NXT Problems? Post Problems and Solutions/Suggestions
I'm starting to receive emails and postings with installation and other NXT-related issues. Let's collect them here as comments... along with suggestions.
UPDATE: The NXT STEP is a blog - we're always considering ways to improve it, but for now it will remain a blog. Adding a forum isn't in the cards right now, sorry. This post is just intended to be a temporary aid as a place to address problems or questions.
Jim
UPDATE: The NXT STEP is a blog - we're always considering ways to improve it, but for now it will remain a blog. Adding a forum isn't in the cards right now, sorry. This post is just intended to be a temporary aid as a place to address problems or questions.
Jim
Comments
I watched the NXT tutorial at http://www.ortop.org/NXT_Tutorial/index.html so I tried to calibrate the light sensor. The program wasn't on the NXT, so I followed the instructions in the tutorial. It took a VERY long time to download the calibration program (thought it was hung-up). Turns out I really did need it, because my min-max values were around 450-650, not the 0-1200 defaults. No wonder the light program failed!
gave me a warning that my bluetooth drivers are not supported. Kinda
new to the whole bluetooth thing. I guess I have a Toshiba card and am
using their drivers. I can connect to my NXT, but from within the LEGO
SW, it says it can't find it.
I should be able to use the Windows XP bluetooth, but not sure how to get rid of my Toshiba stuff.
My computer and the NXT can see eachother, but I cannot connect through Mindstorms.
I have XP on it as well. When I tried in Windows I got the non supported Bluetooth warning.
Any suggestions?
I have a question. Does anyone have the bluetooth from the phone connection working? I have a smartphone and wanted to get started - but can't find anything on it. Any ideas?
Thanks,
Mark
C:\Program Files\LEGO Software\LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT\engine\Firmware
Anyway, the file is called "LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT Firmware v1.03.rfw"
Could it be as simple as replacing it with v1.01.rfw and disconnecting from the Internet (so it can't check for updates) and then hitting the "Download" button while the Brick is connected?
Jim
- Remove any BT dongles you have before uploading the new firmware.
This may not apply to all of you...
Jim
Is NOT installing the 1.0.3 firmware the conventional wisdom at this time? Does the Mindstorms NXT application force the user to update the firmware?
Also, is it confirmed that the intel based Macs built-in Bluetooth will not work with the NXT as of yet?
Any advice/info that experienced users could provide would be much appreciated.
Still trying to figure out a way to get the v1.01 off of a brick before it gets overwritten with v1.03.
Jim
As for the FW, I would recommend updating to the 1.03 version. It has worked great for me.
Supported Bluetooth software are Widcomm® Bluetooth for Windows newer than v. 1.4.2.10 SP5 and the Bluetooth stacks included in Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 2 / Apple MacOS X 10.3.9 and 10.4.
Try getting these for bluetooth compatability. I also suspect turning BT off or removign doggles is a great idea to prevent your NXT getting Ticks.
(Did any of you try Jin Sato's Dog design before updating and gettting tick bugs on your nxt?)
;)
Can`t wait till I get my hands on the new NXT set this Fall!!
Andy
--
Brian Davis
My NXT might be up for Eurograbs for 2xcost. (offer good until it arrives Friday then I'll be too obsessed).
Have any PC users run into this issue?
I have been running my bots with 1.03 for probably about 3 or 4 weeks now... can't remember the exact date I downloaded, but it's been a month I guess...
I run XP Pro on a P4/1.8Ghz... I've heard the clicking, but only when the FW is downloading... it stops when finished with a loud beep. Ticking stops.
I am NOT running BT devices from my laptop, so I can neither confirm or deny this to be a possible cause.
I did encounter the continuous ticking one time before, very early on, and a hard reboot of my NXT device fixed the issue.
Believe me, people... LEGO has to be aware of this problem and is probably working quick - they don't want a negative first experience to affect sales (and neither should we, so let's give them time to address the issue - we want this product to succeed and so far the concerns have been voiced in a professional manner...) and I'm sure they'll have a fix as soon as possible.
Jim
Mines not ticking but it sounds like hard resets and battery pulling all around might be an idea. (hard means you push a lego antenna into the reset hole near the USB port and hold it for 5 seconds.
