Mindboards

Hello all,

I posted here before when I couldn't get blutooth to work. ( https://sourceforge.net/apps/phpbb/mind ... f=3&t=1428 ). After that I did manage to connect a couple of times, but I never found a reliable procedure, and spent a lot of time trying to connect, and failing. So I decided to give up and use USB.

I have now found that USB doesn't work either!

To be slightly more precise, USB works fine with NXT-G, but when I try with BricxCC, it seems to connect when I start it ('run' and 'stop' icons in the toolbar are coloured green and red) but as soon as I open a .nxc file, they are greyed out, along with most entries in the tools menu. If I then try to find the brick, It waits a bit and then tells me it can't find it.

I have:

A newish HP laptop, running Windows 7 Professional 32-bit.

Lego mindstroms software, installed from the CD, version 2.0.f4
'LEGO Mindstorms NXT driver v1.17.770'

NXT2.0, brand new, versions:
FW 1.28
AVR 1.01
BUILD 1902091856

Preumably BricxCC does work with windows 7?
Do I need a specific version of that, or the driver?
Is there a suggested procedure for the order of connecting / powering on the NXT, running BricxCC, or trying to detect?

Any other bright ideas?

Cheers,

Ian.

I use Win 7 64-bit with BCC, and never have any problems with USB.

Make sure the NXT-G SW is closed, otherwise BCC won't be able to connect to the NXT.

Although these will not likely effect the USB connection issue, I suggest you update your SW. Here are some direct download links for the latest versions of SW:
32-bit Drivers
Latest official release of BCC
Last test release of BCC - Copy the files into the BCC directory after you have installed BCC 3.3.8.9 (latest official release).

Once you get BCC to communicate with your NXT using USB, I recommend you update the NXT's FW. You can find the latest NBC/NXC FW in the BCC directory, and it should be called something like "lms_arm_nbcnxc_132_20120225_0932.rfw" (assuming you have the latest test release of BCC). Be warned though, that updating the NXT FW is said to be risky (there's a chance you could "brick" the NXT). However, I have updated FW on 6 NXTs, a total of probably more than 25 times and have never had a problem; I just always have to try it a second time.

Thanks for that. I already had BrickxCC 3.3.8.9, though I neglected to mention it. I replaced the driver with the one you linked (1.20) but that made no difference. So I ditched my old .nxc files and created a new one from scratch. That worked fine, and I compiled, downloaded and ran a few times, and also opened and closed the new .nxc file with no problems.

So I am now happy I wonder if BricxCC in some way associates specific .nxc files with a method of connecting to the brick - because the 'old' ones, which gave me problems were originally used with bluetooth connection. Just a thought.....

I then tried downloading the enhanced firmware, and the NXT locked up and made clicking noises I found some recovery instructons on the web, and recovered it to 'standard' firmware.

Do you think I should just try again? Is there a specific procedure to follow? I just used the menu option in BricxCC, but I'm not sure what state the NXT was in at the time.

Cheers,

Ian.

No connection information is stored in the .nxc files (the user programs). An .nxc file extension just tells the compiler what platform to target (the NXT). BCC also will compile .nqc files for the RCX, as well as a couple other file extensions (for different platforms).

For downloading the FW, I always have to try it twice. The first time it will put the NXT into SAMBA mode (where it is clicking quietly), but the computer practically never installs the drivers quick-enough. So, I just let it fail the first time, and then go to the tools menu and try it for the second time. For me, it has always worked the second time (and I don't remember it ever working the first time).

Before you download the EFW though, make sure you are downloading the latest version (included in the latest test release, and called "lms_arm_nbcnxc_132_20120225_0932.rfw").