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The RCX, 19 years later A guide to using LEGO's first Mindstorms programmable brick in 2017This article is also available as a for easy printing and physical distribution!Despite being the oldest of the three Mindstorms programmable bricks, the RCX remains my favorite.I love its simplicity, small size, and its relative reliance on traditional LEGO® studs,rather than Technic beams. However, using an RCX is in some ways harder and more complicated thanwhen it was first released in 1998. This article will attempt to summarize some of the equipment,software, and techniques necessary to use an RCX in 2017.Why use an RCX?There are several reasons you might want to use an RCX instead of an NXT or EV3:. You already have one.
This is the tour video that is in the Robotics Invention System 2.0 software, this isn't my own work. This software, as well as other software from the RIS era of LEGO MINDSTORMS, can be.
Maybe you're a teacher, and your school never bought newerMindstorms sets. Maybe you found your old RCX equipment in the attic, and want to play withit again.
Maybe you're like me, and you never stopped playing with it in the first place. They're cheap. If you have a limited budget to spend on Mindstorms parts, or you wantto buy a kit for a child, but you aren't sure if they'll use it enough to justify the costof a more-expensive NXT or EV3 set, the RCX could be a good choice.
They're simple. For small, uncomplicated, or permenant projects, the low cost and relativesimplicity of the RCX make it a good choice. You have a thing for retro technology. Admit it: There's something appealing about the 7-segmentLCD display, the infrared communication, and the 8-bit SOC.Hardware Guide RCX BrickThe RCX brick comes in 3 hardware revisions:.1.0 - The original. The only revision to include a power input jack, so that in additionto 6 AA batteries, it can also be powered by a 9-12V AC power supply. (Yes, you read thatright: It's an AC input).1.5 (also called 1.1) - Included with the Robotics Invention System (RIS) 1.5 set.Identical to the 1.0 brick except that the power input jack has been removed. Officially,the 1.5 brick is also called an 1.0 brick, but with a serial number.2.0 - Identical to the 1.5 brick except that the IR interface operates at(76 kHz instead of 38 kHz).
This has the effect of slightly reduced range,but enables the 2.0 brick to talk to.Aside from those diffrences, all hardware revisions are functionally identical, and all firmware versionsare compatible with all hardware revisions. I tend to favor the 1.0 brick due to the inclusion of thepower input, and in any case the 1.0 seems to be the most commonly-available brick online.RCX 1.0 brick, from all sides. Boris fx boris continuum complete avx dv v1.0 for mac.
The 1.5 brick is identical except that there's no powerjack at the bottom.The 2.0 brick is identical except that there's no power jack atthe bottom and it says 'RCX 2.0' instead of 'RCX 1.0'. Infrared TowerThe infrared tower is used to send programs from a computer to the RCX, and data from the RCX back tothe computer for logging. There are two models of infrared tower. One connects via aand requires a 9-volt battery, while theother connects over USB, and can get enough power from that so as to not require a battery.
The USB modelis more convenient to use (due to the lack of additional battery), and seems to be more readily availableonline.Two IR towers: USB on the left; Serial on the right.ðŸ“:(/)USB Infrared Tower on 64-bit Windows Thanks to Reddit user MindS1 forin this section.For many years, the common wisdom was that the USB infrared tower was not supported on 64-bit versions ofwindows, the reason being that LEGO never wrote a 64-bit driver for the USB tower. Recently, however, a64-bit compatible USB tower driver, courtesy of the people at, a joint project of Tufts University's Center for Engineering Education andOutreach, LEGO Education, and various other educators. Note that this driver is only compatible withROBOLAB software (more info on RCX languages ); thus, the USB IR tower canonly be used with ROBOLAB on 64-bit versions of Windows.
The serial IR tower can be used on 64-bit versionsof windows in conjunction with a USB-to-DE-9 adapter.MotorsRCX-compatible motors come in 2 shapes, which I'll call 'rectangular' and 'cubic'.The cubic motors appear in more sets, and are in my opinion easier to work with.Left: rectangular motor.Right: cubic motor (/).Cubic motors come in 2 hardware revisions. However, unlike the RCX brick, there are no visualcues on the outside of the motors to tell the hardware revisions apart. The primary difference between the 2revisions is that the older motors use internal gears made of metal, whereas in the newer motors the internalgears are made of plastic. As a result, the older hardware revision is more durable. It's also heavier, which isthe best way to tell the difference between the two hardware revisions.