Speaking of batteries the NXT is advertised as being shipped with batteries and takes 6 AA. (but mine will be eating through a ton, hence the bulk batteries to last me till the Rechargable batteries are ready - I think they also act as a direct AC port when AC plug, Rechargable battery pack and NXT are all together TRES COOL!
It will all work out.
> I have a question. Does anyone have the
> bluetooth from the phone connection
> working? I have a smartphone and
> wanted to get started - but can't
> find anything on it. Any ideas?
Do these work:
* How To: Use Your Phone As NXT Remote Control
* How To: Use Bluetooth to Take Pictures & Drive a Robot
If they don't work for you, just leave me a comment on my blog.
The BT controls from phones and PDAs (I've seen examples of both) work by sending direct commands to the NXT firmware in a specific format, that is documented in the SDK (nope, not released yet... but it will be!).
As to using BT to download programs on a PPC Mac Powerbook, yes, it works (that's how I do it). But you need to set up the connection from the environment, (click on the "scan" button in the lower right corner of the communications pane of the NXT window). The NXT-G environment will then work with OSX to set up the connection. Once the NXT and the computer are paired, you can select the BT connection in this communications pane (instead of the USB one; both will remain listed), and then you are connected via BT between your computer and your Mac. Try that (you may want to delete any previous "BT connection" that appears in the communications pane prior to this; I had a few issues with that).
--
Brian Davis
--
Brian Davis
Thanks!
:-)
Can you (or any other readers) please tell me how they are getting their kits before the August release date?
cheers
from chris
PS: Please someone answer my query, thanks
--
Brian Davis
The A port on the brick is not responding to "try me" and just sounds a continous beep. I'm 90% sure that the port has shipped broken or defective.
I seem to remember having that problem with my brick as well... but it "resolved" itself - by that, I mean I was able to get it working when I figured out that I could only test motor port B and C...
Do create a program that spins motors B and C... create a concurrent path that has motor A doing something... just to make sure... post your results, please.
Jim
-Jonathan
To solve the axel number measurement problem... place an axel next to a Technic brick piece (one of those long bars with the holes in the sides). A #10 axel will come to between the 10th an 11th holes.
Also, I think those holes are 8mm apart(?) - so a #10 would be 8cm in length. Does that sound right?
Until then, (or instead of that), use the 2nd light sensor as a touch sensor: create a mechanism that when bumped, moves a piece in front of the light sensor, changing the value it returns. This may be a slightly bigger, but has several advantages: it can be made as sensitive as you wish, and be activated by very very weak touches (or strong ones; you decide by how you build it). It can also return information on how far this pseudo-touch-sensor is pressed (since the light sensor returns a range, instead of just on/off).
--
Brian Davis
My computer:
Sony VAIO, 1.4 GHz Pentium 4
512M RAM
Built in USB
After updating the firmware, I was able to upload, download and run programs using a Kennsington BlueTooth dongle. Although not related to the NXT software, one problem I did notice was that, if I plugged the BlueTooth dongle into a different USB port than the one I installed it in, the dongle would not be recognized by the Widcomm BlueTooth driver.
Unfortunately, I cannot say that I had a perfect initial experience with the NXT kit that I received. The touch sensor I recieved caused all the other sensors to crash the moment I connected it. The problem occurred no matter which sensor port I connected the touch sensor. I noticed that when I connected in the touch sensor, the battery voltage indicator (NXT software status panal) instantly showed a 1.5 volt drop. These indications are typical of problems involving a short circuit between power and ground. (I am amazed that it did not immediately cause something in the NXT to burn out - there must be some kind of current limiting on the power bus to the sensors.)
Finally, I disassembled the touch sensor and...found the problem: a solder bridge between pins two and four of the RJ-12 plug. Upon removing the solder bridge I was able to confirm with a voltmeter plus five volts indeed normally exists between pins four and two. All the other sensors worked once I removed the solder bridge. I also observed that the touch sensor is a SPST normally open push button switch connected in series with a 2.2K Ohm resister - connected to pins 1 and 3 of the RJ-12 plug.
One final observation. Opening up the touch sensor was not straight forward. The construction involves interlocking plastic components that are not very easy to "unsnap" when snapped together. This could lead to some problems repairing the sensors (as I had to do) or modifying them.
