Getting Started

  1. Assemble your LEGO Mindstorms NXT 2.0 robot, using LEGO Mindstorms User Guide (use quick start assembly type). It is recommended that you use chain tracks instead of the wheels.
  2. Attach connectors:
    • right motor to "B" connector;
    • left motor to "C" connector;
    • ultrasonic sensor to "4" connector;
  3. Download and transfer Motor Control program to your NXT. You should also flash NXT with official firmware version 1.28 or above. Follow this instructions.
  4. Make sure you have .NET Framework 4.0 (or .NET Framework 4.0 Client Profile) installed on your PC. If not so then download and install it.
  5. Download and unpack ZIP archive with the latest version of Raise software from CodePlex site (Downloads section).
  6. Run RaiseHardwareTest.exe program.
  7. Select plugin used to access robot hardware in combo box:
    • "Emulation" is used to emulate real robot hardware without having one.
    • "LEGO Tribot" is used to access robot via Bluetooth (but first you should set correct COM-port in "Hardware Settings" dialog: click "Settings" button, input COM-port value and click "OK");
    • "LEGO Tribot (USB)" is used to access robot via USB (COM-port setting is just ignored).
  8. Click Connect button and wait until status changes to "Connected". If something goes wrong then you will see message box with error explanation. It means that you should check your robot hardware availability via selected communication link. Also check again instructions in step 3 about MotorControl program installation.
  9. Calibrate robot. Notice that you should repeat this step if you will use another flooring or robot assembly type.
    1. Click Wheel Run Distance button in "Hardware Commands" group or from "Hardware" menu, and wait until status changes back to "Connected". Robot should move forward by some distance.
    2. Measure and remember robot's movement distance. You can click "Wheel Run Distance" command several times to calculate average distance value for best movement accuracy in the future.
    3. Click Disconnect button and wait until status changes to "Disconnected".
    4. Click Settings button, "Hardware Settings" dialog will appear. Input value, measured in previous step, into "Wheel Run Distance" input box, then click "OK" button.
    5. Click Connect and then Full Turn Tacho button in "Hardware Commands" group or from "Hardware" menu. Select Left in appeared dialog and wait until robot rotation ends. Ideally robot should rotate by 360 degree counter-clockwise.
    6. Click Disconnect, then Settings, then experiment with the Left Turn Tacho value in "Hardware Settings" dialog so that robot will actually rotate by 360 degree after carrying out previous step (the higher the value, the greater the angle of rotation).
    7. If robot model is symmetric then just copy your "Left Turn Tacho" value to Right Turn Tacho field. Otherwise you can evaluate this value by analogy with steps 5 and 6, but you should select Right in Full Turn Tacho dialog (in this case robot should rotate by 360 degree clockwise).
  10. Control robot by clicking Move Robot, Rotate Robot, Detect obstacle or Stop Robot buttons in "Hardware Commands" section or from "Hardware" menu.
  11. You can set your preferred distance, time and angle measures at any time using Measures button (or menu item of the same name from "Services" menu). For example just set "inch" in "Distance Measure" combo box.
  12. Be sure to click Disconnect button and wait until status changes to "Disconnected" before you quit program.