You'll see the older revision describedon Bricklink as 'Older, heavier weight' and the newer revision described as 'Newer, lighter weight'.SensorsThe first-party sensors available for the RCX are Light, Rotation, Touch, and Temperature. In addition, a numberof third-party sensors are available, and LEGO® also produced a 'DCP Sensor Adapter' which converted theRCX connector to a 7-Pin DIN socket compatible with LogIT Microsense scientific sensors made by.Clockwise from bottom left: Light sensor, rotation sensor, temperature sensor,touch sensor WiresThe wires used for connecting motors and sensors to the RCX brick are terminated at either end with a 2x2x2/3brick with electrical contacts on the top and bottom. Wires are available in lengths of 15, 17, 20, 21, 26, 36,46, 69, 162, and 378 studs. Every first-partysensor except for the touch sensor comes with a short wire permenantly affixed to the sensor.Wire connector for RCX motors and sensors, seen from the top (at left) and bottom(at right) RemoteThere also exists, which can control the motor outputs of the RCX brick in realtime without the need for programming.RCX remote.ðŸ“:Buying an RCXIf you don't already have an RCX, you'll need to buy a brick and an infrared tower.
You'll probably also wantto buy some combination of motors and sensors, depending on your application.Buying a setIf you're new to Mindstorms, you'll probably want to buy a set containing a bunch of parts.andare both good places to buy RCX sets online.The following sets contain RCX bricks:Set #Set NameRCX Brick VersionMotors IncludedSensors IncludedIR Tower Included9790.
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The RCX, 19 years later A guide to using LEGO\'s first Mindstorms programmable brick in 2017This article is also available as a for easy printing and physical distribution!Despite being the oldest of the three Mindstorms programmable bricks, the RCX remains my favorite.I love its simplicity, small size, and its relative reliance on traditional LEGO® studs,rather than Technic beams. However, using an RCX is in some ways harder and more complicated thanwhen it was first released in 1998. This article will attempt to summarize some of the equipment,software, and techniques necessary to use an RCX in 2017.Why use an RCX?There are several reasons you might want to use an RCX instead of an NXT or EV3:. You already have one.
This is the tour video that is in the Robotics Invention System 2.0 software, this isn\'t my own work. This software, as well as other software from the RIS era of LEGO MINDSTORMS, can be.
Maybe you\'re a teacher, and your school never bought newerMindstorms sets. Maybe you found your old RCX equipment in the attic, and want to play withit again.
Maybe you\'re like me, and you never stopped playing with it in the first place. They\'re cheap. If you have a limited budget to spend on Mindstorms parts, or you wantto buy a kit for a child, but you aren\'t sure if they\'ll use it enough to justify the costof a more-expensive NXT or EV3 set, the RCX could be a good choice.
They\'re simple. For small, uncomplicated, or permenant projects, the low cost and relativesimplicity of the RCX make it a good choice. You have a thing for retro technology. Admit it: There\'s something appealing about the 7-segmentLCD display, the infrared communication, and the 8-bit SOC.Hardware Guide RCX BrickThe RCX brick comes in 3 hardware revisions:.1.0 - The original. The only revision to include a power input jack, so that in additionto 6 AA batteries, it can also be powered by a 9-12V AC power supply. (Yes, you read thatright: It\'s an AC input).1.5 (also called 1.1) - Included with the Robotics Invention System (RIS) 1.5 set.Identical to the 1.0 brick except that the power input jack has been removed. Officially,the 1.5 brick is also called an 1.0 brick, but with a serial number.2.0 - Identical to the 1.5 brick except that the IR interface operates at(76 kHz instead of 38 kHz).
This has the effect of slightly reduced range,but enables the 2.0 brick to talk to.Aside from those diffrences, all hardware revisions are functionally identical, and all firmware versionsare compatible with all hardware revisions. I tend to favor the 1.0 brick due to the inclusion of thepower input, and in any case the 1.0 seems to be the most commonly-available brick online.RCX 1.0 brick, from all sides. Boris fx boris continuum complete avx dv v1.0 for mac.
The 1.5 brick is identical except that there\'s no powerjack at the bottom.The 2.0 brick is identical except that there\'s no power jack atthe bottom and it says \'RCX 2.0\' instead of \'RCX 1.0\'. Infrared TowerThe infrared tower is used to send programs from a computer to the RCX, and data from the RCX back tothe computer for logging. There are two models of infrared tower. One connects via aand requires a 9-volt battery, while theother connects over USB, and can get enough power from that so as to not require a battery.