--
Brian Davis
Wow, that's amazing how much trouble people have been having with their NXT - I've had no trouble at all with the physical parts. But I'm getting more and more disenchanted with the software. Whenever I make a big program, it starts giving me tons of errors whenever I try to move, modify, or place something. Can't wait until a text-based programming language comes out so I can use that...
-Jonathan
Has anyone be able to get Alpha Rex walking well? My son and I built Alpha Rex (a robot included with building instructions with lego nxt) but we can't get him to walk straight or turn correctly. We are using a standard "move" block, motors B & C checked, with 50 or so rotations just to see him go forward, but as he walks, he moves to the right instead of going straight. We tried using the turn slider, figuring if we applied a litle more rotation to the correct side, he'd walk straight, but that didn't work - he ended up moving a couple steps forward, then moving in place. We tried debugging him, putting him on different surfaces and even rebuilt him entirely, but still no help. Is this guy really that difficult to opperate? Could we possibly have motors that aren't working correctly? Anyone have any suggestions or places we can turn for help on Alpha Rex?
Did that help any?
could someone reply with a answer because that was a really cool site!
Dale
Although not related to the NXT software, one problem I did notice was that, if I plugged the BlueTooth dongle into a different USB port than the one I installed it in, the dongle would not be recognized by the Widcomm BlueTooth driver.
My interpretation of this behaviour is that Widcomm expact the Bluetooth dongle to plugged-in indefinitely, and having to reinstall the drivers is part of their way of supporting multiple devices on a single PC.
Ttfn,
Tony
The NXT brick and software will connect, but it disconnects within a couple of minutes--or somethings within seconds before you can download any program to it.
The software tells you to turn off/on the NXT brick--which will then allow you to reconnect to Bluetooth--but then disconnect again. I e-mailed Lego Tech Support about this. The device is within a few inches of my computer and using the 1.03 firmware.
thanks.
Explorer1
Thanks for the reply.
I have now gotten the A motor port working. It took me a little while to figure out the brick treats the A port differently.I just created another program that advanced the motor. Now on to bigger and better things. Or maybe smaller things.
Alex
Have you, by chance, uploaded the source code anywhere for your "wife-following" NXT? :-)
Any info appreciated.
Thanks
http://www.legoengineering.com/index.php
LEGO:
The error code mentioned in the bug description only occurs in the very specific
situation that the Bluetooth adapter has been removed from the computer and
reinserted
Can you please close the connection, remove the brick from the brick list, go
into the brick menu "Bluetooth" and then "My Contacts" and delete the contact?
Go into Bluetooth devices and delete the NXT (found via the control panel ->
Bluetooth devices. Then try and connect again and scan for devices.
If that does not work, please provide the following information:
Is it an internal Bluetooth adapter on his laptop, or an external one you have
connected to a USB port?
How did you verify that you are using the Microsoft Bluetooth stack?
What is the adapter's vendor ID and product ID?
Are there any other programs on the laptop that might be using the Bluetooth
adapter (maybe cell phone / PDA sync software)?
Please attach a copy of the reqcheck.xml file, located in the C:\program
files\LEGO Software\LEGO Mindstorms NXT folder.
While you were out, I tried the steps Lego tech support provided, with poor results.
The short report, without the gripes and complaining, is that from scratch an initial Bluetooth connection can be made, but breaks when the the PC software is restarted. The connections must be removed from the NXT's 'My Contacts" list and the Lego's brick list, in order for it to work again. Removing only one is not sufficent - it must be a totally clean from scratch start for them to connect. [In fact removing only the one confuses the software resulting in a backward pairing where the next initiates the pairing with the PC (NXT prompts for the PIN first, then the PC prompts for the PIN, and then they fail to connect).]
I don't need my twenty plus years of writing PC software to tell me they have bug or two to iron out.
The computer and the brick start asking for the key code simultaneously. By simultaneously clicking the mouse on my computer (to confirm the key) and the button on the brick (to confirm the key), both computer and brick connect.
An inelegant solution, I know, but it works for me.
After removing, rescanning (rentering passkeys) and much gnashing of teeth I found a kludge that works for me.
Instead of clicking on the "NXT window" button I use the "Download" button. This brings up a window that reports" Initializing... Compiling... Downloading... At that point a connection is established and I can use the "NXT window" button to interact with my NXT (delete files, etc). This trick works even if the the file I "downloaded" was empty. It's not pretty but it has worked for several days now through multiple builds and testings of the Robo Center examples.
