a VI targetted to the computer are direct mode VIs, so you can use that as a complete list of direct mode VIs.

garrett8357 · ‎06-17-2014

There are no programming guides specifically for the newest version of the LabVIEW Module for LEGO MINDSTORMS with EV3 support, but there is relevant training available for FTC teams:

https://decibel.ni.com/content/docs/DOC-34553

And you'll also find lots of examples in LabVIEW's Example Finder dialog (Help>>Find Examples...)

dunnor · ‎06-17-2014

Thank you very much for the information.

I will investigate what "replaced by the NXT/EV3 brick reference" means. And I will look for the <LabVIEW>/vi.lib/NXT/DirectCommands folder.

As for what is the project? The 13 year old that I'm working with has friends that have been in to solving the Rubik's Cube. I hear them talking about speed and different ways to solve it. Anyway, we saw David Gilday's Rubik's Cube Solver on YOUTUBE. The 13 year old built it (see attached photo). He has been "programming" in NXT G for a while, but I think he is ready to start programming in LabVIEW. Especially since the Rubik's Cube is made up of array, and arrays are Cracker Jack for LV. We are going to need to use two demensional arrays in our program, so we needd to program in Direct Mode.

Together we built a Pen Plotter (sorry don't have a picture any more). It worked virtually, but I had some trouble with Direct Mode in LV 2009. We might have to go back to the Pen Plotter. Running that Vi would be a good test for LabVIEW NXT Direct Mode.

Thank you for your time

garrett8357 · ‎06-17-2014

Okay, I understand the project. I have the MINDCUBER robot also.

What I'm asking is: Why do you need to know a complete list of direct commands?

For that robot, you will be mostly interested in using the Sensors and Motors VIs, available on the I/O palette, all of which can operate in remote or direct mode. In the newest version of the module, just create a VI for a Computer Target if you want to control the robot in direct mode, or create a VI for NXT/EV3 Target if you want to control the robot in remote mode.

dunnor · ‎06-17-2014

We'll, I'm doing the project with a kid. I'm sure at some point I will push the limits of his sticktuidness, but I don't want to start out pushing his limits. We can run into some walls later. I'd like our first couple of programs to be written with as few problems as possible, almost as if they were demo programs. Again, the Rubik's Cube Solver will be good because he has spent so much time solving it already.

You asked, and there you have it.

Thank you for your time
dunnor

garrett8357 · ‎06-24-2014

Hi dunnor,

Your best bet for getting code executing correctly the first time is starting from one of the examples in the Example Finder. Please note that all those examples will work for NXT or EV3.

I wrote a program to find direct mode VIs, and found 176 direct mode VIs from the palettes. The palettes are logically organized in a way that is probably more instructive than this list. I doubt this is exactly what you're looking for, but I am just trying to be as helpful as I can be, recognizing that the documentation for the module is lean. The most thorough and up to date documentation is the context help. Open the context help window using ctrl+H, and hover over a subVI or palette item to get a detailed description of its usage.

Attached is the program that creates a list of direct mode VIs available to you, along with VI description and icon. You can find the VIs by VI name using search (ctrl+s) or quick drop (ctrl+.), or navigate to them using the palettes. The VI takes a couple minutes to run.

If you encounter any difficulties in your project, do not hesitate to post them here.