Getting Started
Welcome to the world of LEGO Engineer! Before you begin, you will need to install the LEGO Dacta hardware and the LEGO Engineer software on your PC or Mac.
Minimum System Requirements
|
PC |
|
|
50 MB free hard drive space 16 MB RAM Windows 95/NT operating system or higher 25 MHz processor Must have ROBOLAB installed |
Mac
50 MB free hard drive space
24 MB RAM
System 7 operating system or higher
60 MHz PowerPC processor
Must have ROBOLAB installed
Hardware Installation
To install your LEGO DACTA Serial Interface Box, Transformer, and Cable:
a row of five and a row of four.
Connect this end of the cable to your interface box.
The small green indicator light next to the word "On" over the black test port should light up. This shows that the interface box is receiving electrical power. The red light over the "Stop" button also lights up because the software is not yet running a program.
If the green indicator light is not on, check the transformer to make sure it is plugged in properly and that electrical power is being delivered to the socket into which the transformer is plugged.
Teacher Note:
If the green light still does not turn on, call LEGO DACTA at 1-800-527-8339 and ask for technical support.
Software Installation
The software can be installed on either a Mac or a PC.
Insert the LEGO Engineer CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive, or
download the LEGO Engineer Installer from the FTP site:
ftp://ftp.rspac.ivv.nasa.gov/ldaps/pub/LEGO%20Engineer/
Double click on the LEGO Engineer Installer icon to show the files. (On a PC, double click on My Computer to show the LEGO Engineer CD icon.)
Click on the PC or Mac Install icon to automatically install the software on your computer.
You will first see a screen like the one below:
After the installation is complete a new window will open telling you that you are finished with the installation process.
Starting LEGO Engineer
To begin LEGO Engineer, double click on the 'Shortcut to Engineer' icon on your PC desktop. To begin LEGO Engineer on a Mac, open the LEGO Engineer folder and double click on the 'Start.vi' icon.
The Introductory Screen is shown every time LEGO Engineer starts.
The ABOUT button provides information about the creation of LEGO Engineer.
Clicking on the QUIT button quits the LEGO Engineer program.
Clicking on the HELP button provides assistance by describing items the cursor touches.
After clicking on the LEGO Engineer QUIT Button, you are given a second chance to return to the program.
|
Clicking on the back button returns you to the Introductory Screen if you decide that you really do not want to quit LEGO Engineer. |
Clicking on this "Quit" button closes the program window and exits LEGO Engineer. |
Programming in LEGO Engineer
Both the Builder and Engineer graphical programming environments are accessible from the introductory screen.
The Demo button brings up an easy to use diagram that helps you learn how to use the Serial Interface Box.
Description of Programming Environments
The LEGO Engineer programming software is divided into two environments called Builder and Engineer. Online help is available in both environments.
Builder
Builder is LEGO Engineer's introductory programming environment. It uses an easy Click & Choose interface to program within a specific structure. There are limitations to programming with Builder.
Engineer
The Engineer programming environment transcends the limitations of Builder by incorporating many of the features and capabilities of a traditional programming language. Programs are written by Picking & Placing command icons from a palette onto a diagram window. Stringing them together creates a graphical program that looks similar to a block diagram or flow chart. This flexible framework gives students the ability to create programs with limitless possibilities.
LabVIEW, The Program Behind LEGO Engineer
LabVIEW is a powerful programming environment used by engineers and scientists in colleges and industry. The LEGO Engineer and ROBOLAB programs are developed from a special edition of LabVIEW. This specialized edition uses a limited set of the options available in the professional edition to make the real-life program more accessible for children.
The Builder and Engineer environments are based on this programming language, known as G. G was developed by National Instruments. As a programming language, G is like Basic, Fortran, or C. Its major difference is that it is based on graphics instead of written lines of text. National Instruments calls this programming environment LabVIEWÔ . The icon based programming structure is based on logical sequencing of images and is essentially independent of written language.
In LabVIEW, programs are referred to as vi’s. VI stands for virtual instrument. The primary use of the professional edition of LabVIEW is to use a computer as a virtual instrument, such as an oscilloscope or a multi-meter. The LabVIEW program is then used for acquiring data and analyzing it.
The Builder environment is a series of templates that have a forced format associated with them. This is an effective way to introduce logical thinking to anyone. It is impossible to modify any of the templates to create a program with errors. The program might not do what is expected, but it will run each time, and do the exact command sequence listed.
The Engineer environment is based upon the same command icons as Builder. However, Engineer is set up in a less structured way than Builder, allowing the powerful LabVIEW capabilities to be used as the programmer desires. The flexibility of the Engineer environment allows the Serial Interface Box to be used to its fullest potential, but this flexibility can initially be confusing. We recommend that the teachers’ guide examples be followed to assist in learning about the programming environment. Hints and techniques for working in the Engineer environment are given throughout the section. Ultimately, the strength of LabVIEW is worth overcoming the potential confusion of the Engineer programming environment.