Ada/Mindstorms 1.0 User's Guide and Reference Manual

Abstract

Ada/Mindstorms 1.0 is an Ada interface to the Lego RCX "brick", included as part of the Lego Mindstorms Robotics Invention System. Programs are written with an Ada compiler, translated into Dave Baum's Not Quite C langauge (NQC), then recompiled and downloaded through the Mindstorms IR transmitter to the RCX.Ada/Mindstorms 1.0 is distributed with the USAFA AdaGIDE Windows Ada compiler. This document assumes that you have obtained and installed AdaGIDE. If you are using another Ada compiler, see Appendix A. We also assume working knowledge of Ada. If you haven't used Ada before, we recommend learning the basics first before reading further, http://www.adahome.com/Discover/Introduction.html is a good place to start. We also assume a general familiarity with the Lego Mindstorms Robotics Invention System and the RCX.To use Ada/Mindstorms 1.0, you need a PC running Windows and a Windows Ada compiler. To download Ada/Mindstorms programs to an RCX and test them, you need:1 Dave Baum's NQC system installed on your PC. It's available from http://www.enteract.com/-dbaum/nqc/index.html. If you're using AdaGIDE, the file nqc.exe executable needs to be in c:\gnatpro\bin so that AdaGIDE can find it. Otherwise it can be anywhere convenient.2 A Lego RCX brick pre-loaded with Mindstorms firmware.3 A Lego I/R transmitter hooked up to your PC's serial port. These come standard with the Lego Mindstorms Robotics Invention System.If you have already purchased a Lego Mindstorms Robotics Invention System, you don't need the CD/ROM and software that come with the it. Ada/Mindstorms is a separate programming environment, replacing the Mindstorms graphical programming tools with an Ada interface.