On a different note, can anyone explain why the NXT documentation refers specifically to widcomm and not broadcom drivers? Widcomm was bought out by broadcom in April 2004 - did no one at Lego notice?
I have a Cables Unlimited USB-1530 Class 1 USB dongle. I installed the IVT Blue Soleil driver and application, which I now know was a mistake. I can connect through the Blue Soleil application, and it shows an NXT device, and I can "pair" to it, whatever exactly that means. But scannning in the NXT software never works.
So I've been trying to uninstall the IVT driver, and go back to the Windows driver, but have not found a way to do that. Always seem to end up with the IVT driver! But one of the anonymous postings above has instructions that I will try soon.
I have an NXT and RCX blog at
http://robotchallenge.blogspot.com for anyone interested. If you could add to your blogroll I'd appreciate it.
When I start the Main program in te NXT brick it shows an ey glass waiting to connect.
After sucesfully connect via blue tooth and run tat thehe program off my lpatop a browser open and the error blue tooth is not connecting to the NXT shows up. It requests for puting the correct serial port that the BT creates.
After puting the correct port number and pressing connect in the browser a bib sounds to the NXT and the eye glass disapears. The message still reamains though. After that any atents to change and connect will be hopeless. In fact the browser try and re try untill expires.
any thoughts?
cheers!
i just built the big nxt and im trying to program it via usb but my pc dose not see it
does anybody know if it's possible to set up a BT communication between 2 NXT by software (NXC) without any manual intervention?
The issue we have is that we need to first set up the master and the slave in the brick manually. Once done this, they can exchange messages between them.
I get a Lego Mindstorms NXT a year ago, and I used for a lot of stuff. But in the last couple of weeks the bluetooth stop working. Every time I perform a search in the NXT Brick it shows a "failed" message, is there any way to "reset" the brick or something like that ? any ideas/suggestions?
FYI, I'm using windows Vista Ultimate Edition (32 bits). I think the problem is related to my NXT Brick because, if I turn of my NXT for 10 min, when I turn on and make a search I can see my Laptop. But when I try to make a connection, I get a "line is busy" message, and if I perform a new search I can't see my Laptop. I have to wait for another 10 mins and then make a new search, but I can never make the connection.
I try my Laptop with another NXT (a friend's one), and it works fine, so maybe is my NXT Brick with some strange behavior. Do you have any references for this problem ?
Thanks in advance
I do all the stuff and it works fine until i have to select the 1,2,3, or 4, and the NXT says, "Line is Bussy".
Please Reply
I just sat and stared at the screen, the robot was still connected through the USB. Out of frustration, I started looking at the software, I tried a little program, put the motor icon, adjusted it to 100% pressed the arrow to go straight. downloaded it to the brick.
pressed play - it worked!
pressed the orange button - it worked!
I came back here and posted this. If you encounter such a problem, give it a try.
i am having problems with detecting my NXT from BRICXCC. Although my NXT and PC seem to be connected, when i'm running BricX Command Center, and select Bluetooth, i get the following message "unable to connect to the programmable brick". I have Windows XP PRO with SP2 installed but its drivers seem not to detect my NXT at all. I have installed WIDCOMM 5.0.1.801 and still no problem solved. If i go in my Bluetooth places, i see that NXT is connected through serial port com 8. Can anyone tell me what to do, or where do i go wrong? This thing is driving me nuts :((
Please help!
Jim
Jim
I once reseted and the next thing i know my screen on my NXT wont show can you help ;(
filmwere to the NXT it broke it so i cant fix it by replacing the battries or the reset buttom so what should i do???
Did anyone else encounter this?
I have what I think is version 2.0, and whenever I connect my NXT to my laptop, which has Windows 7, the NXT says it's connected, but the computer software acts like there is nothing connected. I know for a fact that the USB port on my laptop isn't broken, because the laptop makes a sound when I plug the wire in and take the wire out.
Thanks for any responses.
P.S- Is it just me, or does it seem that everybody's Alpha Rex always seems to drift off to one side?
http://thenxtstep.blogspot.com.au/2006/06/clicking-brick-syndrome.html
Regards
Damien Kee
Any help? (plz)