my NXT brick will not run NXT programs

[juxtaposed]

I recently got a hold of a NXT brick secondhand. It won't run some programs or, seeminly any what they call "NXT programs" though.

The direct control through Bricx Command Center works. The 'View' function on the NXT brick itself works. But when I execute a NXT program file it immediately displays "DONE".

I have tried a hard reset and have tried reloading the firmware (currently running 1.31).

At first I thought that no program worked (either what they call "software" or "NXT program") but there are some files I have gotten to run from http://bricxcc.sourceforge.net/nbc/nxcs ... index.html. The chase2.nxc from the nxcsamples.zip and the block program. I had first tried the alpha_rex program from this site but all it does is spin the run icon on the screen (no motor movement, etc. All sensors are set up appropriately, according to the standard setting). This being my first NXT brick, I have not had time to learn to program it myself (and it did not come with LEGO's standard software).

I have also contacted LEGO, while waiting for their reply I found this forum. Wondering if anyone else has experienced this problem or know of a potential solution I could try

[mattallen37]

If you're gonna be programming in NXC, I suggest you upgrade the FW to the latest enhanced FW (which is 100% backwards compatible with the standard Lego FW). The EFW is included with BCC.

Try running this program, and see what happens.

Code: Select all

task main(){
  TextOut(0, LCD_LINE1, "Hello World!");
  Wait(2000);
}

It should display "Hello World!" for 2 seconds, and then the program should end.

You could use the NXT Explorer (one of the tools included with BCC) to view all files on the NXT. Changing the FW should wipe any files, but it wouldn't hurt to make sure it's fairly empty. You could also use the tool to put the default sound files back on the NXT (such as "! Startup.rso" and "! Click.rso"), if you want to.

[HaWe]

if the former program runs correctly, then try the following:

Code: Select all

task main() {
  TextOut(0, LCD_LINE1, "Hello World!");
  while(true);
}

in this case, it should display "Hello World!" for ever.

(Terminate this by pressing the EXIT button)

[juxtaposed]

I ran the Hello World program, it works (for completeness sake: it works under both LEGO's firmware and the enhanced firmware). But this information is unimportant because I believe I have figured out the issue. Apparently the 'NXT program' (programming right on the NXT brick itself) programs do not function under the enhanced firmware.

Your post made me realize that I was in fact using the enhanced firmware (lms_arm_nbcnxc_132.rfw). I had collected files and programs and thought the firmware I had downloaded was from the LEGO mindstorms page (apparently I did not pay much attention to the file name other than the numbers because it would have been clear had I given it any thought). I had been using that firmware most of the short time I have worked with it (soon after getting it I already updated the firmware to 1.31, the enhanced one).

Upon realizing this I downloaded LEGO's 1.31 firmware and put that on. The simple 'NXT Program' programs created on the brick itself work when running LEGO's 1.31 firmware. But they do not while running the enhanced firmware. This really is neither here nor there, I do not plan on using that functionality (because it is so limited). I was, when it did not work, however, worried that there was something wrong with the programmable brick (especially since it is secondhand) and that was compounded by not getting the sample Alpha Rex program from http://bricxcc.sourceforge.net/nbc/nxcs ... index.html to work (It doesn't do anything under either LEGO's or the enhanced firmware... I have no idea what is going on there).

Am I correct that the enhanced firmware does not support the 'NXT Program' submenu? (what a misleading title LEGO came up with for this on brick programming function, could not everything that runs on the NXT brick be considered a NXT program? I keep feeling I need to quality it by explaining that I am refering to the 5 block pictorial programming function)

And yes the forever "Hello World" program works too.

To summarize... it looks like everything is actually fine as long as the 'NXT Program'-on-brick-incredibly-limited-programming-function produced programs do not work while using the enhanced firmware (I can only get them to work using LEGO's firmware). Is this a correct assessment.

Thanks for your help.

[mattallen37]

I have no idea if that is supposed to work with the EFW, because I have never used that "feature".

If the NXT appears to work at all (you can get around in the menu), then the processing related HW should be fine. Programs run in a FW VM, so it would practically be all or nothing.

[mcsummation]

If I remember correctly, when the enhanced FW is loaded, it deletes the RPGREADER.SYS file, which is required for what you are trying to do.

[afanofosc]

If you need to run NXT programs on the enhanced NBC/NXC firmware you can grab a copy of rpgreader.sys from the standard firmware and download it to your NXT running the enhanced firmware or you can grab my much smaller version, which should result in essentially identical behavior, from this link:

http://bricxcc.sourceforge.net/nbc/samp ... reader.zip

John Hansen