Controlling RCX with Windows 7 PC

[mattallen37]

If you are running 32 bit Windows 7, then the USB tower should work fine. You will need the drivers though. I was looking on my computer, and I found two things that look like the Lego RCX USB IR Tower drivers. I've uploaded them both to this post. You could try either (or both) to see if it makes any difference.

rcxdriver.zip

(181.94 KiB) Downloaded 477 times

tower164.zip

(186 KiB) Downloaded 497 times

The "Phantom drivers" are for the Lego NXT, and are unrelated to the RCX USB IR Tower.

[HaWe]

well, I also have drivers and software and ISO images of all installations CDs - but are you sure that this is freeware and that there won't be any copyright infringements if you publish them free for download and for those who download them possibly illegaly - and for the forum administration who host those files responsibly ...?

[mightor]

LEGO does not care about the RCX anymore. I'm sure it's fine to distribute.

= Xander

[mattallen37]

Were you talking to me? What I uploaded was just some drivers that I had previously found on the internet. Like Xander was saying, the RCX is a very old system that hasn't been supported by Lego for quite a number of years. I'm also fairly certain that Lego won't mind if the community shares the ISOs.

[karstenhw]

Ok,
So, I don't have RIS. None of my kits came with this software. I only have several versions of Robolab. So that may just not work.

I speak German but 18 years of living in the US and not speaking ever about issues like this in German will make this interesting. I will try that German forum.

However, It sounds like my first step needs to be to get a original RIS disk. I have serial towers and USB towers. Do I need both 1.0 and 2.0?

[karstenhw]

... You will need the drivers though. I was looking on my computer, and I found two things that look like the Lego RCX USB IR Tower drivers. I've uploaded them both to this post. You could try either (or both) to see if it makes any difference....

I must have drivers that run the towers via Robolab on my computers since the upload to the RCXs via Robolab is working fine. Are you sure the drivers you uploaded are the drivers I need to run BricxCC? Is there a chance that installing those drivers messes up Robolab (because that is the last thing I need right now).

[HaWe]

I once had both Robolab 2.x and the RIS software installed by the Lego CDs on my Windows PCs, and nothing ever was muddled up.
RIS 2.0 supported both the RS232 and the USB IR tower, so no problem as well, IMO the RIS 2.0 will be fine for XP.
As RIS 2.0 has been originally designed for Win 98 compatibility there later was provided a XP compatibility patch, but this was only for minor issues.
Of course I don't know anything about mattallen's drivers and I also didn't read anything about Lego copyright claims concerning the RCX.
If anyone can show a official Lego RCX copyright waiver I can even upload a free RIS 2.0 ISO image of my own.
Anyway, I'm not sure if installing the RIS software will help running the Robolab software (actually I doubt it), but it surely will help running NQC via BCC on a Win XP32 PC.
HTH!

[mattallen37]

It would be my guess that Robolab installed whatever drivers are necessary. I can't guarantee anything about those drivers I uploaded. I just had them sitting in a folder on my computer from my days of trying to get the RCX to work using the Lego USB IR Tower (which I gave up on, and then designed my own "tower"). I don't remember the source of those drivers, and I really don't know much of anything about them.

Are you sure that BCC <> RCX communication is failing? You should be able to use the Find Brick dialog, select the right port (e.g. usb), the RCX (RCX or RCX2, depending on the FW you are using/intend to use), and connect. If it doesn't have a popup error message, and most of the BCC toolbar buttons aren't grayed out anymore, you should be connected.

You need to use Lego FW (firmware), and I'm not sure if Robolab uses the Lego FW or a custom FW. The Lego FW file I use is called "firm0328.lgo". If the RCX doesn't have FW, pretty much the only thing you can do with BCC is use the Download FW tool.

BTW, if you remove the power source for more than about a minute while the RCX is off, or at all when the RCX is on, it will automatically delete the FW. This makes it easy to remove undesired FW (power on, and disconnect power/remove a battery).

When Lego FW is on the RCX, when you power it on, it will display the time since powered on. Immediately after powering on, it will display "00", flashing dot, "00", minifig, and then a number from 1-5, representing which program is selected. If you don't see the timer when first powered on, then the RCX does not have Lego FW, and you must download it before pretty much anything else in BCC will work.

[HaWe]

yes, RCX vs. RCX2 fw and/or compiler target might be an issue, and I meanwhile found this website which might help, too:
http://www.philohome.com/sdk25/sdk25.htm