The USB modelis more convenient to use (due to the lack of additional battery), and seems to be more readily availableonline.Two IR towers: USB on the left; Serial on the right.ðŸ“:(/)USB Infrared Tower on 64-bit Windows Thanks to Reddit user MindS1 forin this section.For many years, the common wisdom was that the USB infrared tower was not supported on 64-bit versions ofwindows, the reason being that LEGO never wrote a 64-bit driver for the USB tower. Recently, however, a64-bit compatible USB tower driver, courtesy of the people at, a joint project of Tufts University\'s Center for Engineering Education andOutreach, LEGO Education, and various other educators. Note that this driver is only compatible withROBOLAB software (more info on RCX languages ); thus, the USB IR tower canonly be used with ROBOLAB on 64-bit versions of Windows.
The serial IR tower can be used on 64-bit versionsof windows in conjunction with a USB-to-DE-9 adapter.MotorsRCX-compatible motors come in 2 shapes, which I\'ll call \'rectangular\' and \'cubic\'.The cubic motors appear in more sets, and are in my opinion easier to work with.Left: rectangular motor.Right: cubic motor (/).Cubic motors come in 2 hardware revisions. However, unlike the RCX brick, there are no visualcues on the outside of the motors to tell the hardware revisions apart. The primary difference between the 2revisions is that the older motors use internal gears made of metal, whereas in the newer motors the internalgears are made of plastic. As a result, the older hardware revision is more durable. It\'s also heavier, which isthe best way to tell the difference between the two hardware revisions.
You\'ll see the older revision describedon Bricklink as \'Older, heavier weight\' and the newer revision described as \'Newer, lighter weight\'.SensorsThe first-party sensors available for the RCX are Light, Rotation, Touch, and Temperature. In addition, a numberof third-party sensors are available, and LEGO® also produced a \'DCP Sensor Adapter\' which converted theRCX connector to a 7-Pin DIN socket compatible with LogIT Microsense scientific sensors made by.Clockwise from bottom left: Light sensor, rotation sensor, temperature sensor,touch sensor WiresThe wires used for connecting motors and sensors to the RCX brick are terminated at either end with a 2x2x2/3brick with electrical contacts on the top and bottom. Wires are available in lengths of 15, 17, 20, 21, 26, 36,46, 69, 162, and 378 studs. Every first-partysensor except for the touch sensor comes with a short wire permenantly affixed to the sensor.Wire connector for RCX motors and sensors, seen from the top (at left) and bottom(at right) RemoteThere also exists, which can control the motor outputs of the RCX brick in realtime without the need for programming.RCX remote.ðŸ“:Buying an RCXIf you don\'t already have an RCX, you\'ll need to buy a brick and an infrared tower.
You\'ll probably also wantto buy some combination of motors and sensors, depending on your application.Buying a setIf you\'re new to Mindstorms, you\'ll probably want to buy a set containing a bunch of parts.andare both good places to buy RCX sets online.The following sets contain RCX bricks:Set #Set NameRCX Brick VersionMotors IncludedSensors IncludedIR Tower Included9790.
...'>Lego Mindstorms Ris 2.0 Download(18.04.2020)The RCX, 19 years later A guide to using LEGO\'s first Mindstorms programmable brick in 2017This article is also available as a for easy printing and physical distribution!Despite being the oldest of the three Mindstorms programmable bricks, the RCX remains my favorite.I love its simplicity, small size, and its relative reliance on traditional LEGO® studs,rather than Technic beams. However, using an RCX is in some ways harder and more complicated thanwhen it was first released in 1998. This article will attempt to summarize some of the equipment,software, and techniques necessary to use an RCX in 2017.Why use an RCX?There are several reasons you might want to use an RCX instead of an NXT or EV3:. You already have one.
This is the tour video that is in the Robotics Invention System 2.0 software, this isn\'t my own work. This software, as well as other software from the RIS era of LEGO MINDSTORMS, can be.
Maybe you\'re a teacher, and your school never bought newerMindstorms sets. Maybe you found your old RCX equipment in the attic, and want to play withit again.
Maybe you\'re like me, and you never stopped playing with it in the first place. They\'re cheap. If you have a limited budget to spend on Mindstorms parts, or you wantto buy a kit for a child, but you aren\'t sure if they\'ll use it enough to justify the costof a more-expensive NXT or EV3 set, the RCX could be a good choice.
