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LEGO Mindstorms NXT Power Programming: Robotics in C
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by John C. Hansen
Sales Rank: 101787
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Discount: 34 %
$20.56
At Amazon
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Paperback: 560 pages
Publisher: Variant Press November 7, 2007
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0973864923
ISBN-13: 978-0973864922
Product Dimensions:
9.6 x 7 x 1.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
Book Description
NXT Power Programming delivers everything you need to create the robot you've always dreamed about. This is the definitive guide to C programming by the developer of some of the most powerful and popular development tools for LEGO MINDSTORMS. John C. Hansen presents a comprehensive yet friendly set of tools that allow you to create almost any robot you can imagine.
Inside, you'll find an ingenious set of projects that explore the complete arsenal of NXT functionality. At the heart of these projects is Versa, a versatile mobile robot platform utilizing modular attachments.
Master the Art of:
• NXC, a C language for the NXT
• BricxCC, a full featured programming environment
• Sensors and Motors
• Utilities for Music, Sound Sampling, Graphics and more
• NBC, an Assembler Language for the NXT
• Building Robots without Bricks
• Handheld Arcade Games on the NXT
• An Intruder System using a Sphere Cannon
• NXT to NXT Bluetooth communications
• NXT to Bluetooth devices
• The latest sensors from HiTechnic and mindsensors.com
About The Author
John Hansen is the author of several popular LEGO MINDSTORMS tools and utilities, including the Bricx Command Center as well as the NeXT Byte Codes (NBC) and Not eXactly C (NXC) programming languages for the NXT. He actively maintains the Not Quite C (NQC) tool for programming previous generations of LEGO MINDSTORMS products. He was a member of the MINDSTORMS Users Panel, the MINDSTORMS Developer Program, and is currently a member of the MINDSTORMS Community Partners. He lives in Nashville, Tennessee.
Customer Reviews & Comments
Summary: An excellent 'next step' for getting the most from this powerful computer system Mindstorms NXT is robot building tool from Lego. The centrepiece is a large "brick" containing a 32-bit ARM7 computer - the kind of computer you might find in a PDA or a Smartphone. The kit includes a graphical programming environment capable of quite complex programs as well as being accessible to beginners and youngsters. The kit also includes motors and sensors, wheels, gears, and a whole lot of technic-style Lego to hold them together. John Hansen's book takes all of these components and organises them in a coherent and easily understandable fashion. He describes how to use the various components and explains the sensors (that range from a simple contact switch to a sophisticated ultrasonic distance sensor). However, the real strength of the book is in its approach to programming of the system. Power Programming describes how to maximise the capability of the kit by programming it using a conventional, textual programming language that is close to standard C. This is both more natural to anyone who already has a smattering of programming knowledge and, ultimately, capable of more complex and much faster programs for the NXT. Best of all, the system that Hansen describes is a free, open-source toolkit usable on Mac, PC and Linux; just download it from the WWW and you're ready to roll. NXC (Not eXactly C) and the complementary assembler, NBC (NeXT Byte Code) are explained in a clear and authoritative way (Hansen is the author of the compilers too) before the book explores the rest of the system. Each item is introduced in the context of a real robot (you can build these from the step by step instructions) but in a style that explains how it actually works; so the reader is left understanding how to apply each item in their own programs. Later chapters dig deeply into advanced programming of the sensors and communication between several robots without ever becoming inaccessible. And, lest I have made it all sound too dry and worthy, there are detours to examine such things as playing Space Invaders on the NXT and producing a Bedroom security system and remote controlled car. This is a well-written, clearly presented and very well produced book from an acknowledged expert. It's not for young children but anyone with a little programming knowledge and an interest in computers and robots will find it entirely indispensable. Just beware that, while the tools it describes are free, it could well convince non-owners that they need to buy a NXT!
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LEGO Mindstorms NXT Power Programming: Robotics in C
Discount: 34 %
Available from Amazon
Price: $20.56
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