On Sun, Jan 29, 2017 at 4:31 AM, Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote:
I changed the subject line. "Not malfunction Stephanie!"
who is Stephanie
Special thanks to Dan for FORCING me to understand every single detail. I knew he's right and that there is no magic "make robot" button. :) Hopefully I also taught Dan something about how to teach such things to people who are just as intelligent as him :) but don't necessarily have the aptitude to pick it up so quickly.
think in Binary
Two notes:
1. I'm sure some of you will point out places where I could save a line here or a byte there. Chances are I will acknowledge that you are correct, but please don't be offended if I keep it the way it is. Once again, the point of this exercise is to have very straightforward code for kids and non-technical visitors. I will probably make a big poster showing code and a flow chart.
2. Moving the stick left or right does nothing. That's by design. As I said I'm going to take a break from this project for a while. Later I might make L/R movement do what buttons 0/1 do now. That would give people more standard joystick control to drive, backup, and steer. Then I can use the buttons for other tricks, such as turning on the headlights/taillights and controlling the opto/touch sensors. (Last fall, just for giggles, I put a brakelight in the Logo robot at World Maker Faire. Real easy -- when the 'bot stops, turn on the extra light behind a red Lego lens. I could just as easily make backup lights that way -- when the 'bot goes in reverse, turn on more extra lights and make the computer beep every few seconds! Turn signals would also be simple.) Lots of fun possibilities here.
Add a Bumper switch too next so it can sense it's environment On Sun, Jan 29, 2017 at 4:36 AM, Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote:
As usual I forgot to mention something: yes, I made backup copies in case I do anything stupid to the file or the disk. :) The disk has an extra file called ROBOTBACKUPCOPY.BAS which I also saved to another disk. Meanwhile I've got the .dsk image saved, a text file saved, and now all of you have the code which is similarly archived in the previous email via our list which is hosted in an east coast data center.... so yeah there are enough backups if (when?) I do some dumbass thing and say "Oh crap!" and need to restore it.
However, many of my disk labels aren't sticking well. I suppose the glue wears out. Suggestions on where to get newly-produced (not NOS) proper 5.25 labels? Or suggestions for other kinds of modern labels that won't come off?
and make a backup to the Cloud ;) <ducks and runs> On Sun, Jan 29, 2017 at 5:42 AM, Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote:
I could just as easily make backup lights that
way -- when the 'bot goes in reverse, turn on more extra lights and make the computer beep every few seconds!
Having too much fun now. I'll get my hands on more Lego lights another time (I think we have them at the museum), but for now I changed line 230 from this:
Now the robot has a backup alert just like your neighborhood dump truck. :)
see now, this is a perfect opportunity to add a Five-Five-Five a 555 Beeper or Alarm circuit, the same kind of sound just as those Utility vehicles which is trigger every time you turn on a Port a little Homebrew addition never hurts somebody over there should have the necessary parts would cost only about $2 On Sun, Jan 29, 2017 at 6:55 AM, Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote:
I added a few lines...
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make a BACKUP Dan