They\'re simple. For small, uncomplicated, or permenant projects, the low cost and relativesimplicity of the RCX make it a good choice. You have a thing for retro technology. Admit it: There\'s something appealing about the 7-segmentLCD display, the infrared communication, and the 8-bit SOC.Hardware Guide RCX BrickThe RCX brick comes in 3 hardware revisions:.1.0 - The original. The only revision to include a power input jack, so that in additionto 6 AA batteries, it can also be powered by a 9-12V AC power supply. (Yes, you read thatright: It\'s an AC input).1.5 (also called 1.1) - Included with the Robotics Invention System (RIS) 1.5 set.Identical to the 1.0 brick except that the power input jack has been removed. Officially,the 1.5 brick is also called an 1.0 brick, but with a serial number.2.0 - Identical to the 1.5 brick except that the IR interface operates at(76 kHz instead of 38 kHz).
This has the effect of slightly reduced range,but enables the 2.0 brick to talk to.Aside from those diffrences, all hardware revisions are functionally identical, and all firmware versionsare compatible with all hardware revisions. I tend to favor the 1.0 brick due to the inclusion of thepower input, and in any case the 1.0 seems to be the most commonly-available brick online.RCX 1.0 brick, from all sides. Boris fx boris continuum complete avx dv v1.0 for mac.
The 1.5 brick is identical except that there\'s no powerjack at the bottom.The 2.0 brick is identical except that there\'s no power jack atthe bottom and it says \'RCX 2.0\' instead of \'RCX 1.0\'. Infrared TowerThe infrared tower is used to send programs from a computer to the RCX, and data from the RCX back tothe computer for logging. There are two models of infrared tower. One connects via aand requires a 9-volt battery, while theother connects over USB, and can get enough power from that so as to not require a battery.
The USB modelis more convenient to use (due to the lack of additional battery), and seems to be more readily availableonline.Two IR towers: USB on the left; Serial on the right.ðŸ“:(/)USB Infrared Tower on 64-bit Windows Thanks to Reddit user MindS1 forin this section.For many years, the common wisdom was that the USB infrared tower was not supported on 64-bit versions ofwindows, the reason being that LEGO never wrote a 64-bit driver for the USB tower. Recently, however, a64-bit compatible USB tower driver, courtesy of the people at, a joint project of Tufts University\'s Center for Engineering Education andOutreach, LEGO Education, and various other educators. Note that this driver is only compatible withROBOLAB software (more info on RCX languages ); thus, the USB IR tower canonly be used with ROBOLAB on 64-bit versions of Windows.
The serial IR tower can be used on 64-bit versionsof windows in conjunction with a USB-to-DE-9 adapter.MotorsRCX-compatible motors come in 2 shapes, which I\'ll call \'rectangular\' and \'cubic\'.The cubic motors appear in more sets, and are in my opinion easier to work with.Left: rectangular motor.Right: cubic motor (/).Cubic motors come in 2 hardware revisions. However, unlike the RCX brick, there are no visualcues on the outside of the motors to tell the hardware revisions apart. The primary difference between the 2revisions is that the older motors use internal gears made of metal, whereas in the newer motors the internalgears are made of plastic. As a result, the older hardware revision is more durable. It\'s also heavier, which isthe best way to tell the difference between the two hardware revisions.
You\'ll see the older revision describedon Bricklink as \'Older, heavier weight\' and the newer revision described as \'Newer, lighter weight\'.SensorsThe first-party sensors available for the RCX are Light, Rotation, Touch, and Temperature. In addition, a numberof third-party sensors are available, and LEGO® also produced a \'DCP Sensor Adapter\' which converted theRCX connector to a 7-Pin DIN socket compatible with LogIT Microsense scientific sensors made by.Clockwise from bottom left: Light sensor, rotation sensor, temperature sensor,touch sensor WiresThe wires used for connecting motors and sensors to the RCX brick are terminated at either end with a 2x2x2/3brick with electrical contacts on the top and bottom. Wires are available in lengths of 15, 17, 20, 21, 26, 36,46, 69, 162, and 378 studs. Every first-partysensor except for the touch sensor comes with a short wire permenantly affixed to the sensor.Wire connector for RCX motors and sensors, seen from the top (at left) and bottom(at right) RemoteThere also exists, which can control the motor outputs of the RCX brick in realtime without the need for programming.RCX remote.ðŸ“:Buying an RCXIf you don\'t already have an RCX, you\'ll need to buy a brick and an infrared tower.
You\'ll probably also wantto buy some combination of motors and sensors, depending on your application.Buying a setIf you\'re new to Mindstorms, you\'ll probably want to buy a set containing a bunch of parts.andare both good places to buy RCX sets online.The following sets contain RCX bricks:Set #Set NameRCX Brick VersionMotors IncludedSensors IncludedIR Tower Included9790.
...'>Lego Mindstorms Ris 2.0 Download(18.04.2020)
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