Bot Bench I'd Rather Be Building Robots
This morning the postman delivered a small package from HiTechnic, the Lego NXT Sensor folks. Steve, one of the engineers, asked me if I would be interested in writing a RobotC driver for their Prototype Board. I said I was, so he told me he’d send one and here it is. I guess now I have to fulfill my end of the bargain and start producing some code!
The first thing I noticed about this board is the compactness of it. It has 6 digital IOs and no less than 5 analogue inputs. The board is also able to provide 3.3V, 4.3V, 5V and 9V to your project via various pins. I was given the breadboard version (NPT1055), but there is also a version with a small solderable area (NXT1050 on which you can add your projects directly. The breadboard version measures 25x56mm and has a 16 pin male header on its underside. It takes a little force to push onto your breadboard. However the little leaflet that comes with it has instructions on how to do this properly so you don’t snap or bend it. Taking it off your board requires the same kind of care.
I am sure I am going to have a lot of fun with this board and I will keep you updated as I progress.
